Prabowo Donates 90,000 Acres of Forest to Protect the Habitat of Sumatran Elephants

President Prabowo Subianto (Photo: Presidential Media Team)

JAKARTA - The government is preparing a new step to save the increasingly desperate elephant population in Indonesia. One of the concrete steps is President Prabowo's decision to issue a special Presidential Instruction (Inpres) to save the Sumatran elephant and the Borneo elephant.

Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni revealed that the policy emerged after the government saw a drastic decline in the natural habitat of elephants in Indonesia.

"Scientifically, there were 42 elephant pockets in Indonesia. When President Prabowo Subianto first entrusted me as Minister of Forestry, I checked again, the elephant pocket which used to be 42, now only 21," said Raja Juli Antoni at the Presidential Palace, Thursday, March 12.

He explained that the shrinking of the habitat pocket was a serious warning for the government.

Without strong intervention, habitat damage is expected to continue and potentially drive the extinction of the animal, which is one of Indonesia's iconic species.

"If there is no serious intervention by the government, then the damage to these elephant pockets is an inevitability. Therefore, the elephant population as a protected animal does not rule out the possibility of extinction," he said.

As part of the rescue measures, President Prabowo has also handed over the Forest Utilization Business Permit (PBPH) he owns to be used as a Sumatran elephant conservation area. The area is even increasing to reach 90,000 hectares.

Raja Juli Antoni said the decision had previously been announced in Aceh. In fact, the commitment was reiterated by Prabowo when he met with the King of England, Charles III, in London.

"Initially, King Charles asked for 10,000 hectares. The President handed over 20,000 hectares, even now it has become 90,000 hectares. All of it is intended to maintain the elephant habitat in Sumatra," he said.

According to Raja Juli Antoni, this step shows the President's real commitment to wildlife conservation.

He said many environmental activists considered the policy as proof of Prabowo's concern for the sustainability of Indonesia's biodiversity.