RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia's Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, affimed the government's serious commitment to protecting Indonesia's iconic wildlife. This is through the issuance of a Presidential Instruction (Inpres) on the Rescue of the Population and Habitat of Sumatran and Bornean Elephants.

He emphasized that this policy is not only rhetoric, but also an operational foundation for working together across various elements. Currently, the draft of the Presidential Instruction is in the process of administrative circulation among ministries.

"This presidential instruction shows a very strong commitment from President Prabowo Subianto to save our elephants. Our main focus is how to execute those ideas in a tangible way on the ground. The governance of future development must fully orient toward conservation," Minister of Forestry, Raja Antoni stated in Jakarta, Thursday, May 7, 2026.

This step was taken as a quick response to the condition of the Sumatran and Bornean elephants, which have now entered the critically endangered phase. The Minister of Forestry expressed his concern over the reduction of elephant habitats, which originally numbered 42 pockets, now only 21 pockets remain.

He ordered that the remaining 21 elephant pockets be preserved and their ecosystem quality improved. The main strategy to be implemented is the construction of corridors to connect the fragmented elephant pockets due to illegal activities and land-use changes.

"It is important for us to have accurate data. In the Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (SRAK), there must be clear targets for population increase, for example, within the next five years. If there is no increase, we must identify the problem and resolve it," Raja Juli conveyed.

Thru synergy with NGOs and influencers, the Ministry of Forestry is optimistic about building broader public awareness and ensuring that national development can proceed in harmony with the conservation of wildlife in Indonesia.