IUCN Appreciates the Leadership of King Juli Antoni to Strengthen Indonesian Elephant Conservation

Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni (middle)

JAKARTA - The leadership of the Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, in strengthening the conservation policy of Indonesian elephants has received appreciation from the international conservation community.

The Chair of the IUCN SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group, Heidi Riddle, assessed that the issuance of Presidential Instruction Number 8 of 2026 was an important milestone for elephant protection efforts and also showed the strong commitment of the Indonesian Government in building collaborative conservation across sectors.

"The issuance of Presidential Instruction Number 8 of 2026 concerning Elephant Population Protection is an important milestone for elephant conservation in Indonesia and provides a very positive signal for the Asian elephant conservation community. Elephant conservation has never been an easy job," he said when contacted in Jakarta, Monday, July 13.

According to Heidi, elephant conservation requires an approach that involves many parties because the animal's habitat crosses various administrative boundaries and development sectors.

"As a species with a wide range of travel areas and crossing various administrative boundaries, the survival of elephants depends heavily on cross-sector cooperation, not only on the management of conservation areas, but also on spatial planning, infrastructure development, the plantation and agricultural sectors, local governments, and various other stakeholders. The whole of government approach reflected in this Presidential Instruction is a very important step," he explained.

He said that during his visit to Indonesia some time ago, he had the opportunity to discuss directly with King Juli Antoni about the challenges of elephant conservation. From the meeting, he saw the strong commitment of the Minister of Forestry in strengthening the protection of protected animals.

"I express my appreciation to the Minister of Forestry, Mr. Raja Juli Antoni, and the Government of Indonesia for their leadership and commitment in producing this important policy," he said.

According to Heidi, the implementation of the policy does require time and consistency. However, the Presidential Instruction has provided a strong foundation to accelerate the protection of the Indonesian elephant population.

He also emphasized that the IUCN SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group is ready to continue to support the Government of Indonesia through sharing experiences, scientific knowledge, and expertise from its members in various countries of Asian elephant distribution.