Sumatran elephant deaths in August 2026: what we know

Aceh, Riau and Jambi · Published 1 October 2026 · PanduanHewan editorial team

Summary

What you need to know

Sumatran elephant deaths came in quick succession in August 2026, with at least five recorded: Jovi at PLG Minas, Riau (3 August); a wild male in an Aceh Tamiang oil-palm plantation, suspected poisoned (found 9 August); the calf Yuna at PLG Saree, Aceh (11 August); a premature calf in East Aceh (14 August); and a calf in Tebo, Jambi (reported 24 August). The headless elephant in Pelalawan died in February 2026 and that case is in court; the 23 deaths reported in Tesso Nilo cover 2015 to June 2025.

Wild elephant, Aceh Tamiang: Found 9 August 2026; suspected poisoning, tusks intact source ↗
Calf Yuna, PLG Saree: Died 11 August 2026; EEHV virus suspected source ↗
Calf in Tebo, Jambi: Reported 24 August 2026; toxicology tests under way source ↗
Pelalawan case: Elephant found 2 February 2026; 15 defendants on trial in Pelalawan source ↗
Deaths in Tesso Nilo: 23 cases from 2015 to June 2025 (BBKSDA Riau) source ↗
Maximum penalty: Up to 15 years in prison and/or a category VII fine (Rp5 billion) source ↗

Which Sumatran elephants died in August 2026?

The run of deaths began in Riau. Jovi, a tame male of about 46 at PLG Minas in Siak Regency, died on 3 August 2026 after 34 days of treatment for complications of digestive and upper respiratory infections.

In the run-up to World Elephant Day on 12 August, two elephants died in Aceh: a wild male found on 9 August in an oil-palm plantation in Kaloy village, Tamiang Hulu district, Aceh Tamiang, and Yuna, a female calf under three years old at PLG Saree, who died on the night of 11 August. On 14 August a patrol found a premature calf dead on former plantation land in Ranto Peureulak district, East Aceh.

In late August a calf was found dead in a concession area in Muara Sekalo village, Sumay district, Tebo Regency, Jambi. The Jakarta Post counted at least 12 Sumatran elephant deaths in 2026 by mid-August.

Sources: Kabar Duka dari PLG Minas: Gajah Binaan "Jovi" Tutup Usia Setelah 34 Hari Perawatan Intensif (Siaran Pers SP.367/HKLN/08/2026) ↗ · Hari Gajah Sedunia 2026 Diwarnai Kematian Dua Gajah Sumatera di Aceh ↗ · Bayi gajah sumatra ditemukan mati di Aceh Timur ↗ · Pedih, Bayi Gajah Terkubur di Lahan Konsesi ↗ · Three Sumatran elephants die in two weeks in Aceh, Riau ↗

What killed the elephant in Aceh Tamiang?

The male was found at about midday on Sunday 9 August 2026 on a plantation track, on land held by an oil-palm company. Both tusks were intact and there were no wounds.

The necropsy was completed on 10 August. The next day Ujang Wisnu Barata, head of the Aceh conservation agency (BKSDA Aceh), said initial findings pointed to poisoning about three days before the carcass was found. No hunting equipment was found at the scene. Organ samples were taken for laboratory tests.

A member of a local Conservation Response Unit (CRU) said six or seven elephants use the area as a corridor. BKSDA Aceh promised to announce official results later; at the time of writing we had found none published.

Sources: Hari Gajah Sedunia 2026 Diwarnai Kematian Dua Gajah Sumatera di Aceh ↗ · Gajah Sumatera Jantan Ditemukan Mati di Aceh Tamiang ↗ · Gajah Sumatera Diduga Mati Akibat Racun di Aceh ↗ · BKSDA Pastikan Gajah Mati di HGU Kebun Sawit Aceh Tamiang Akibat Keracunan ↗ · BKSDA turunkan tim nekropsi bangkai gajah sumatra di Aceh Tamiang ↗

What killed the calf Yuna at PLG Saree?

According to a Ministry of Forestry press release of 12 August 2026, Yuna was active on the morning of 11 August. At about 16.00 her mahout found her weak, with a swollen face and a bluish tongue; despite intravenous fluids she died at 20.48. A June 2026 check-up had found her healthy.

The preliminary diagnosis was elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV), which mainly affects elephants under 14. BKSDA Aceh says it damages blood-vessel linings and can kill within 24–48 hours, with mortality of up to 80 per cent. Yuna's organ samples are still being tested, and three other young elephants have been screened.

