VietNamNet Bridge – A tamed elephant with beautiful tusks found last week with hundreds of cuts on his body has been in critical condition, Buon Don District officials said.

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Dak Lak: elephants hunted for hair

Elephant Pac Ku, is in critical condition following a second attack by poachers that left him with hundreds of cuts. (Photo: VNS)

Thieves attacked the three-tonne elephant, named Pac Ku, with the intention of killing him and removing his 70cm tusks, local people say.

It is the second time that Pac Ku has been attacked, they add.

The elephant was brought from Gia Lai Province to carry tourists two years ago. Last week, he was left in the forest to feed when villagers nearby heard harrowing cries.

Le Van Ha, the mahout, was not able to find his charge. Blood was scattered around the place he had tied the animal. He said he found many human footprints at the place and along Se Re Pok River where the elephant had tried to escape from his hunters.

The next day, after several hours of searching, company staff found the elephant at the river bank about five kilometres from the company's office.

His tail had been cut and two rear legs carried burn marks.

Le Thi Thanh Ha, director of the Ban Don Tourism Company, said poachers who want to steal elephant tails and tusks had acted ruthlessly.

The elephants are usually let to roam in the forests at night so that they can feed and even treat themselves with herbs, she said.

District police and forest rangers have trying to track the people who attacked the elephant.

Three months ago, while he was feeding with other three elephants in the forest, Pac Ku had been attacked by poachers who tied him to a tree and tried to cut off his tusks. Fortunately he escaped, although his wounds have not healed completely.

The latest attack has left the 30-year-old elephant in a bad state, local officials said.

The Central Highlands region has been suffering the scourge of elephant thieves for several years now. Just four months ago, five elephants working at the Prenn Falls Tourism Area in Lam Dong Province lost their tails.

The elephants are having to suffer the consequences of a widely-held superstitious belief that their tail hairs bring good luck. These days, it is hard to find an elephant in the Central Highlands that has an undamaged tail.

According to Phan Dac Mau Dai, who has two elephants that had their tails cut recently in Da Lat, a whole tail sells for VND150 million (US$7,500). The hairs are then taken from the tails to make rings that people wear.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News