The central province of Ha Tinh has submitted an urgent plan to protect the elephant for the 2019-2025 period to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on December 9.

Elephants found in Vu Quang National Park

The rangers at Vu Quang National Park have discovered two herds which have four elephants each. However, they are a very easy target for poachers so an urgent protection plan is needed. Vu Quang National Park has a rich biodiversity and home to the Asian elephant species. According to the photos, there are both mother and baby elephants in the herds.

The living habitat of the elephants has shrunk greatly due to urbanisation and climate change. The plan aims to aid the development of wild elephants, prevent illegal poaching and animal trading in the area.

Besides illegal poaching, elephants have rampaged across several locations in Vietnam due to lack of food.

Last year, six wild elephants went on a rampage in a village in Phuc Son Commune, Nghe An Province and destroyed crops. According to the local authorities, the elephants had lived in Pu Mat National Park and had gone into the village in 2014 and 2016. There are about 13 elephants in Pu Mat National Park and they started venturing out to the villages due to decreasing forest land and food.

Phuc Son Commune used to have lots of bamboo, but they have been replaced with plantations recently. It's likely that the elephants only returned to their traditional feeding place.

In 2013, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai signed a VND278bn (USD13.3m) plan to open three conservation areas for wild elephants in Pu Mat, Cat Tien and Yok Don national parks. However, poaching is still a serious problem. The Central Highlands used to have thousands of elephants but only 70 are left in the Yok Don National Park.

Dtinews