Increasing illegal hunting, narrowed living environment, inappropriate preservation… are cited as major causes of the decrease of elephant population in Vietnam. Associate Professor, Dr. Le Xuan Canh – Head of the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources – warns the number of wild elephants in Vietnam is now only 80 individuals, decreasing by 18-25 times in comparison with those in 1994 (1,500-2,000 individuals).
According to Mr. Matt Maltby – an English expert on zoology, Chief Consultant of Elephant Preservation Project in Cambodia funded by the Fauna and Flora International (FFI) – living environments in Vietnam and Cambodia are similar, so elephants in Vietnam could be preserved effectively. However, in order to do this, Vietnam should undertake appropriate solutions in harmonious manner and no individual solution could be underestimated. Matt confirmed that FFI is always willing to help Vietnam to preserve wild elephants.
Many experts in Vietnam believe the development of elephant preservation project, which has been approved by the Prime Minister since 2006, should be promoted in provinces of Dong Nai, Dak Lak and Nghe An. Besides, it is necessary to convince elephant hunters to stop illegal hunting and support their livelihoods, and carry out effective measures to prevent elephants from damaging people’s homes, crops…
It is reported that a mass of elephants in the Dong Nai Reserve were dead of unidentified reasons in the last July, dropping the elephant population in the region to 10 individuals. Center for Southeast Asian Prehistory (under the Southeast Asian Study Association in Vietnam) and Dong Nai Provincial Museum have preserved the elephant skeletons and make a display for study and scientific research purposes, hoping to raise people’s awareness of preservation.
By TP (TTIC)