Sumatran Elephant Calf Born in Tesso Nilo National Park, Riau

RRI.CO.ID, Riau - Good news has arrived from Indonesia, Tesso Nilo National Park (TNTN), Riau. A healthy elephant calf, born to a mother named Ria, is already breastfeeding normally, and no physical defects were found.

The birth of the calf occurred when Mahout (elephant handler) Erwin Daulay discovered the newborn elephant, complete with its placenta. This birth demonstrates the success of the Sumatran elephant conservation efforts undertaken by the Indonesian Government through the Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry.

According to a statement received by RRI VOI from the Ministry of Forestry on June 10, 2026, this calf is the fifth calf born to Ria at Camp Elephants Flying Squad as a result of breeding with wild elephants. Previously, Ria had successfully given birth to four calves, named Tesso, Tini, Harmoni, and Domang.

Over the past eight years, the Tesso Nilo National Park Elephant Flying Squad has experienced four calves born to two domesticated elephant mothers, Lisa and Ria. This series of births serves as concrete evidence and reinforces the fact that the Tesso Nilo National Park forest area is a crucial habitat that contributes significantly to efforts to increase the Sumatran elephant population.

In 2011, the IUCN designated the Sumatran elephant's conservation status as Critically Endangered (CR). This exotic animal is also a mammal protected by Indonesian government law.

With the birth of this healthy elephant calf, the total number of elephants at the TNTN Elephants Flying Squad Camp has now increased to eight, consisting of three adults, two juveniles, and three calves. The Ministry of Forestry emphasized that the birth of this calf further motivates them to continue maintaining the Sumatran elephant population and protecting the forest ecosystem that is their home.