Vietnam's wild elephants in need of urgent protection

DONG NAI: Frequent conflicts between wild elephants in the southern province of Dong Nai and local residents have increased the need for urgent protection of the animals.
Since 2009, conflicts have killed one local resident and injured two while claiming the lives of nine wild elephants, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported.
Due to habitat loss, elephants are moving closer to areas of human settlement and destroying local crops, causing heavy economic losses and affecting thousands of households.
The Forest Protection Department at Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry said Asian elephants are found living in two other localities outside Dong Nai: central Nghe An province and Central Highlands province of Dak Lak.
The Asian elephant is considered endangered by the United Nations Red List and critically endangered by the Vietnam Red Book.
Vietnam's government has included Asian elephants in the category of rare and endangered animals requiring urgent protection.
Research conducted by Vietnamese and Indian experts in December 2001 showed the wild elephant population in Dong Nai was between 15 and 20.
The province's Forest Protection Department estimated the number at 17 in 2009 and ten in 2013.
Local foresters in Dong Nai said natural habitat for wild Asian elephants fell from 50,000ha in the 1990s to 14,000ha in 2005 mostly in Cat Tien National Park.
Between 2006 and 2009, elephants expanded their territory to 34,000ha, encroaching on residential areas in Ma Da and Phu Ly communes in Vinh Cuu district.
Last year and early 2014, elephants approached forests near Thanh Son commune in Dinh Quan district and parts of the La Nga forestry company plantation.
Tran Van Mui, director of Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve, said elephants' habitats are being reduced and leading to lack of food and more conflicts between elephants and residents.
In Phu Ly commune in Vinh Cuu district, elephant herds destroyed 14.4ha of crops in 2007 and 19ha in 2008.
In 2013, nearly 50ha of cropland were destroyed by elephants in the whole province.
To improve the situation, the People's Committee of Dong Nai approved a 74 billion VND (US$3.47 million) project to protect wild elephants in the locality which will be implemented in the natural forests of Vinh Cuu, Tan Phu and Dinh Quan districts.
The project will focus on assessing the elephant population, distribution and movements, expansion of habitat to provide sustainable natural living conditions and ways of avoiding conflict between people and elephants. – Bernama