Raja Juli spoke after attending a limited meeting with President Prabowo at the Presidential Palace, saying the directive focuses on conserving Sumatran and Bornean elephants.
“The first instruction concerns the preservation of Sumatran and Bornean elephant populations and their habitats,” he said, summarizing the limited meeting’s agenda in Jakarta.
He noted the policy aims to strengthen conservation efforts for elephants, which face significant threats from habitat destruction in Sumatra and Kalimantan.
Scientific data indicate elephant habitat pockets in Indonesia have halved, dropping from 42 to roughly 21 surviving areas, Raja Juli said.
“Without serious government intervention, these elephant habitats will inevitably degrade, risking extinction of one of Indonesia’s iconic protected species,” he warned.
Through the directive, the president will instruct relevant ministries and agencies to support the Forestry Ministry’s efforts to protect elephant populations.
One planned measure is creating elephant corridors in plantation areas with existing land-use permits (HGU), allowing elephants to move between habitat pockets without human interference.
The government also plans to restore connectivity within fragmented habitats to expand roaming areas and prevent inbreeding, which could threaten population sustainability, Raja Juli added.
He emphasized that the directive reflects a strong government commitment to preserving wildlife and forest ecosystems in Indonesia.
Conservation activists have praised the policy, viewing it as proof of the government’s seriousness in protecting the nation’s iconic animal species.
The Sumatran elephant is listed as critically endangered, with habitat loss and poaching contributing to a declining population across Sumatra.
As per figures published on the official website of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the population of Sumatran elephants is estimated to be about 2,400–2,800 individuals.
The world's leading organization on wildlife conservation and endangered species has said that ivory can still be found in markets around Africa and Asia, as well as in the United States and Europe.
The WWF has noted that poaching for the illegal ivory trade remains a serious threat to the lives of wild elephants in several countries.
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Translator: Andi F, Genta, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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