President Prabowo Issues Presidential Instruction on Elephant Conservation, Forestry Minister: Involves 9 Ministers
Forestry Minister (Menhut) Raja Juli Antoni revealed that President Prabowo Subianto has formally issued a Presidential Instruction (Inpres) on the rescue of the populations and habitats of the Sumatran Elephant and the Bornean Elephant.
As seen on his official Instagram account, this was conveyed by Forestry Minister Raja Juli during a video call with a baby elephant named Nona Seroja, who resides in Tesso Nilo National Park in Riau, on Friday (10/7/2026). The Inpres was described as a ‘gift’ for Nona Seroja, who had just turned one month old.
“Today, 10 July, is Nona Seroja’s birthday. Happy birthday to Nona Seroja, and there is good news for her, Bang Domang, and the Sumatran and Bornean Elephants: a Presidential Instruction has been issued for the rescue of the elephant populations and the habitats of the Sumatran and Bornean Elephants,” said Forestry Minister Raja Antoni.
The Forestry Minister explained that the Inpres governs the involvement of various sectors so that elephant populations and habitats are protected even as development continues. He gave the example that if infrastructure development, such as roads, crosses an elephant’s roaming range (home range), wildlife corridors must be prepared so that elephant movement is not cut off.
“For instance, if the Ministry of Public Works builds a road that disturbs the elephants’ home range, then a dedicated corridor must be provided. Likewise, if a plantation enters an elephant’s roaming route, space must be set aside, or even enriched as a preservation area, so that elephants can continue to move through their habitat with sufficient food,” said Raja Antoni.
The Inpres states that nine ministers are involved in the rescue of elephant populations and habitats. These include the Minister of Forestry, the Minister of Agriculture, the Minister of Home Affairs, the Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency (ATR/BPN), the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, the Minister of Public Works, the Minister of Environment, the Minister of Finance, and the Minister of Investment and Downstream Industries. The police, governors, and regents and mayors in Sumatra and North Kalimantan are also involved.
“All the ministries mandated by this Inpres have an obligation to protect the home of Nona Seroja, Bang Domang, and their companions. God willing, we will execute it even better on the ground,” said Raja Antoni.