# Animal causes in Indonesia: the issues, the law and how to help

> Dancing monkeys, the slow loris and songbird trades, orangutan rehabilitation, turtle eggs, dog meat, street cats, elephants and travelling dolphin shows: sourced facts, the law and how to help safely.

Source: https://panduanhewan.org/en/animal-causes/ · Updated 1 October 2026 · English · Bahasa Indonesia: https://panduanhewan.org/id/isu-satwa/
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- [Dog meat trade in Indonesia: rabies, laws and regional bans](https://panduanhewan.org/en/animal-causes/dog-meat-trade-indonesia/): Indonesia has no national law that explicitly bans eating or selling dog and cat meat, but since 2018 the Ministry of Agriculture has stated that dog meat falls outside the legal definition of food. A growing number of regions, including Jakarta (Governor Regulation 36/2025), East Kalimantan, Surakarta and Sukoharjo, now ban the trade. The trade carries a rabies risk because animals are moved between regions without health documents and slaughtered without welfare standards, and animal cruelty is a crime under Article 337 of the Criminal Code.
- [Swim with dolphins in Bali? Captive dolphins, law and ethics](https://panduanhewan.org/en/animal-causes/swim-with-dolphins-bali-captive-dolphins/): Travelling dolphin shows have ended in Indonesia: permits for displays outside licensed conservation institutions were not renewed, and the last expired on 5 February 2020. Shows and swim-with pools at licensed facilities are still allowed, but bottlenose dolphins and the Mahakam Irrawaddy dolphin are protected species under Regulation P.106/2018. In Bali, the better choice is to watch wild dolphins from a boat that keeps its distance, and to report unlicensed attractions to the BKSDA.
- [Why are Sumatran elephants endangered? Threats, law and ride ban](https://panduanhewan.org/en/animal-causes/why-are-sumatran-elephants-endangered/): Sumatran elephants are Critically Endangered because their forest habitat keeps shrinking and breaking apart, and because of conflict with people, poaching for ivory, poison and snares. The government's 2026–2036 action plan estimates roughly 1,320–1,635 left in the wild, spread across 21 pockets, far below the 2,400–2,800 estimated in 2007. Elephants are protected by law (row 51 of the P.106/2018 annex), and since 18 December 2025 elephant rides have been stopped at every licensed conservation institution, zoos included.
- [Indonesia forest fires: causes, wildlife impact and how to help](https://panduanhewan.org/en/animal-causes/indonesia-forest-fires/): Most forest and land fires (karhutla) in Kalimantan and Sumatra are started by people, often to clear land, and spread through peat dried out by long El Niño dry seasons. Official SiPongi data show 202,004 hectares burned from January to July 2026, and in August and September conservation officers (BKSDA) evacuated dozens of orangutans and other animals from fire areas. If you see a fire or an affected animal, keep away and report it to the Forestry Ministry fire post, Manggala Agni, 112 or BKSDA.
- [Helmeted hornbill: the red ivory trade, law and how to help](https://panduanhewan.org/en/animal-causes/helmeted-hornbill-red-ivory-trade/): The helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil) is protected in Indonesia: it is entry 248 in the annex to Regulation P.106/2018, is listed in CITES Appendix I and has been Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2015. It is poached for its solid casque, carved as "red ivory"; in 2013 an estimated 500 birds a month were killed in West Kalimantan alone. Hunting, keeping or selling a hornbill or its casque carries up to 15 years in prison, so do not buy hornbill products and report any sale to Gakkum Kehutanan (forestry law enforcement), the BKSDA or the police on 110.
- [Dancing monkeys in Indonesia: macaque welfare, law and trade](https://panduanhewan.org/en/animal-causes/dancing-monkeys-indonesia-long-tailed-macaques/): Topeng monyet is a street show using long-tailed macaques that are chained and trained to stand like people; Jakarta banned it in 2013 and several Javan provinces followed on animal-welfare and disease grounds. The long-tailed macaque is not on the annex of Indonesia's protected-species regulation (P.106/2018), but the IUCN lists it as Endangered and its trade requires permits, quotas and CITES Appendix II paperwork. Cruelty to a monkey is a crime under Article 337 of the new Criminal Code; report shows to the police, Satpol PP or BKSDA, and never pay for, film or share performances or abuse videos.
- [Orangutan rescue in Indonesia: threats, rehabilitation, release](https://panduanhewan.org/en/animal-causes/orangutan-rescue-rehabilitation-indonesia/): All three Indonesian orangutan species (Sumatran, Bornean and Tapanuli) are Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List because their forests are being cleared or burnt and because orangutans are killed, hunted or captured for the pet trade. All three are listed in the annex of Environment and Forestry Regulation P.106/2018, so hunting, keeping or trading one can bring up to 15 years in prison. Confiscated orangutans go through quarantine and two to six years of rehabilitation, including forest school, before a government-approved release; the most useful things you can do are to never buy or share pet-orangutan content and to report cases to the BKSDA or Gakkum Kehutanan.
- [Pangolin Trafficking in Indonesia: Scales, Law and How to Help](https://panduanhewan.org/en/animal-causes/pangolin-trafficking-indonesia/): Yes. The Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) is listed in the annex to Environment and Forestry Regulation P.106/2018 (entry 84), so Law 5/1990 as amended by Law 32/2024 bans catching, keeping, transporting or trading pangolins, alive or dead, and their scales, with up to 15 years in prison. Pangolin scales are made of keratin and have no proven medical effect: do not buy pangolin products, and report any sale to Gakkum Kehutanan (forestry law enforcement), the BKSDA or the police on 110.
