Solo, July 21, 2025 — President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, has announced the donation of 90,000 hectares of his privately managed industrial forest concession (HTI) in Aceh for the protection of endangered elephants. The decision, which far exceeds an earlier request, came in response to a personal letter from King Charles III of the United Kingdom, a longstanding advocate of global conservation.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) Congress in Solo on Sunday (July 20), President Prabowo shared a deeply personal story involving his past as a businessman and the unexpected turn that led to one of the largest land designations for wildlife conservation in Indonesia’s history.
“At one point, I was approached by representatives from WWF, the conservation organization. King Charles III happens to be one of their patrons. They knew I had been a businessman before entering politics, and that I managed a fairly large HTI concession—98,000 hectares—in Takengon, Aceh,” Prabowo recounted.
The WWF delegation asked if he would be willing to allocate 10,000 hectares of the land for elephant conservation. His initial response, however, surprised them.
“I refused. I told them, ‘I won’t give 10,000 hectares.’ But not because I was unwilling—because I decided instead to give them 20,000 hectares,” he said, drawing laughter and applause. “The envoy went back, relayed the news—initially they were disappointed. But when they heard I was donating double, their faces lit up.”
News of this act reached King Charles III, who later sent a personal letter to President Prabowo via the British Ambassador to Indonesia.
“The British Ambassador came to my office at the Merdeka Palace and personally handed me a letter from King Charles. It was a letter of appreciation, thanking me for my commitment to conservation,” Prabowo said.
Moved by the gesture, Prabowo made a monumental decision: instead of 20,000 hectares, he would donate 90,000 hectares of his HTI concession for elephant conservation—leaving only 8,000 hectares untouched.
“Because of the letter from King Charles, I made the decision: I am now handing over 90,000 hectares for conservation. Only 8,000 will remain. That earlier slide was incorrect. It’s 90,000 hectares. It will be processed by the State Secretary and Minister of Forestry,” he announced.
Prabowo tied the moment to PSI’s choice of the elephant as its party symbol, encouraging its members to become conservation advocates.
“You’ve chosen the elephant as your symbol, and that means every PSI member should become an activist for elephant protection. These animals are still hunted for ivory, even though it’s illegal, and their habitats are shrinking.”
He also noted that Sumatran elephants are critically endangered, with only around 700 left in northern Sumatra and a few hundred more in Lampung’s Way Kambas National Park, which spans 120,000 hectares.
“I will give special attention to Way Kambas. It’s a vital sanctuary,” Prabowo added.
This landmark decision cements Indonesia’s commitment to wildlife protection and environmental stewardship on the global stage. Prabowo closed by thanking PSI for its clever and meaningful choice of party emblem.
“I must admit, choosing the elephant was a smart move. I now have a soft spot for PSI. Turns out, you’re quite clever,” he said, smiling.
