Only 1,325-1,648 wild elephants left in Indonesia, government says
A new 10-year plan for elephant conservation released by the Indonesian government places the country’s wild elephant population at an estimated 1,325-1,648 individuals. The previous figure, published in 2007, was 2,400-2,800 individuals, meaning the new estimate represents a decline of 41-45%. The launch of the 2026-2036 strategy and action plan comes after a long wait. […]
The Indonesian government has released a new 10-year plan for elephant conservation, estimating the wild elephant population at 1,325-1,648 individuals. This represents a significant decline of 41-45% compared to the previous estimate of 2,400-2,800 individuals released in 2007. The new figure takes into account new data and reflects a more accurate representation of the current situation.
The plan, drafted by the Indonesian Elephant Conservation Forum (FKGI), includes the participation of conservationists from NGOs and government agencies, and is submitted to the forestry ministry for approval. The plan's release comes after a long wait, as the previous elephant plan expired in 2017. While a draft for the 2019-2029 plan was completed in 2017, it was never finalized and shared with the public.
The discrepancy between the new plan and the unreleased one is attributed to the incorporation of new data. The updated estimate represents a more accurate picture of the situation on the ground. Indonesia's elephants are primarily Sumatran elephants, a critically endangered subspecies of the Asian elephant, which itself is endangered. There are fewer than 52,000 Asian elephants left worldwide, with the majority residing in India.
Written by urgent.news from Mongabay's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
