Red warning from elephants

Until now, the number of wild elephants in Vietnam is only 76. Scientists warn, if not protected in time, within 30 years, Vietnam forest will be absent from elephants.

Reverse numbers

Elephants have been associated with the construction and protection of the country for thousands of years. But it was only after the reunification of the country that we fully counted the number of elephants.

During the period from 1975 to 1980, the estimated number of wild elephants was about 1,500-2,000. They are distributed throughout the country and contribute to the biodiversity of Vietnam's nature. But since 1980 onwards, elephants have decreased rapidly. Thousands of hectares of forests have been destroyed, causing elephant habitats to be destroyed or shrunk. The biological behavior of elephants is disordered, affecting the development of individual and elephant populations.

Besides, hunting and catching elephants for ivory, skin, taps, teeth, bones . are elephant conflicts. Activities of trafficking, transporting wild animals (including elephants) to other countries across the border are increasing by places where elephants are often located near the border with Laos and Cambodia.

All of that plus the abundance of diminishing generations leads to the inevitable consequence that the elephant herd not only does not reproduce, but increases and falls short. The figure of 1,500 in 1980 rapidly decreased to 400 in 1992, 250 in 1995, 160 in 1997. Currently, the number is estimated at 76 children.

The number of regions distributed over the past 30 years has decreased by more than 50% with 14 areas identified as having elephants living. They live scatteredly, split into many groups, small groups and often threatened with extinction.

Odd elephants - causes and consequences

The answer is almost available. According to scientists, Vietnamese elephants are concentrated in most of the Central Highlands provinces. With the speed of deforestation against forests, the number of elephants on a declining day is inevitable. Within the first three months of this year, the deforested area in Dong Nai was 70 hectares and in Dak Nong was 59 hectares. These are the most concentrated places for elephants in Vietnam.

Their everlasting forests and roofs were destroyed due to forest benefits and the benefits of elephants themselves. When life was threatened, by their instincts, elephants were forced to defend themselves: moving away from dangerous places and ready to attack anyone capable of attacking them.

By 2005, there were nine conflict zones across a total of 14 regions with distribution elephants. The most serious is in Dong Nai province from 1993-1998 there were 12 people died and in Tánh Linh (Bình Thuận) 13 people died.

Surveying areas believed to have elephants, we learned that elephants are gentle animals and very close to humans. Scientists also agree with this. They can even come close to people but do not attack.

Mr. Tran Xuan Long, Head of Pha Lai Forest Protection Station, Pu Mat National Park (Con Cuong and Nghe An districts) said: ' Many meals are at the monastery in the forest. In the middle of the night, the door of the shack is used to immediately touch the elephant faucet. Seeing the animal is the elephant that shoots right away . '

Thus, elephants are very gentle and they are only buoyant when being violated. But despite being considered the least prone place of elephants, Pu Mat National Park has recently witnessed phenomena that make scientists mind.

Nguyen Van Dien, deputy director of the national park said last March, a group of four ivory elephants moved in the forest, and a few days later met an odd female elephant to cross the area. Waterfall In some villages, there is an elephant phenomenon.

In Pu Mat National Park, the person who wrote this article and the forest rangers managing the forest saw firsthand the traffic signs that had been thrown down by the elephant on the side of the road to Falls. Even the sign of forest fire forecasting was distorted by the elephant. As explained by those who have access to the place, elephants hate iron, steel, concrete and they often spit at every encounter.

The problem is that is the nature of the elephant or elephant feeling an immediate danger. A noteworthy point is that the food that elephants like is banana root and banana core that are often used by indigenous people as food. This may also be the cause of elephants breaking sea traffic.

Emergency building 'peaceful rooftops'

Without effective protection, in 30 years, Vietnam forest will be absent from elephants. In order to prevent the round of deforestation - hunting - the loss of people, wealth and the number of elephants is reduced, it is necessary to protect the forest, prevent illegal trade and it is important to build sanctuary for elephants. It is the best way to maintain and develop wild elephants.

Tran The Lien, deputy head of the Nature Conservation Department of the Forest Protection Department, said that the Forest Protection Department and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development are preparing to submit to the Government a draft Emergency Plan to protect elephants with the previous objective. The eye is to protect the existing elephant populations in Vietnam, avoiding the elephant-human conflict, protecting the landscape of the habitat where elephants live. In the long term, it is necessary to conserve and sustainably develop elephant populations in Vietnam, preserving the integrity of the living environment for elephants. In order to conserve elephants, two methods can be used: transitional conservation and on-site conservation.

The first measure has been applied to elephants in Tánh Linh (Bình Thuận) but that is in force majeure cases when elephants have lost their food-living areas. Compared to the first method, the second method - on-site conservation is much more effective: maintaining the food-living area of ​​the elephant, concentrating on large numbers of elephants with many generations and individuals. elephants, creating the ability for sustainable development of elephants. Using this method can also avoid the possibility of elephants moving from one forest to another, leading to them moving to your country (across the border).

Elephants weigh 3.5 to 5 tons on average, have a lifespan of 80-90 years or more, a reproductive cycle of 4-5 years for each litter, a gestation period of 21-22 months, each time having a single child. They used to be scattered in Lai Chau, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Tay Nguyen, Binh Phuoc, Dong Nai . but still very few. Level of threat of extinction V.

The same species of large mammals in Vietnam such as Rhino Elephants and Tapirs have become extinct in the 20th century. And now, not only elephants but also one-horned rhinoceros, Gray Cow, Tiger, White-white Pheasant, Black Lam pheasant, White-tailed Pheasant, Freshwater crocodile . are at risk of extinction.

However, to implement this measure, it is necessary to select a food area - live for elephants that meet the following conditions: the number of individuals in the elephant population must be 10-20 and the elephant herd must be full. generations to ensure reproduction, the area of ​​food - living areas must be large enough.

Presently, conservation experts have identified three locations that can establish special elephant conservation areas. The largest will be the elephant conservation area, especially in the fertile Central Highlands. This is the place where most elephants are concentrated in Vietnam with two populations of wild elephants living in the forest of Dac Min, Cu Zut, Buon Don and Ea Sup districts (Dac Lac).

Therefore, the area of ​​this special elephant sanctuary (for wild elephants and domesticated elephants) will be about 250,000 ha with a focus on Yok Don National Park and may include more Tieu Trang areas (southwest of the province). Gia Lai).

The second special elephant sanctuary in the natural forest area of ​​Dong Nai province. At present, there are about 10 elephants living in a relatively stable area, focusing on forest areas of Cat Tien National Park, Vinh Cuu Nature Reserve with an area of ​​about 160,000 ha (for wild elephants). .

The rest is an elephant conservation area, especially in the southwestern forest of Nghe An province. The population of elephants here is about 10 but they often move between the border of Vietnam and Laos. Therefore, the conservation area will include forest border borders of Thanh Chuong, Anh Son, Con Cuong and Tuong Duong districts and will have international cooperation with Laos. The area of ​​this reserve will account for about 200,000 ha (for wild elephants).

All three areas have the advantages to meet the conservation and development of wild elephants in Vietnam: large habitats, abundant and appropriate food sources, water sources and salt sources. Natural minerals required for elephant nutrition and reproduction. Surely these will be peaceful homes for elephants to reside.