Elephants in Vietnam

After the elephant was killed in Da Lat, wildlife experts warned that the number of elephants in Vietnam is declining and will become extinct.

>> Close-up of savage slashes killing Dalat elephants

Scott Roberton, national director in Vietnam of the Wildlife Conservation Association (WCS), spoke to VnExpress about the current status of elephant conservation in Vietnam.

- The male elephant named Back Kham in Da Lat has just been killed with serious slashes on the body. How do you see this incident?

- In Vietnam, in the past 19 months, at least 10 elephants have been found killed in Dong Nai and Dak Lak provinces. The number of elephants in Vietnam, including domestic elephants and elephants in the wild, is facing a threat of eradication nationwide. The Back Kham elephant killing is another reminder of this situation and it is man who is responsible for the extremely dangerous situation of elephants.

With this level of killing, elephants will become extinct in Vietnam within the next 10 years.

Back Kham elephant died on April 23. Photo: Quoc Dung.

In Vietnam, Asian elephants are at an important crossroads for their survival due to hunting and habitat loss. The killed elephant is a home elephant, not an elephant living in nature. When people bring elephants from the herd to captive in a resort, the elephant no longer continues its mission in nature.

Separating an elephant from nature, domesticating it and forcing it to live in a tourist area so that people can ride up has only one purpose: financial profit for humans.

- How do you assess the conservation of wildlife in Vietnam?

- Endangered wildlife species such as primates, turtles, tigers and elephants endangered in the next 10 years.

Vietnam lost the war on the Javan rhino on April 29, 2010 (the day the body of the rhino is believed to be the last of Vietnam to be found). The wild animals of Vietnam will disappear very quickly, so we need to act now, or no more opportunities.

We do not need any more speeches or action plans or evaluations, it's time to start working now, before it's too late.

- According to you, where in Vietnam exist the situation of illegal hunting of protected animals?

- Vietnam is one of the markets for the consumption and trade of wild animals and products derived from wildlife for medicine, meat, ornamental animals and decorations. This makes wildlife species threatened.

Vietnam's legal system for conservation has sufficient capacity, manpower and finance. Besides, there are full laws and regulations to ensure the survival of wild animals in nature.

What Vietnam lacks is the determination and the effective enforcement of those laws in fighting wildlife crimes.

- Can you share the experiences of countries around the world that are successful in preserving wildlife?

- Many countries are examples of wildlife conservation. What determines their success is strict law enforcement.

India is a typical. This is one of the two most populous countries in the world, but India still preserves its rich biodiversity. The tiger is increasing in numbers in many reserves in India because they protect it close these areas.

In Nepal, rhinos have been rescued from the brink of extinction through effective and powerful law enforcement.