Mutiara, whose name means "pearl" in Indonesian, is part of Anna’s core family group.
Anna and Mutiara with Indah's herd
She was fitted with a GPS collar in February 2019, allowing the team to track her movements within her herd of up to 30 elephants. They share much of their time and home range with Ginting, Indah, and occasionally Cinta, along with several babies and juveniles—an encouraging sign of healthy population growth.
Although Mutiara’s GPS collar detached some time ago, the Elephant Conservation and Monitoring Units believe she has been spending time with Ginting and Indah’s group. Since early 2023, no other distinct group movements have been observed in the southern part of the corridor road, suggesting Mutiara’s herd is with them.
Recently, the team noted some intriguing changes. A few weeks ago, herds led by Indah and Quin, totalling about 25–30 elephants, crossed the WKS Corridor Road into the Wildlife Conservation Area (WCA) in Mendelang. At the same time, a smaller group of about 10 female elephants remained south of the corridor road. Upon closer observation in the Semambu area, the team identified this smaller group as Anna and Mutiara’s herd, now moving separately from the larger herds led by Indah, Ginting, and Quin.
The team continues to monitor these herds closely, despite the challenges of tracking wild elephants in their natural habitat.
Thank you, Anna adopters, for supporting efforts to protect her and the other elephants of the Bukit Tigapuluh Ecosystem. Your generosity helps ensure these magnificent creatures can thrive in the wild.
(Program run by Ministry of Forestry and Frankfurt Zoological Society).