We'd love to know: have you ever wondered what it would be like to be an Elephant Ranger? To head into the forest every day, patrol land, monitor herds, and see elephants in the WILD?
Dhina is lucky to know exactly what this feels like!
Dhina is a ranger with the Wildlife Protection Unit, in the Bukit Tigapuluh Ecosystem in Sumatra. Every day, she protects Critically Endangered Sumatran elephants, keeping them safe from danger.
The first time Dhina saw elephants in the wild is a moment she’ll treasure forever. And there’s no better time to share this unforgettable experience with you, than on a day dedicated to our amazing elephant friends!
The story begins with one elephant herd, three rangers and the task of capturing photos. Dhina and her team tracked Mutiara the Sumatran elephant and her herd, for five long days. They followed footprints and dung, hoping to catch a glimpse. But it proved to be a tougher mission than she imagined.
Just as Dhina was about to give up, her fellow ranger whispered, “this is it, just wait.” For two hours, they sat under a tree, hearts pounding, eyes fixed on the shrubs.
And then it happened.
“There they were, the herd we’d been pursuing for days. Finally, each of them came out of the shrubs and bushes. My heart fluttered,” Dhina says. “I can throw as many adjectives I have in my dictionary but it won’t describe the wave of emotions I experienced that moment. I am in love with them. With these majestic creatures of Sumatra.”
Dhina’s work doesn’t stop at protecting elephants in the forest. She also helps local farmers and villagers live safely alongside the elephants and their forest homes.
One morning, two farmers came to Dhina, asking for tools to help them guide elephants away from their crops without harm. Thanks to an early-warning system that Dhina operates, the farmers knew elephants were nearby.
One farmer told her: “If it’s not for the text, maybe we won’t realise the elephants are near our farmland and we wouldn’t be as ready.”
Dhina feels incredibly proud of her role in protecting farmland, while preventing the risk of human-elephant conflict.
“At that moment, I realised that what I do really makes a difference!” Dhina says.
It’s the small wins like this that Dhina truly loves about her job. Every time conflict is avoided, an elephant's life is saved.
Every act of kindness you show, big or small, is a lifeline for elephants. Because of you, rangers like Dhina can keep elephants safe and their forest homes standing.
Saving forests and saving elephants go hand-in-hand.
“Elephants play a key role in their habitat, so their disappearance would likely be followed by the decline of many other, smaller species. Saving them helps protect the balance of the entire ecosystem.”
Dhina has a dream.
“I dream of lush forests where elephants roam freely and communities that see their value, protecting them with love and respect.”
And you are a part of making that dream a reality. Because of you, a future where elephants live wild and free is possible.
Thank you for being here, and being such a wonderful champion for Sumatra’s gentle giants.
Program name: Wildlife Protection Unit
Location: Bukit Tigapuluh (BTP), Sumatra, Indonesia
Program Partner: This program is a collaboration with our FZS partners, and the Ministry of Forestry 🌳