Re-engaging with local cultural traditions can strengthen community stewardship and revive traditional relationships between indigenous communities and elephants.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The term “sharenting” is typically associated with the practice of parents sharing their children’s photos, milestones and daily lives on social media.

However, a young male elephant named Domang, born in December 2021 at Tesso Nilo National Park (TNTN) in Riau Province, has taken center stage as one of Indonesia’s most recognizable online animal icons.

Through regular updates published on TNTN’s official social media channels, the public has followed Domang’s growth and playful behavior.

Beyond online entertainment, Domang’s viral popularity has helped raise public awareness of two threatened elephant populations native to Indonesia: the Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus) and the Bornean elephant, a distinct subspecies of the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus).

The Sumatran elephant is classified as Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, while the Bornean elephant is classified as Endangered.

Ministry of Forestry data indicates that Sumatra currently has approximately 21 remaining elephant habitat pockets, supporting an estimated population of around 1,100 individuals as of July 2026.

This represents a sharp decline from 2007, when there were 42 habitat pockets with an estimated population of between 2,400 and 2,800 elephants.

Meanwhile, on the island of Kalimantan, the remaining wild population within Indonesian territory is estimated at only 30 to 80 individuals.

Given these alarming figures, World Elephant Day, observed globally every August 12, provides important momentum for intensifying systemic efforts to protect and preserve the country’s largest land mammal.

A combination of ongoing threats continues to endanger these vital “forest farmers.” The principal driver of population decline remains habitat loss caused by forest conversion for palm oil plantations, expanding human settlements and infrastructure projects that cut through established elephant movement corridors.

Rapid development without adequate environmental planning has fragmented vast natural habitats into isolated pockets. This fragmentation physically separates elephant subpopulations and significantly increases the frequency of negative human-elephant interactions in surrounding areas.

When elephant groups are confined to small, isolated habitat pockets, the risk of inbreeding increases substantially. Over time, inbreeding can reduce genetic diversity, increase the prevalence of congenital defects and weaken immune responses to potentially fatal diseases.

Illegal poaching also remains a persistent threat. The belief that elephant ivory possesses medicinal properties continues to fuel illegal hunting and the international trafficking of elephant body parts.

Beyond these external threats, native elephant populations face serious biological health risks, particularly from Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV).

The viral infection has caused fatalities among young calves at several conservation sites, including calves named Tari at TNTN and Laila at the Sebanga Elephant Conservation Center in Riau.

Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni emphasized that the recent discovery of an elephant carcass inside a palm oil concession in Aceh Province underscores the need for continuous improvements in field conservation management.

Official Ministry of Forestry publications recorded at least six wild elephant deaths between November 2025 and June 2026 across various operational areas. The recurring discovery of wildlife deaths within plantation and mining concessions highlights the need for stronger habitat restoration and environmental oversight to ensure safe habitats for both wildlife and local communities.

Related news: Indonesia vows action after elephant deaths in Sumatra plantations



Conservation initiatives

Efforts to safeguard Indonesia’s elephants entered a pivotal stage following the government’s issuance of Presidential Instruction No. 8 of 2026 on the Conservation of Sumatran and Kalimantan Elephant Populations and Habitats.

The directive instructs nine government ministries, the Indonesian National Police (Polri) and regional governments to implement concrete measures to conserve 21 Sumatran elephant habitats covering 5.43 million hectares, as well as one Kalimantan habitat covering 19,141 hectares.

A primary component of the instruction is the temporary suspension of new forest-use permits within primary elephant habitats.

The directive also requires the government to establish a Strategy and Action Plan for Sumatran and Kalimantan Elephant Conservation, accompanied by a comprehensive Roadmap for Mitigating Human-Elephant Conflict.

The policy builds upon earlier regulatory measures, including the moratorium on new oil palm plantation licenses under Presidential Instruction No. 8 of 2018, which expired in September 2021.

To support these mandates, conservation strategies emphasize expanding protected-area networks, including buffer zones, ecological movement corridors, high conservation value areas (HCVAs), community-managed zones and protected areas based on local wisdom. Re-engaging with local cultural traditions can strengthen community stewardship and revive traditional relationships between indigenous communities and elephants.

Cross-sector cooperation is vital to ensuring the instruction’s success. Plantation companies are required to identify and manage high conservation value areas while obtaining Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification.

Similar environmental standards must be incorporated into the energy sector and spatial planning frameworks to prevent intensive human activity within designated elephant corridors.

Practical initiatives are already underway. In Aceh, the Indonesian government has partnered with the British government on the Peusangan Elephant Conservation Initiative (PECI), initially covering 20,000 hectares, with plans to expand it to 80,000 hectares as an integrated elephant corridor.

As of February 2026, PECI was in its implementation setup phase, focusing on technical planning and inter-agency coordination.

In elephant health management, Indonesian authorities have collaborated with veterinary specialists from Vantara Elephant Hospital in India to analyze and mitigate the spread of EEHV. The partnership began at Buluh Cina Nature Tourism Park (TWA) and is expanding to TNTN, Sebanga and Way Kambas National Park.

Infrastructure designs are also adapting through projects such as dedicated elephant underpasses along the Pekanbaru-Dumai Toll Road, demonstrating how development can coexist with wildlife movement routes.

Furthermore, non-profit organizations in Riau have used cultural outreach since 2021 by introducing elephants as “Datuk Godang” (great elder) to encourage public respect and coexistence.

Through coordinated policy enforcement and multi-stakeholder participation, these efforts aim to ensure that online icons like Domang continue to have viable natural habitats where they can live and thrive.



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Editor: M Razi Rahman
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