Bali warns conservation centers over elephant riding ban

Bali’s Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) may revoke permits from conservation centers that continue to offer elephant riding programs, following a national directive to end the practice. The agency is intensifying monitoring to ensure compliance with regulations prioritizing animal welfare.

Bali Conservation Centers Face Permit Revocation Over Elephant Riding

As of the end of 2025, Bali had 13 conservation centers, five of which manage a total of 83 Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus), according to BKSDA Bali Head Ratna Hendratmoko.

BKSDA Bali has instructed all conservation centers to comply with the directive and uphold animal welfare standards across the province. The agency is committed to ongoing supervision and reminders to ensure full compliance.

The move follows Circular No. 6 of 2025, issued December 18, 2025, by the Ministry of Forestry’s Directorate General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation, which formally ended elephant riding activities at conservation centers nationwide.

The circular reflects the government’s effort to strengthen ethical wildlife management and conservation-based practices, Hendratmoko said. Conservation centers are encouraged to replace riding attractions with educational activities that promote conservation and animal welfare principles.

Elephant riding contradicts protection and welfare standards, Hendratmoko noted, adding that the Sumatran elephant is a protected species listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. In managing elephants, conservation centers must prioritize animal welfare at all times.

The Indonesian government has listed Sumatran elephants among the critically endangered mammals in the country. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) estimates the Sumatran elephant population to be about 2,400–2,800 individuals.

The WWF has also noted that poaching for the illegal ivory trade remains a serious threat to wild elephants in several countries, with ivory still appearing in markets across Africa, Asia, the United States, and Europe.