Sebanga and Minas Elephant Training Centres Inspected as Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni Ensures Riau Elephant Corridor Will Be Connected Soon
Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni conducted a direct inspection of the Elephant Training Centres (PLG) Sebanga and PLG Minas in Riau Province. The visit focused on evaluating and accelerating the programme to connect elephant corridors that have been fragmented due to land-use changes and forest degradation.
Minister Raja Juli Antoni had previously visited PLG Sebanga on 29 November 2025. At that time, he heard community aspirations regarding land and facility constraints at PLG Sebanga and ordered his staff to undertake improvements.
Now, a number of welfare-support facilities for the animals have been realised at PLG Sebanga. These include the construction of water storage basins (embung), expansion of land for feed enrichment, and a squeeze cage for medical treatment.
“Praise be to God on this auspicious day, I had the opportunity to visit PLG Sebanga. A few months ago I also visited Sebanga and heard from the public that the PLG Sebanga was in a regretful condition; netizens claimed only one hectare remained. Praise be to God now we can confirm 15 hectares for the grazing area,” said Raja Juli Antoni at PLG Minas, on Wednesday 4 March.
“Then we have clean water now—water tanks—embung has been established, we have a squeeze cage for treatment, and feed enrichment has been implemented, with about 1 hectare dedicated to sugarcane, pineapple, and banana.”
After leaving Sebanga, the Minister continued to PLG Minas. In this location, the government plans to strengthen animal-health facilities and promote connectivity of elephant habitat that is isolated due to forest fragmentation.
“Today we stand at PLG Minas; God willing, we will establish an elephant clinic here, and there is also a programme to connect the corridor from PLG Minas to other places that are isolated by forest fragmentation,” he asserted.
The corridor-connecting programme is regarded as crucial to maintaining elephants’ natural movement and ensuring the sustainability of the Sumatran elephant population in Riau. Raja Juli Antoni urged all parties to support conservation efforts. (Ant/P-3)
Concurrently, the Riau Regional Police (Polda) announced the arrest of 15 suspects from a cross-provincial wildlife-poaching syndicate linked to the Sumatran elephant case at PT RAPP.
While the Ministry actively mobilises international support for elephant conservation through the PECI initiative, a productive adult male elephant—about 40 years old—was found dead with its head severed within the PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (PT RAPP) concession area, Pelalawan, Riau.
The drastic decline of the Sumatran elephant population (Elephas maximus sumatranus), now at a critical point in 2026, has direct implications for local food security.
According to the latest data from the Ministry of Forestry, the Sumatran elephant population on Sumatra remains around 1,100 individuals.
Penalties include a prison term of at least 3 years and up to 15 years, and fines from Rp 200,000,000 to Rp 5,000,000,000.
The importance of land-tenure certificates as legal protection for farmers was emphasised; without legal certainty, there is a risk land could be appropriated by others.
He stressed that the quality of facilities reflects the management of the area.
A pilot project to mobilise new financing into the national park system was implemented at Way Kambas National Park, Lampung Province, Sumatra.
As the latest member of the coalition, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia brings world-class expertise in forest-based carbon projects and nature-based solutions.