Seratu Aatai was established in December 2018 in Sabah, Malaysia. The name means “Solidarity” in the local Sungai language, reflecting the group's aim to foster a society willing and capable of living in harmony with Bornean elephants and other wildlife. Their core vision: elephants and people coexisting peacefully.
https://www.seratuaatai.org/
With Lestari Cycle, we aim to reach out and connect with changemakers making a difference for our society and the environment. We recognise that, globally, meeting surging demands for commodities and services has put a huge pressure on our fragile ecosystem. Some of it feels so untamable that it is easy to fall into a never ending loophole of despair and disappointment. That's where the changemakers come in; despite the impending doom, they continue to raise their voices, fight for what is right and stand up for People and Planet. We find that inspiring and would love to share their vision and work with the world. Natasha had worked with multiple non-governmental organisations including Seratu Aatai, for her Bachelor's Thesis Research in Malaysia. Read more about them below!
Seratu Aatai supports and leads studies under the Sabah State Bornean Elephant Action Plan (2020–2029), including:
Seratu Aatai places a major emphasis on community engagement as a way to achieve long‑term coexistence between people and Bornean elephants. In Sabah, many communities live and farm in areas close to elephant habitats, which often leads to crop raiding, property damage, and sometimes dangerous encounters. Rather than relying on enforcement alone, Seratu Aatai works directly with villagers, plantation owners, NGOs, and government agencies to find solutions that are practical, humane, and beneficial to everyone involved. Their initiatives include advising on land‑use practices, implementing deterrent systems to keep elephants away from crops, and supporting the creation of wildlife corridors that allow elephants to travel without coming into conflict with people.
Education is another central pillar of their community efforts. Seratu Aatai runs school programs, STEM clubs, and interactive workshops to teach young people about elephant behaviour and the species’ vital role in maintaining healthy forests.
On a broader level, Seratu Aatai helps communities feel empowered to take part in conservation decisions. They build trust and shared responsibility by involving local voices in planning and build this relationship by maintaining regular discussion. This approach not only reduces conflict and elephant deaths but also strengthens community resilience and pride in protecting Sabah’s biodiversity. Ultimately, their community engagement work ensures that conservation is not imposed from the outside but grows organically from the people living alongside elephants.
Seratu Aatai organises educational initiatives targeting young people, including:
By raising awareness from a young age, they aim to create future generations who see elephants as part of their shared environment rather than as a threat.
Seratu Aatai contributes to long-term conservation goals by blending scientific research, community-led solutions, and youth-focused outreach. Overall, they are a vital force in preserving Sabah’s wildlife while empowering local communities to become stewards of biodiversity.
Seratu Aatai aligns with the Sabah State Bornean Elephant Action Plan (2020–2029), a state‑level 10‑year conservation framework approved in February 2020 to secure the long‑term survival of the endangered Bornean elephant.
The action plan sets out four main objectives:
1) improve protection and reduce elephant deaths;
2) enhance habitat connectivity across fragmented landscapes;
3) ensure best practices for elephants in captivity and ex‑situ settings; and
4) monitor and model elephant population trends to inform adaptive management.
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