EEHV is not new: a 2021 study confirmed the first two cases of EEHV haemorrhagic disease on Sumatra.

Sources: Kematian Gajah Yuna, BKSDA Aceh Perkuat Deteksi Dini Serangan Virus EEHV pada Gajah Anakan (siaran pers) ↗ · Kemenhut Ungkap Kronologi Gajah Yuna di Aceh Mati Terinfeksi Virus ↗ · Identification of two lethal cases of elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus haemorrhagic disease in Sumatran elephant calves in Indonesia (abstract) ↗

What is known about the dead calves in East Aceh and Tebo?

The East Aceh calf, found on 14 August 2026 with the placenta still attached, died of natural causes, the conservation agency said on 16 August: it was born prematurely and died shortly after birth, with no sign of violence or poisoning.

The Tebo case remains open. BKSDA Jambi received the report on 24 August and performed a necropsy the next day. On 16 September its head, Himawan Sasongko, said EEHV tests were negative and toxicology tests were under way; the forestry law-enforcement office for Sumatra (Gakkum) is investigating.

Sources: BKSDA Pastikan Kematian Anak Gajah di Bekas HGU Aceh Timur Murni Alami, Diduga Lahir Prematur ↗ · Bayi gajah sumatra ditemukan mati di Aceh Timur ↗ · Ka BKSDA Jambi: Kematian Anak Gajah di Kab Tebo Dalam Penyelidikan Balai Gakkumhut Sumatera ↗ · Pedih, Bayi Gajah Terkubur di Lahan Konsesi ↗

What is happening in the headless elephant case in Pelalawan?

This case is often grouped with the August deaths but happened earlier. A male of about 40 was found dead on 2 February 2026 in a concession area in Lubuk Kembang Bunga village, Ukui district, Pelalawan, Riau, with the head detached and both tusks gone. A necropsy on 4 February supported the suspicion that he had been shot.

On 3 March 2026 the Ministry of Forestry and the national police announced 15 suspects from a network allegedly active at nine sites around Ukui since 2024. Seized items included home-made firearms and 63 ivory cigarette pipes. The suspects were charged under Article 40A(1) of Law No. 32 of 2024.

Fifteen defendants in 11 case files are on trial at Pelalawan District Court. Hearings on 18 August and 1 September 2026 were delayed by problems with the attendance of prosecutors, a defendant and witnesses. On 15 September the judges rejected objections from three defendants, and on 21 September a police witness told the court it could not yet be confirmed that the ivory allegedly traded came from this elephant. There is no verdict yet, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Sources: Negara Tegas Terhadap Kejahatan Satwa Liar: 15 Tersangka Jaringan Perburuan Gajah Sumatera di Riau Diamankan (Siaran Pers SP.65/HKLN/03/2026) ↗ · Kasus Pembunuhan Gajah Tanpa Kepala di Riau, 15 Orang Jadi Tersangka ↗ · Sidang Kasus Perburuan Gading Gajah di Pelalawan Berulang Kali Ditunda, Koalisi Soroti Kesiapan Penegak Hukum ↗ · Bangkai Gajah C99 dan Dugaan Perdagangan Gading Disorot, Koalisi Desak Penegakan Hukum Menyeluruh ↗

Did 23 elephants really die in Tesso Nilo?

Yes, but not in 2026. On 26 June 2025 Supartono, then head of BBKSDA Riau, said 23 Sumatran elephant deaths had been recorded in Tesso Nilo National Park from 2015 to June 2025, eight of them in 2015. Causes included poisoning, snares, poaching and disease, and more than 40,000 hectares of the park had become illegal oil-palm plantations and settlements.

One unsolved case is Rahman, a trained elephant found dead in January 2024, allegedly poisoned and missing a tusk; no culprit had been identified by March 2026.

Sources: 23 Gajah Sumatera Mati di TNTN, Habitat Rusak dan Diracun ↗ · 23 Gajah Sumatera Mati di TNTN, Habitat Terus Tergerus Perambahan ↗ · Dua Tahun Kematian Gajah Latih Tesso Nilo 'Rahman', Pembunuhnya Belum Terungkap ↗

Why are Sumatran elephants critically endangered, and what does the law say?

IUCN's 2020 assessment names habitat loss and fragmentation, conflict with people, and poaching and illegal trade as the main threats to Asian elephants; retaliatory killings include poisoning. IUCN lists the Asian elephant as Endangered and the Sumatran subspecies as Critically Endangered.

