Despite being over a hundred years old, many buffalo-hide ropes used for hunting wild elephants in Buon Don commune (Dak Lak) remain remarkably durable and intact.

Since the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Buon Don has been renowned as a land once home to tens of thousands of wild elephants. It also gained fame for its elephant hunting tradition, most notably led by the legendary elephant hunter Y Thu Knul and other skilled warriors.

Though more than a century has passed, memories of the profession and the names of these famed hunters remain vivid in the minds of Buon Don locals. Remarkably, dozens of thick ropes made from buffalo hide used to subdue wild elephants are still preserved in excellent condition, showing no signs of decay.

These ropes are currently housed in an ancient stilt house built by Y Thu Knul between 1883 and 1885 in the traditional Lao architectural style.

According to H’Khoy Knul, 50, a great-granddaughter of Y Thu Knul, her ancestor captured over 400 wild elephants during his lifetime. His nephew, Ama Kong, also famously captured nearly 300 elephants and became known as a heroic elephant hunter.

She explained that in the past, their ancestors crafted hunting ropes from the hides of male buffaloes. Each rope, measuring between 90 and 120 meters long, required hides from seven buffalo bulls. The hides were sun-dried continuously for 90 days and then stored above the kitchen fire for the length of a full farming season before being ready for use.

H’Khoy shared that buffalo-hide ropes are incredibly durable, capable of lasting over 100 years even when exposed to sun and rain. These ropes were used to tie down wild elephants during hunts and to secure their legs during taming.

"Each rope is only as thick as a grown man’s thumb, but it’s so strong that not even an elephant could break it," she added.

Ho Sy Chuyen, a cultural affairs officer in Buon Don, confirmed that most buffalo-hide ropes in the area have been preserved for nearly a century.

Explaining the extraordinary durability of these ropes, Chuyen noted that the traditional method of rope-making is a closely guarded local secret. So far, no scientific study has been able to fully explain the resilience of the material.