The high rate of deforestation and fragmentation of elephant habitat on Sumatra Island has triggered human-elephant conflict (HEC) in Sumatra Island, Indonesia. This conflict brings negative impacts on humans and elephants. Despite numerous efforts having been made to solve this problem, the HEC continues to occur in the remaining elephant enclave every year. The harmonious coexistence between humans and elephants could be improved through HEC mitigation programs. The aim of this paper was to review information on HEC in Sumatra Island, investigate the causes and implications of HEC, review existing HEC mitigation methods, and formulate strategies to improve the harmonious coexistence between humans and elephants. The best strategies to create successful human and elephant coexistence are strengthening the institutions and policies, restoring the habitat, developing wildlife corridors, establishing Essential Ecosystem Areas (EEA), community empowerment through ecotourism, providing legal access to forests through Social Forestry (SF), and providing compensation schemes for conflict victims.

This paper aimed to provide a narrative review of the current conditions of orangutan ecotourism on Sumatra Island, problems in the current management systems, and some recommendations for further development. Orangutan conservation centers have been developed on Sumatra Island since 1973. The Bukit Lawang Conservation Station is one of the orangutan conservation centers that have practiced ecotourism to overcome ecological and socio-economic issues. Even though the Bukit Lawang Conservation Station has operated for decades, this station has faced several issues, in particular a monetary crisis in 1997, a flash flood in 2003, and the COVID-19 pandemic. We identified that orangutan conservation centers on Sumatra Island have the potential to support orangutan ecotourism. These conservation centers have ecological support, available facilities, and rich local wisdom that can provide added value for orangutan ecotourism. Therefore, we propose that the development of orangutan ecotourism on Sumatra Island should accommodate surrounding communities through community-based wildlife ecotourism. We also recommend the following strategies to develop orangutan ecotourism on Sumatra Island: (1) mapping the location and distribution of wild orangutans in their natural habitats; (2) managing captive and semi-captive orangutans in conservation centers; (3) provision of tour packages; (4) community empowerment; (5) institutional strengthening of community-based ecotourism management (CBEM); (6) developing ecotourism through a benefit-sharing model; (7) anticipating and minimizing the negative impacts of ecotourism on orangutans; and (8) integrating orangutan tourism with local wisdom.