Animals Asia will provide a funding of 60,000 USD for the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak to carry out the elephant conservation project from November 2019 to February 2021.

An agreement to this effect was signed in Buon Ma Thuot city on  January 11. 

The project aims to improve the quality of and capacity for elephant care and protection of the Dak Lak Elephant Conservation Centre, and raise public awareness of animal protection.

 Under the agreement, Animals Asia will send experts to Dak Lak to share experience in elephant rescue and protection, towards replacing elephant-riding tourism with elephant-friendly tourism. 

Addressing the singing ceremony, Tuan Bendixsen, chief representative of Animals Asia in Vietnam, said the organisation hopes that Dak  Lak will pay more attention to building essential infrastructure in service of elephant conservation. 

Nguyen Hoai Duong, Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, lauded the support of Animals Asia for elephant preservation in Dak Lak over the past time. 

According to the official, Dak Lak is home to the largest number of wild and tame elephants in Vietnam, with five wild herds gathering about 80-100 elephants, and 45 tame elephants. 

However, elephant poaching, deforestation and elephant riding tourism have challenged the conservation work in Dak Lak, he said.

In July 2018, Animals Asia gave the Yok Don National Park in Dak Lak province 65,000 USD to support the transition of elephant-riding tourism towards elephant watching tourism from July, 2018 to July, 2023.-VNA