The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is advising the government to finalize the draft National Action Plan for Elephant Conservation in Viet Nam, targeting completion by 2035 with a vision extending to 2050.
This plan aims to direct and guide priority actions through 2035, focusing on strategies to maintain and develop elephant populations and individuals sustainably. It includes improving habitats, managing human-elephant conflicts, and building the capacity of stakeholders to conserve wild elephants. Additionally, the plan seeks to enhance the welfare and promote sustainable development for captive elephants through improved breeding practices.
As expect, by 2035, Viet Nam aims to prevent the decline of wild elephants, maintain and develop their population, and enhance their living environment.
To achieve these goals, several tasks are proposed. These include improving the understanding of wild elephants, focusing on their morphological characteristics, herd structure, behavior, individual health, and movement trends. This will be accomplished through monitoring elephants using camera traps and DNA analysis from feces samples.
Implement a number of solutions to prevent the decline of wild elephants, such as increasing patrols and controls, eliminating threats to their survival, conducting rescue and re-release operations, and taking measures to prevent elephant deaths.
Maintain and develop elephant populations by identifying and applying strategies to ensure the survival of existing herds. If feasible, also implement measures to conserve and grow both populations and individual elephants.
Implement improvements to elephant habitats by preventing encroachment and destruction, enhancing habitat quality, and expanding habitat areas based on scientific evidence of elephant usage.
Another important task is to reduce human-elephant conflict, aiming for harmonious coexistence. This involves raising awareness about the causes of human-elephant conflict and implementing measures to ensure the safety of both humans and elephants, while limiting the damage caused by these conflicts.
Viet Nam has the fewest wild elephants left, with an estimated 100 individuals nationwide. The largest population is found in Yok Don National Park in Dak Lak province. These remaining elephants face a range of threats, including human conflict, habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation, reduced food sources, and movement barriers within the landscape.