Antara News·Indonesia·Wednesday, August 19, 2026 at 11:19 AM

Coalition calls for sanctuary status for Seblat elephant habitat

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Boyke LW, Rahmad Nasution

Bengkulu (ANTARA) - The Bentang Seblat Coalition has urged the government to designate 80,000 hectares of production forest in Bengkulu as a wildlife sanctuary to strengthen protection for critically threatened Sumatran elephants.

“We want to raise the area’s protection status to a conservation area. The coalition proposes designating 80,000 hectares of forest in Seblat as a wildlife sanctuary,” Kanopi Hijau Indonesia Head Ali Akbar said here Wednesday.

Ali said the proposal reflects growing pressure on Seblat, one of the remaining habitats for Sumatran elephants in Bengkulu, as forests are increasingly converted and fragmented.

Coalition analysis shows Seblat’s core area covers about 80,978 hectares, with about 30,017 hectares reportedly converted into oil palm plantations.

Ali said forest loss and habitat fragmentation must be addressed urgently to safeguard the survival of Sumatran elephants in the area.

“Fewer than 50 elephants remain here. This strongly indicates the herd is approaching a critical point that could lead to local extinction,” he said.

Protecting elephant habitat requires cooperation among stakeholders because Seblat remains under pressure from land-use changes and logging, Ali said.

The coalition also highlighted the deaths of a 25-year-old female elephant and her two-year-old calf, which were found dead in the forest on April 30, 2026.

Ali said toxicology tests by IPB University, received by the Bengkulu Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), found fluoride, sulfate and ammonia compounds in both elephants.

“The laboratory results show the elephants were poisoned, possibly after ingesting poison. Chemicals were found in their bodies, indicating potential conflict involving elephants, pressured farmers and certain groups,” he said.

Bengkulu's BKSDA Head Agung Nugroho said the province has about 25 to 30 elephants remaining, including 10 under human care at Seblat Nature Tourism Park.

“Four calves have been recorded among the wild elephants, with the rest adults. So the population is still reproducing,” Agung said.

Despite continued reproduction, Agung said elephants and their habitat face mounting pressure from declining forest cover and conversion to oil palm plantations.

“If this continues, the elephant population will be threatened, and that is what we must prevent,” he said.

The coalition made the proposal during Elephant Camp 2026, held with students and local communities at Seblat Nature Tourism Park from Aug. 15 to 17.

Seblat Elephant Training Center coordinator Johansyah said Elephant Camp demonstrated public support for elephant conservation and the species’ long-term survival in Seblat.

“Participants can interact directly with elephants while learning about Sumatran elephants in Bengkulu,” Johansyah said.

Elephants also play an important ecological role as seed dispersers, helping maintain forest ecosystems.

By feeding, moving and defecating, elephants disperse plant seeds, create natural pathways and support forest regeneration, helping maintain plant diversity.

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