A veterinary center to treat both wild and tame elephants and a breeding-research center will be set up under a VND 61 billion (US $3.1 million) conservation project approved by the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak.

Y Rit Bya, chief of the province’s Forest Protection Department, said the 200 –hectare complex will be situated in the Yok Don National Park and that officials running it will be given professional training.

A 2009 study by the Central Highlands University says that Dak Lak has 80-110 wild elephants and 61 tames ones. Unfortunately, the number of tame elephants is falling due to deaths, and no tame elephants will be left unless measures to breed new ones are taken immediately, the study warns.

The animals are found mostly in the districts of Buon Don, Ea Sup, and Ea H’Leo.

Of the 310,000 ha of forests where wild elephants live, only 160,000 ha of mostly special-use and protected forests provide them safe habitats.

But as these forests shrink, there is increasing conflict between humans and wild elephants.

Source: Tuoi Tre