Jakarta — An adult male Sumatran elephant was found dead inside an industrial forest concession in Pelalawan, Riau, reports said Friday, February 6, prompting outrage from environmental groups and triggering a joint investigation by conservation authorities and police.
The Jaringan Kerja Penyelamat Hutan Riau (Jikalahari) condemned the killing as a “systemic failure” of wildlife protection, saying the elephant was brutally killed inside the concession of PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP), a subsidiary of the APRIL Group. In a statement issued on February 6, Jikalahari said the elephant was first discovered on February 2 in the Ukui sector of the concession, without its tusks, indicating strong suspicion of poaching.
“This is not merely the death of a protected animal, but evidence of systemic failure in safeguarding elephant habitat,” Jikalahari coordinator Okto Yugo Setiyo said, calling on the government to hold the concession holder accountable and revoke its operating permit.
Jikalahari stressed that the location of the killing is not incidental. The Ukui concession borders Tesso Nilo National Park and forms part of the wider Tesso Nilo ecosystem, a critical landscape for Sumatran elephants. According to internal company documents cited by the group, more than 1,800 hectares of PT RAPP’s Ukui estate were identified as a high-conservation-value buffer zone and elephant movement corridor. The group argued that the incident demonstrates a failure by the company to protect key wildlife areas under its control.
The Ministry of Forestry, through the Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA), on Friday, February 6, confirmed that the elephant was a protected Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus), estimated to be around 40 years old. The ministry said the company reported the finding on Monday, February 2, and a joint team, including BBKSDA Riau, the Riau Police, and company representatives, conducted a site inspection the following day.
Initial findings showed the elephant’s death was not natural. The carcass was found missing part of its head, reinforcing suspicions of illegal hunting and the removal of body parts. “Crimes against protected wildlife are crimes against the state and Indonesia’s biodiversity,” BBKSDA Riau head Supartono said, adding that the case is being handled as a serious conservation crime under Law No. 32/2024 on Biodiversity Conservation, which carries heavier prison and fine penalties.
Local media reporting later revealed further evidence pointing to deliberate killing. According to Riau Online, forensic examination and police investigation uncovered two bullet projectiles lodged in the elephant’s skull, confirming that the animal was shot. A necropsy conducted by BBKSDA veterinarians also found traumatic brain injury consistent with violent force, ruling out natural causes of death.
Riau Police said an intensive investigation is underway to identify the perpetrators and possible poaching networks involved. Authorities have not ruled out the involvement of organised wildlife trafficking syndicates, given the removal of the tusks.
Environmental groups argue the case reflects a broader pattern of human–wildlife conflict and weak oversight in industrial concessions embedded within elephant habitats. Jikalahari urged law enforcement to pursue not only field-level perpetrators but also to investigate corporate security systems and operational responsibility within the concession area.
“Corporations holding permits in elephant landscapes must be fully responsible for illegal activities occurring within their concessions,” Okto said, warning against what he described as double standards in environmental law enforcement.
The Ministry of Forestry said further updates will be released as the legal process progresses, while conservation groups continue to press for stronger sanctions and systemic reforms to prevent further killings of one of Sumatra’s most endangered species. (nsh)
Banner photo: The Riau KSDA Office, together with the Riau Regional Police Special Criminal Investigation Directorate (Ditkrimsus) team and PT RAPP, conducted a direct inspection of the location where the dead elephant was found. 3 February 2026. Source: Ministry of Forestry.