The Asian elephant is entry 51 in the annex to Ministerial Regulation P.106/2018. Law No. 5 of 1990, as amended by Law No. 32 of 2024, bans killing protected animals and trading their parts, including ivory. Since Law No. 1 of 2026 on penalty adjustment, Article 40A(1) carries up to 15 years in prison and/or a category VII fine (Rp5 billion). In Aceh, Qanun No. 11 of 2019 specifically bans laying poison that endangers protected wildlife.

Presidential Instruction No. 8 of 2026, dated 15 June, halts new forest-use and plantation permits in elephant habitat, and on 12 August the forestry minister launched the 2026–2036 elephant conservation strategy (SRAK).

Sources: Elephas maximus, Asian Elephant: IUCN Red List assessment (Williams et al. 2020) ↗ · World Elephant Day 2026: Indonesia's fight to save its elephants ↗ · Permen LHK P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018 tentang Jenis Tumbuhan dan Satwa yang Dilindungi (lampiran) ↗ · UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 tentang Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Hayati dan Ekosistemnya ↗ · UU No. 1 Tahun 2026 tentang Penyesuaian Pidana, Lampiran I no. 183 (UU 32/2024 Pasal 40A ayat (1)) ↗ · Qanun Aceh Nomor 11 Tahun 2019 tentang Pengelolaan Satwa Liar ↗ · Instruksi Presiden Nomor 8 Tahun 2026 tentang Penyelamatan Populasi dan Habitat Gajah Sumatera dan Gajah Kalimantan ↗ · Sambut Hari Gajah Sedunia, Menhut Resmikan Strategi Konservasi Gajah Sumatra dan Kalimantan 2026–2036 ↗

What happens next

Laboratory results for the Aceh Tamiang elephant and toxicology results for the Tebo calf are still awaited.
Tests on Yuna's organ samples will confirm whether EEHV killed her.
The Pelalawan trial continues with witness hearings.
Presidential Instruction No. 8 of 2026 and the 2026–2036 strategy now face their test in the field.

How to help

If you find an elephant that is dead, injured or raiding crops, keep away and report it to the nearest BKSDA.
Never use snares, poison or electrified wire against wildlife; BKSDA Aceh asks people to use safe, non-lethal methods.
Do not buy or keep ivory or ivory products such as cigarette pipes; report offers to Gakkum at pengaduan.gakkum.kehutanan.go.id or (021) 5790 2925.

Support from outside Indonesia

If you live outside Indonesia and want to fund this work, you can help elephants with World Animal Rescue Network.

Related site: PanduanHewan’s founder is also a director of World Animal Rescue Network. PanduanHewan itself does not accept donations, and this invitation is not directed at people in Indonesia.

Common questions

Which named elephants have died in Tesso Nilo?

The best known are Rahman, a trained elephant that died in January 2024, allegedly poisoned, and the tame elephant Indro, 45, who died on 29 June 2026.

Source: Dua Tahun Kematian Gajah Latih Tesso Nilo 'Rahman', Pembunuhnya Belum Terungkap ↗ · Gajah Diego Mati di PLG Minas, Kematian Gajah Kelima di Riau Sepanjang 2026 ↗

What is poached ivory used for in Indonesia?

In the Pelalawan case, police said tusks were sent to be carved into cigarette pipes, and 63 ivory pipes were seized. The ministry stresses that parts of protected animals remain illegal to trade even when carved.

Source: Kasus Pembunuhan Gajah Tanpa Kepala di Riau, 15 Orang Jadi Tersangka ↗ · Gakkum Kehutanan Ungkap Jaringan Perdagangan Gading Gajah di Bali melalui Patroli Siber ↗

Is it illegal to kill elephants or trade ivory in Indonesia?

Yes. Elephants are protected, and killing one or trading ivory carries up to 15 years in prison and/or a fine of up to Rp5 billion under Law No. 32 of 2024, as adjusted by Law No. 1 of 2026.

Source: UU No. 1 Tahun 2026 tentang Penyesuaian Pidana, Lampiran I no. 183 (UU 32/2024 Pasal 40A ayat (1)) ↗

How many Sumatran elephants are left?

Ministry data quoted by ANTARA put it at about 1,100 in 21 habitat pockets as of July 2026, down from 2,400–2,800 in 2007. The 2026–2036 strategy uses higher estimates of about 1,300–1,700.

Source: World Elephant Day 2026: Indonesia's fight to save its elephants ↗ · Only 1,325-1,648 wild elephants left in Indonesia, government says ↗

Animals in this story

Forested landscapes in Sumatra