President Prabowo Subianto has called for the elephants at Way Kambas National Park in Lampung to receive special attention as part of Indonesia’s forest and land fire (karhutla) response efforts.
During a forest fire response meeting in Pekanbaru, Riau, President Prabowo asked that fire response efforts not be focused solely on Kalimantan, but also take into account conservation areas in Lampung.
“I’d also like Lampung to be given attention. Way Kambas National Park is also one of our priorities. I’ve received reports that there are hotspots there as well,” President Prabowo said, as monitored through the Presidential Secretariat’s broadcast in Jakarta, quoted Monday (August 24, 2026).
A Critical Habitat for Sumatra’s Last Elephants
According to President Prabowo, Way Kambas National Park is an important conservation area serving as elephant habitat that needs to be protected, as it stands as one of the last remaining elephant conservation areas in Sumatra.
“That’s our conservation park for elephants and other wildlife, the last elephants in Sumatra, we really need to take proper care of them,” he said.
President Prabowo also called for hotspots at Way Kambas National Park to be addressed as early as possible, to prevent them from developing into full fire outbreaks and spreading further.
Upgrading the Way Kambas Elephant Hospital
At Way Kambas, the government has already planned to upgrade the Way Kambas Elephant Hospital into an Elephant Treatment and Care Centre, equipped with advanced tools, equipment, and technology, in collaboration with Vantara, the largest wildlife conservation organization based in Gujarat, India.
This partnership includes capacity-building training for elephant caretakers and veterinarians involved in wildlife management in Indonesia, along with the provision of 10 mobile animal hospitals (Hospitals on Wheels), designed to meet the needs of wildlife in their natural habitats across various regions of Indonesia.
Vantara will also provide specialized veterinary expertise, technical support, infrastructure assistance, and capacity-building support for programs led by the Indonesian government.
Vantara is also contributing its expertise in veterinary care, animal husbandry, and conservation, along with technical capability, infrastructure support, and capacity-building programs, working closely with the Indonesian government, relevant national institutions, and Fauna Land.
What Vantara and Indonesia’s Forestry Ministry Say
“Indonesia is home to some of the most extraordinary biodiversity in the world. It’s an honor for Vantara to support Indonesia in protecting this natural wealth for future generations. Vantara has developed deep expertise in wildlife health, veterinary care, animal husbandry, and conservation, and we’re glad to be able to share that experience with Indonesia,” said Ajit Kulkarni, Special Director of Compliance & Due Diligence at Vantara.
“Wildlife conservation is a shared responsibility. We need to ensure Indonesia has the facilities, expertise, and resources to care for wildlife wherever they need it. Through this partnership, we’re strengthening our wildlife health and conservation infrastructure, with Vantara providing support in the form of experience, expertise, and resources,” added Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni.
A Broader Scope of Collaboration
The wider partnership with Vantara also covers wildlife health and veterinary care, in-situ and ex-situ conservation, animal welfare, conservation breeding, rehabilitation, rewilding (reintroduction back into the wild), and capacity building, alongside other areas of cooperation that have already been mutually agreed upon.
