VietNamNet
Bridge – Wild elephants could disappear
from Viet Nam's Central Highlands permanently as deforestation has destroyed
their habitat and source of food needed for survival.
Their
survival in the country remains doubtful as plans for a preservation project
remain only on paper and forests continue to be cut down for rubber, coffee and
cassava plantations.
In
2006, the Prime Minister approved an action plan for elephant conservation in
the three provinces of Nghe An, Dong Nai and Dak Lak.
In the
Central Highland province of Dak Lak alone, around 100 wild elephants live in
districts of Buon Don and Ea Sup.
The
province's People's Committee signed a project in 2010 to preserve elephants in
the province through 2015, with the total budget of VND61 billion (US$2.9
million).
Nevertheless,
between March 26 and 31, police and forest-protection forces from the province's
Ea Sup District found three dead elephants.
A
150-kg elephant was found in Cu M'Lan commune, and six days later, the bodies
of two other elephants, one weighing 400-500 kg and the other two tonnes, were
found in the same commune.
Vice
director of the province's Agriculture and Rural Development and head of Forest
Protection Division, Y Rit Buon Ya, said that several elephants in the area had
been hunted as food, and others had died of accidents or eaten inappropriate
food.
The
illegal killing of wild elephants for their tusks and tails is common in some
provinces.
Y Rit
said that last year, the Dak Lak Elephant Conservation Centre was established
as part of a protection plan expected to assist local people with nursing their
domesticated elephants, as well as to oversee and protect wild ones.
However,
so far, the projects has yet to provide any intervention.
Huynh
Trung Luan, director of the centre, said that a budget and staff shortfall have
delayed the project.
The
centre received VND350 million ($16,800) out of the VND61 billion ($2.9
million), but the money is not enough to pay the salaries of the centre's six
officials, according to Luan.
The
centre was planned to be built on 200ha, including 100ha for breeding the
animal and planting food for them. The other 100ha would contain an elephant
medical centre.
The
province has asked to use 163ha of Yok Don National Park to build the centre,
but the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development rejected the proposal.
According
to the ministry, the land located in the area needs to be strictly protected.
The
province is considering using 200ha of protected forest in Don Village to
develop the centre.
Central
Highland University's associate professor and Dr Bao Huy, a consultant in the
elephant preservation project, said that conservationists and authorities
should be aware of their responsibility for elephant deaths regardless of the
cause.
According
to a survey by the project consultancy group, in 2009, the province had 61
domesticated elephants and about 80-110 wild elephants. The project targets
three main pillars: healthcare and reproductive health assistance to
domesticated elephants, preservation and expansion of the wild elephant
population, and conservation of elephant culture in Central Highland.
Huy
said that besides complicated administrative procedures and fund shortages,
insufficient human resources posed a difficulty to project implementation.
Moreover,
nearly all the urgent actions recommended in the project study had not yet been
carried out, Huy said.
"A
drastic measure to protect wild elephants would be to make the forests where
elephants live completely protected conservation areas," he said, adding
that the elephants needed huge spaces to live and grow.
Meanwhile,
domesticated elephants should be taken in for medical assistance and for male
and female elephants to breed, rather than live separately and over-serve local
tourism.
VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News
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