Indonesia has ordered elephant-riding displays to end at conservation institutions nationwide. The Ministry of Forestry’s conservation directorate issued Circular Letter No. 6 of 2025 on December 18, 2025, directing licensed facilities to stop both commercial and non-commercial riding displays. The change is now reshaping elephant tourism, particularly in Bali, while raising a larger question: what should responsible captive-elephant care look like after rides disappear?
Key takeaways
- Indonesia’s Directorate General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation issued Circular Letter No. 6 of 2025.
- The directive targets elephant-riding displays at conservation institutions across Indonesia.
- It covers commercial and non-commercial riding activities.
- Regional conservation agencies monitor compliance, and persistent violations may put operating permits at risk.
- Ending rides is a significant welfare change, but it does not automatically make every remaining elephant attraction ethical.
What exactly did Indonesia change?
The policy is formally titled Surat Edaran Nomor 6 Tahun 2025 tentang Penghentian Peragaan Gajah Tunggang di Lembaga Konservasi—Circular Letter No. 6 of 2025 concerning the cessation of elephant-riding displays at conservation institutions.
An official announcement from Indonesia’s Directorate General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation (KSDAE) says the circular was signed in Jakarta on December 18, 2025. It states that riding displays, whether conducted for commercial or non-commercial purposes, are no longer consistent with wildlife protection, ethics and animal-welfare principles.
This is more precise than simply saying that a new national law banned every imaginable use of elephants. The measure is an administrative circular directed at conservation institutions under the ministry’s oversight. Within that regulated sector, however, the instruction is nationwide and explicit: elephant-riding displays must stop.
How is the elephant-riding directive enforced?
Implementation is handled through the ministry and regional Natural Resources Conservation Agencies, known as BKSDA offices. These agencies supervise licensed conservation institutions and can issue warnings or recommend administrative sanctions.
Facilities that refuse to comply may face escalating consequences, including the possible revocation of their operating permits. That distinction matters: the circular does not describe an automatic, immediate permit cancellation for every violation, but it gives regulators a pathway to act when an institution continues the practice.
What happened at elephant attractions in Bali?
Bali became an early test of implementation because several licensed facilities keep Sumatran elephants and have historically offered visitor rides. Bali Zoo permanently stopped its riding program on January 1, 2026, citing compliance with the ministry circular and coordination with BKSDA Bali. The facility said it would redirect visitor activities toward daily care, conservation education and learning-focused experiences.
World Animal Protection reported that Mason Elephant Park, one of the last prominent Bali venues still offering rides, ended the activity on January 25, 2026 after official warnings. These closures show that the directive is not merely aspirational; it has already changed operations at major tourist facilities.
Why are elephant rides a welfare concern?
Elephant welfare cannot be judged by the presence or absence of a saddle alone. The larger concerns include how an elephant was trained, the amount of restraint used, opportunities for social contact, freedom of movement, diet, shade, veterinary care and whether the animal can perform species-typical behaviors.
A 2025 peer-reviewed assessment of Asian elephants in tourism reviewed conditions affecting thousands of elephants across hundreds of venues. It identified recurring welfare concerns such as severe restraint, limited nutritional variety, stressful visitor interactions and harmful control practices. The study supports evaluating the animal’s entire daily life rather than treating one visitor activity as the only measure of welfare.
Removing rides can reduce pressure to keep elephants continuously compliant for carrying visitors. It can also create more time for foraging, social interaction, bathing, dusting, exploration and rest—provided facilities genuinely redesign their management rather than simply replacing rides with other intensive close-contact attractions.
Does “no riding” mean an elephant venue is ethical?
Not automatically. Bathing sessions, feeding lines, performances and close-contact photographs can still require elephants to remain in fixed positions or interact repeatedly with visitors. A venue may advertise itself as a sanctuary while retaining management practices that restrict choice and natural behavior.
Observation-based tourism generally reduces direct pressure on animals, but standards still vary. Visitors should look for spacious and varied habitats, compatible social groups, access to shade and water, professional veterinary care, transparent handling policies and opportunities for elephants to move away from people.
Why Sumatran elephant conservation still matters
Many elephants held in Indonesian conservation institutions are Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus), a subspecies of the Asian elephant. Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry describes the subspecies as Critically Endangered and estimated in 2025 that about 1,100 individuals remained across 22 key landscapes in Sumatra.
The threats to wild elephants extend far beyond tourism. Habitat loss, fragmentation, human-elephant conflict and poaching continue to affect their survival. The ministry is working on habitat corridors and conflict reduction, while captive facilities remain responsible for the lifetime welfare of elephants that cannot simply be released.
Ending rides is therefore a welfare reform within captive management, not a complete conservation solution. Protecting wild populations requires connected habitat, enforcement against wildlife crime, safer coexistence with nearby communities and long-term scientific monitoring.
What responsible elephant tourism should become
The strongest replacement for riding is not another hands-on attraction. It is an experience built around patient observation and honest education: watching elephants forage, communicate, choose companions, use water and mud, and move through a complex habitat without being forced to perform on demand.
Indonesia’s directive establishes an important minimum standard for conservation institutions. Its lasting value will depend on consistent enforcement and on whether venues invest in better environments, trained staff, independent welfare assessment and transparent reporting.
Frequently asked questions
Are elephant rides banned everywhere in Indonesia?
Circular Letter No. 6 of 2025 directs conservation institutions across Indonesia to stop elephant-riding displays. It is safest to describe the verified scope in those terms rather than claim the circular regulates every possible context outside licensed conservation institutions.
Can tourists still see elephants in Bali?
Yes. Facilities may continue education and observation programs, but elephant rides are no longer permitted under the directive. The quality and welfare standards of other visitor interactions still require scrutiny.
Was Indonesia the first Asian country to ban elephant rides?
The official circular confirms Indonesia’s nationwide action within conservation institutions, but the claim that it was the first country in Asia was not established by the primary sources reviewed for this article.
A meaningful change—and a standard to build on
Indonesia has made a clear policy choice: elephant-riding displays no longer belong in its conservation institutions. That is a meaningful step for captive-elephant welfare. The next measure of progress will be what replaces them—ideally, habitats and visitor programs that allow elephants more choice, more natural behavior and less compulsory contact.
References
- Indonesia KSDAE: elephant-riding displays officially ended
- Ministry of Forestry: conservation institutions after the riding policy
- Ministry of Forestry: Sumatran elephant corridors and population estimate
- World Animal Protection: implementation at Indonesian tourism facilities
- Green et al. (2025): Asian elephants in tourism