RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesian Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, has reaffirmed the government's steadfast commitment to protecting Indonesia’s iconic wildlife with the issuance of a new Presidential Instruction (Inpres) aimed at the urgent rescue of Sumatran and Kalimantan elephant populations. The announcement was made during a meeting with environmental activists, NGOs, and digital influencers in Jakarta on Thursday, May 7, 2026.

The policy serves as an immediate response to the critically endangered status of both subspecies. Minister Antoni expressed grave concern over the dramatic shrinkage of elephant habitats, revealing that the number of viable elephant pockets has plummeted from 42 to just 21 remaining locations.

"This Inpres shows a very strong commitment from President Prabowo Subianto to save our elephants. Our main focus is how to realistically execute these ideas in the field," the Minister said on May 7, 2026, as quoted on the ministry's official website.

A cornerstone of the new policy is the mandatory integration of national infrastructure projects with wildlife habitats. Under the directive, the Ministry of Public Works must consult the Ministry of Forestry’s home range maps before commencing projects like toll roads. Technical solutions, such as wildlife tunnels and underpasses, will be required to ensure that elephant herds can migrate without human interference.

The Minister has also ordered the immediate protection and ecological restoration of the 21 remaining habitat pockets. The primary strategy involves constructing biological corridors to reconnect fragmented landscapes that have been severed by illegal activities or land-use changes.

To ensure accountability, the government is demanding clear, measurable targets within the Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (SRAK). "In the Conservation Strategy and Action Plan, there must be a clear target for population increase, for example in the next five years. If there is no increase, we must find the problem and solve it," Minister Antoni added.

Addressing long-standing issues, the Ministry highlighted the human-elephant conflict in Way Kambas, which has persisted for four decades. Following a proposal from President Prabowo, the government plans to construct effective barriers to prevent casualties on both sides while simultaneously improving the quality of the animals' original habitats. ***