- [How many Javan rhinos are left? Poaching, law and Sumatran rhinos](https://panduanhewan.org/en/animal-causes/how-many-javan-rhinos-are-left/): Between about 50 and 100 Javan rhinos are left, all in Ujung Kulon National Park in Indonesia: a 2025 report to CITES gives a minimum of about 50, while Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry estimated 87–100 in September 2025. The species is Critically Endangered because this single small population faces horn poaching, inbreeding, an invasive palm and natural disasters. Sumatran rhinos are also Critically Endangered, with an estimated 34–47 left according to the same report or fewer than 100 according to the ministry, and 10 lived in the Way Kambas breeding sanctuary in early 2025.
- [Sea turtle conservation Indonesia: law, eggs and hatchlings](https://panduanhewan.org/en/animal-causes/sea-turtle-conservation-indonesia/): Yes: all six sea turtle species in Indonesia are listed under Regulation P.106/2018 and Fisheries Decree 66/2025, so catching, keeping, storing or trading turtles, their eggs, meat or shell can bring up to 15 years in prison. The main threats are trade, bycatch and plastic, and turtle meat has killed people who ate it. Never buy turtle products, choose hatchling releases that do not hold hatchlings, and report trade to Gakkum, the BKSDA, KKP on 141 or the police on 110.
- [Shark finning in Indonesia: fin trade, protected sharks and rays](https://panduanhewan.org/en/animal-causes/shark-finning-indonesia/): Indonesia has fully protected the whale shark since 2013 (Decree 18/2013) and manta rays since 2014 (Decree 4/2014), including fins, gill plates and other body parts; since 5 March 2026 both have also been on CITES Appendix I, which bans their commercial international trade. Hammerhead, tiger and reef sharks are not listed in the P.106/2018 annex or in Decree 66/2025, but using or exporting species on CITES Appendix II requires permits and quotas. Indonesia is one of the world's largest catchers of sharks and rays, so what consumers, divers and tourists choose matters.
- [Slow Loris Pet Trade: Why Slow Lorises Should Never Be Pets](https://panduanhewan.org/en/animal-causes/slow-loris-pet-trade/): Keeping a slow loris is illegal in Indonesia. The Sunda, Javan and Philippine slow lorises (N. coucang, N. javanicus and N. menagensis) are listed in the annex to Environment and Forestry Regulation P.106/2018, and Law 5/1990 as amended by Law 32/2024 bans anyone from owning, keeping or trading protected animals, with up to 15 years in prison. Slow lorises are also venomous primates whose bites can trigger anaphylaxis, and traded lorises often have their teeth clipped, so many die or can never be released: do not buy one, share pet-loris videos or touch one, and report sales to Gakkum Kehutanan (forestry law enforcement) or the BKSDA.
- [Asian songbird crisis: Indonesia's bird trade and the law](https://panduanhewan.org/en/animal-causes/asian-songbird-crisis-indonesia/): The Asian songbird crisis is the decline of wild songbirds driven by trapping for the cage-bird trade, and Indonesia is its centre. A songbird is legally protected when its species is listed in the annex to Regulation P.106/2018, such as the black-winged myna, Bali myna and greater green leafbird; the white-rumped shama, straw-headed bulbul and Javan pied starling were dropped from the list in 2018, although the bulbul is Critically Endangered and the starling may be extinct in the wild. Taking wild birds for sale still needs a permit and a quota, so buy only marked, certified captive-bred birds and report illegal trade.
- [Stray dogs in Bali, street cats in Indonesia: rabies and TNR](https://panduanhewan.org/en/animal-causes/stray-dogs-bali-street-cats-indonesia/): Street cats and stray dogs in Indonesia come from owned animals allowed to roam, lost or dumped pets, and their unneutered offspring. What works is rabies vaccination of at least 70% of dogs, intensive and continuous neutering (TNR/CNVR), adoption and responsible ownership; WHO and WOAH say mass culling does not work. Since 2 January 2026 animal cruelty has been punishable under Article 337 of the new Criminal Code, and several regions ban abandoning animals.
- [Why are Sumatran tigers endangered? Poaching, snares and numbers](https://panduanhewan.org/en/animal-causes/why-are-sumatran-tigers-endangered/): Sumatran tigers are endangered because they are poached for their skins, bones, canine teeth and claws, injured or killed in snares set for wild pigs, losing their forests to land conversion and caught up in conflict with people. The government estimates about 600 remain in the wild (2026), and since the Javan and Bali tigers are extinct, the Sumatran tiger is Indonesia's last tiger. It is protected by law: hunting, keeping or trading a tiger or any of its parts carries a prison sentence of up to 15 years.
- [Gili islands horses, Bromo rides and Java's carriage horses](https://panduanhewan.org/en/animal-causes/gili-islands-horses-bromo-rides-indonesia/): Delman, andong and cidomo horses still pull passengers and goods in Java, Lombok and the Gili islands, and horses at Bromo carry tourists towards the crater. Studies have found many working horses wounded, lame or thin, and some still worked while ill; the WOAH standard recommends no more than six hours' work a day with water, rest and shade. Since 2 January 2026, cruelty to animals and using them beyond their natural ability have been offences under Articles 337 and 338 of Indonesia's Criminal Code, and cases can be reported to the police (110) or the local livestock and animal health office.

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