The partnership is being supported by Vantara, founded by Anant Ambani, executive director of Reliance Industries Limited, in collaboration with PT Fauna Land Group.

“Wildlife conservation is ultimately our responsibility, and we must ensure that Indonesia has the facilities, expertise and resources to care for our wildlife wherever they need us,” Antoni said.

Through the partnership, Indonesia will strengthen its wildlife health and conservation infrastructure with support from Vantara in the form of experience, expertise and resources.

“All the facilities and programmes under this cooperation will be owned, operated and managed by the Government of Indonesia and our relevant authorities, ensuring that they serve Indonesia’s conservation priorities and our wildlife for generations to come,” he said.

Training, mobile hospitals and elephant care

The first phase will aim to improve the skills of elephant caregivers, veterinarians and other officials involved in wildlife management. Ten Hospitals on Wheels will also provide medical care to wild animals in their natural habitats across Indonesia.

The move comes at a time when access to veterinary care is a practical challenge in remote wildlife areas. Indonesia and Vantara had begun working on elephant health before the latest announcement.

In December 2025, the Forestry Ministry said Vantara would help revitalise the elephant hospital at Way Kambas and potentially support similar facilities elsewhere in Sumatra. An animal ambulance was also identified as an immediate requirement at the Way Kambas facility.

The Way Kambas Elephant Hospital will now be upgraded into an Elephant Treatment and Care Centre with new equipment, tools and technologies. The upgraded facility will support 62 Sumatran elephants under human care and nearly 100 wild Sumatran elephants in the surrounding area.

The need for such facilities can be seen in the condition of the Sumatran elephant. WWF estimates that only about 2,400 to 2,800 Sumatran elephants are left, and the species is classified as critically endangered. Indonesia’s Forestry Ministry has also said elephant habitat pockets in Sumatra have fallen from more than 40 to about 21.

Way Kambas is an important habitat for the species. A recent study estimated its elephant population at between 144 and 225 animals, while earlier DNA-based research by the Wildlife Conservation Society estimated 247 elephants in the park in 2010.

Why Indonesia needs stronger field support

Indonesia is one of the world’s most biodiverse countries. Research published by its National Research and Innovation Agency says the country accounts for about 12% of the world’s mammals, 16% of reptiles, 17% of birds, 25% of fish and 10% of plants, despite covering only about 1.3% of the earth’s land area.

That biodiversity is spread across more than 17,000 islands. Wildlife care can be particularly difficult in areas far from major medical and veterinary centres.

Human-wildlife conflict is another concern. Sumatran elephants use fragmented habitats outside protected areas, bringing them into contact with farms, plantations and communities. Indonesia has been working on ecological corridors and habitat restoration to connect these areas. The Forestry Ministry has also announced plans to restore 66,704 hectares in Tesso Nilo, starting with 2,574 hectares in 2026.

Vantara CEO Vivaan Karani said, “Vantara has developed expertise in wildlife health, veterinary care, animal husbandry and conservation. We are pleased to share that experience with Indonesia. We also look forward to learning from the country’s considerable conservation experience. Most importantly, we want this partnership to deliver something practical and lasting for wildlife.”

Danny Gunalen, CEO of Faunaland, said, “Indonesia is blessed with extraordinary wildlife and biodiversity, and protecting this natural heritage is a responsibility we all share. We are pleased to work along with the Government of Indonesia and Vantara, bringing together our respective experience and expertise to strengthen wildlife health and care across the country.”

The larger conservation plan

The new initiatives are part of an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Indonesian government and Vantara covering wildlife health, animal welfare and conservation.

The cooperation includes veterinary care, in situ and ex situ conservation, conservation breeding, rehabilitation, rewilding and capacity building. Vantara will provide animal-care expertise, technical support, infrastructure assistance and training in coordination with Indonesian authorities, national institutions and Fauna Land.

Vantara’s partnership follows the release of its Five Year Plan and extends its international conservation work beyond its Jamnagar facility in Gujarat. The organisation said the collaboration will allow it to share expertise developed at Jamnagar in areas such as veterinary care, animal health and animal husbandry.

The partnership also follows Vantara’s voluntary commitments to the CITES management authority of India to further support conservation in the natural range of wildlife. Recent work in Indonesia has included veterinary assessments and preventive measures for elephant health, including efforts related to elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus.

The Indonesian government and Vantara will continue developing the agreed areas of cooperation according to Indonesia’s national conservation priorities and applicable laws and policies.