The Central Highlands province of Dak Lak has taken a number of measures to manage, monitor and care for elephants so as to help conserve and develop the animals, said Director of the province’s centre for elephant conservation Huynh Trung Luan.

Dak Lak province has taken a number of measures to conserve elephants

He said relevant agencies have guided elephant owners how to care for the animals and reduce the number of days and the load elephants have to carry when they serve tourists in order to ensure their health and lifespan.

The owners were also advised to notify relevant agencies when their elephants have health problems.

Recently, the Dak Lak Elephant Conservation Centre implanted microchips in local tame elephants. Data on each elephant such as height, weight, sex and previous diseases are also recorded to make it easier for managing, caring for and studying tame elephants.

Dak Lak currently has 45 tame elephants, mostly in Buon Don and Lak districts. It is also home to five wild herds with about 80 – 100 elephants in total, and most of them live in Buon Don, Ea Sup and Cu M’gar districts.

Luan said the province has strictly managed the wild ones while encouraging local ethnics to change the crop structure in the elephant habitats to minimise damage caused the animals.-VNA