Frequent conflicts between wild elephants in the southern provinceof Dong Nai and local residents have increased the need for urgentprotection of the endangered mammal.
Since 2009,the conflicts have killed one local residents and injured tow, whilstclaiming the lives of nine wild elephants.
Due tohabitat loss, the elephants move closer to areas of human settlement anddestroy local crops, causing heavy economic losses and affectingthousands of local households.
According to theForest Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, Asian elephants now only live in two other localities inVietnam outside of Dong Nai, namely the central province of Nghe An andthe Central Highlands province of Dak Lak.
Theanimal is considered endangered by the UN Red List and criticallyendangered by the Vietnam Red Book. The government has also includedAsian elephants in the group of rare and endangered animals prioritisedfor urgent protection.
Research conducted byVietnamese and Indian experts in December 2001 showed that the totalwild elephant population in Dong Nai is 15-20 individuals. Meanwhile,the province’s Forest Protection Department estimated the number at 17in 2009 and ten individuals in 2013.
Increasedhabitat loss is posing a severe threat to elephants. Local foresters inDong Nai said the natural habitat for wild Asian elephants decreasedfrom 50,000ha in the 1990s to 14,000 ha in 2005, mostly in Cat TienNational Park.
Between 2006 and 2009, elephantsexpanded their territory to 34,000ha, encroaching on residential areasin Ma Da and Phu Ly communes in Vinh Cuu district. Last year and earlythis year, the elephants approached the forests near Thanh Son communein Dinh Quan district and parts of the La Nga forestry companyplantation.
According to Tran Van Mui, Director ofthe Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve, elephants’ habitats are being reducedand degraded, leading to a lack of food and more conflicts between theanimals and residents.
In Phu Ly commune in Vinh Cuudistrict, elephant herds destroyed 14.4ha of crops in 2007 and 19ha in2008. In 2013, almost 50ha of cropland was destroyed by elephants in thewhole province, along with a number of damages to property, he said.
In a bid to improve the situation, the People’sCommittee of Dong Nai approved a 74 billion VND (3.47 million USD)project to protect wild elephants in the locality, which is to beimplemented in the natural forests of Vinh Cuu, Tan Phu and Dinh Quandistricts.
According to Dong Nai’s Department ofAgriculture and Rural Development, the project will focus on assessingthe elephant population, distribution and movements, while planning theexpansion of their habitat to provide sustainable natural livingconditions.
The project will also seek ways to avoidconflict between people and elephants, while increasing communicationefforts to raise the public’s awareness of the importance of protectingwild elephants.
Meanwhile, the Dong Nai BiosphereReserve also implemented a 9 billion VND project to build a 30km fence,using solar power to generate electric shocks that keep elephants insidethe reserve but do not hurt them.-VNA
Since 2009,the conflicts have killed one local residents and injured tow, whilstclaiming the lives of nine wild elephants.
Due tohabitat loss, the elephants move closer to areas of human settlement anddestroy local crops, causing heavy economic losses and affectingthousands of local households.
According to theForest Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, Asian elephants now only live in two other localities inVietnam outside of Dong Nai, namely the central province of Nghe An andthe Central Highlands province of Dak Lak.
Theanimal is considered endangered by the UN Red List and criticallyendangered by the Vietnam Red Book. The government has also includedAsian elephants in the group of rare and endangered animals prioritisedfor urgent protection.
Research conducted byVietnamese and Indian experts in December 2001 showed that the totalwild elephant population in Dong Nai is 15-20 individuals. Meanwhile,the province’s Forest Protection Department estimated the number at 17in 2009 and ten individuals in 2013.
Increasedhabitat loss is posing a severe threat to elephants. Local foresters inDong Nai said the natural habitat for wild Asian elephants decreasedfrom 50,000ha in the 1990s to 14,000 ha in 2005, mostly in Cat TienNational Park.
Between 2006 and 2009, elephantsexpanded their territory to 34,000ha, encroaching on residential areasin Ma Da and Phu Ly communes in Vinh Cuu district. Last year and earlythis year, the elephants approached the forests near Thanh Son communein Dinh Quan district and parts of the La Nga forestry companyplantation.
According to Tran Van Mui, Director ofthe Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve, elephants’ habitats are being reducedand degraded, leading to a lack of food and more conflicts between theanimals and residents.
In Phu Ly commune in Vinh Cuudistrict, elephant herds destroyed 14.4ha of crops in 2007 and 19ha in2008. In 2013, almost 50ha of cropland was destroyed by elephants in thewhole province, along with a number of damages to property, he said.
In a bid to improve the situation, the People’sCommittee of Dong Nai approved a 74 billion VND (3.47 million USD)project to protect wild elephants in the locality, which is to beimplemented in the natural forests of Vinh Cuu, Tan Phu and Dinh Quandistricts.
According to Dong Nai’s Department ofAgriculture and Rural Development, the project will focus on assessingthe elephant population, distribution and movements, while planning theexpansion of their habitat to provide sustainable natural livingconditions.
The project will also seek ways to avoidconflict between people and elephants, while increasing communicationefforts to raise the public’s awareness of the importance of protectingwild elephants.
Meanwhile, the Dong Nai BiosphereReserve also implemented a 9 billion VND project to build a 30km fence,using solar power to generate electric shocks that keep elephants insidethe reserve but do not hurt them.-VNA
