Jakarta, March 12 -- President Prabowo Subianto is preparing a presidential instruction to safeguard elephant populations and habitats, signaling a serious government intervention to prevent the extinction of protected species, Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said Thursday in Jakarta.

Raja Juli spoke after attending a limited meeting with President Prabowo at the Presidential Palace, saying the directive focuses on conserving Sumatran and Bornean elephants.

"The first instruction concerns the preservation of Sumatran and Bornean elephant populations and their habitats," he said, summarizing the limited meeting's agenda in Jakarta.

He noted the policy aims to strengthen conservation efforts for elephants, which face significant threa...