Jakarta, Nov. 15 -- Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry has reclaimed 2,390 hectares of encroached forest land in the Seblat Landscape, Bengkulu, an area crucial for the survival of the critically endangered Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus).

The operation targets business networks behind the encroachment rather than local communities, Director General of Forestry Law Enforcement Dwi Januanto Nugroho said on Saturday.

"Our enforcement focuses on landowners, financiers, and operators of heavy machinery," he said. "Cooperative residents are being guided to resolve land claims in accordance with legal procedures."

A joint task force involving the Sumatra Forestry Law Enforcement Agency, Kerinci Seblat National Park Authority, Be...