Thanks to your amazing support, our dedicated team has been busy patrolling the precious Leuser Ecosystem – one of the last wild homes for elephants and tigers in Indonesia.
Every day, our team works to protect precious elephants, keep the forest safe and support nearby communities.
Eyes in the Forest
To keep track of wildlife, our team uses trail cameras – small hidden cameras placed deep in the forest. When they find fresh signs of elephant movements, they carefully place these cameras along the elephant trails. This way, they don’t miss a moment!
The footage we collect helps grow our Elephant ID Database, where we keep track of different elephants based on their unique features. So far this year, we’ve recorded 120 signs of elephants in the wild!
A wild elephant captured on trail camera for the Elephant ID Database.
Exciting Discoveries
In the past few months, the team began patrolling a new area in the south called Damar Hitam. And in exciting news – they spotted a whole new group of elephants! This group was seen twice by the team and captured seven times on camera. Based on the footage, we know the group includes:
- At least 7 adult females
- 5 juveniles
- 4 babies
Not all elephants were clearly visible, but our team believes there may be up to 21 elephants in this group alone. They also saw three new male elephants (bulls) – one of them a large, fully grown elephant known from over ten years ago. So wonderful to see that he’s still roaming the forest, strong and free!
Incredible group of elephants spotted in the Damar Hitam region.
So How Many Elephants Are Out There?
Right now, we know of at least two different breeding groups of female elephants in the area. Along with:
- Two adult bulls
- Five younger male elephants
- A smaller group in the far south (likely under 5 elephants)
Altogether, we believe there are at least 50 wild elephants living across the landscape – and that number could grow as our team continues to explore even more remote areas.
Wild elephants captured on trail camera for the Elephant ID Database.
Building the Elephant ID Database
Our Elephant ID Database is growing with every patrol. Right now, it includes:
- 14 elephants that can be clearly identified (based on body features)
- 34 sightings that weren’t clear enough to identify – but still important!
As more camera footage comes in, we’ll keep updating the database. Each new sighting helps us learn so much more about the elephants in the Leuser Ecosystem, so we can better protect precious elephants in their forest home.
Check out this amazing footage of wild elephants roaming the forest!
Thank You!
Thank you so much for being here with us, making this important work possible. With your help, our teams on the ground can track, protect and understand these amazing animals. You’re helping to keep them alive, safe and free in the wild. Where they belong! 🖤 🌳
Program: Elephant Conservation in Langkat, Leuser Ecosystem
Location: Langkat, Leuser Ecosystem, Sumatra, Indonesia
Program Partner: Sustainable Green Sumatra Foundation (SHL)