VietNamNet Bridge – Forest rangers were ramping up efforts to protect the seven-elephant herd which recently showed up at the forest edge in Quang Nam Province’s Que Lam Commune, the unit head said.

A herd of seven elephants appeared in the forest edge near the residential area over the weekend in Que Lam Commune, Nong Son District, Quang Nam Province. - Photo courtesy of the Nong Son Forest Protection Unit.

Quang Nam Forest Protection Department Head Phan Tuan told Dan Viet (Vietnamese People) online newspaper this morning that the elephants initially paraded out of the elephant conservation forest area stretching more than 180sq.km in Nong Son District over the weekend.

Seven elephants, one of which is a baby, were spotted roaming about the forest edge adjacent to the locals’ farming fields, causing panic among the residents living nearby.

“We have warned the residents not to engage in clashes or try to chase the elephants away for their own safety,” Tuan said.

Following the elephants’ appearance in the area, the Nong Son District Forest Protection Unit (DFU) announced the whereabouts of the animals to some 120 households residing near the forest in Que Lam Commune and advised them to stay clear of this particular area as much as possible. The locals were also warned against sleeping out in the fields at night.

Nong Son DFU chief Nguyen Ngoc Nguyen said the elephant herd had by now already returned to the forest, yet the forest rangers were issuing travel alerts as a precaution.

“We (DFU) have planned to soon organise two campaigns on guiding residents on how to respond should they encounter wild elephants,” he said.

VNS