Dong Nai province's Department of Forest Protection is implementing the project "Protecting Asian elephants in Dong Nai through solutions to reduce and prevent human-elephant conflict sustainably". (Photo: VNA) DongNai (VNS/VNA) — The Forest Protection Department in the southernprovince of Dong Nai recently received equipment, including 10 camerasand 60 camera traps, to better manage and protect elephants in the province.
This is part of the project "Protecting Asian elephants in Dong Naithrough solutions to reduce and prevent human-elephant conflict in asustainable way" implemented by the province’s Department of ForestProtection, the Vietnam Administration of Forestry and Humane SocietyInternational (HSI).
On April 15, the agencies also signed an agreement to cooperatein research on the ecology and behaviour of elephants with a branch of theUniversity of Forestry in Dong Nai to ensure the continuity and sustainabilityof the programme on elephant monitoring.
The elephant and habitat monitoring programme aims to understandelephants and their habitats - one of the fundamental solutions for elephantconservation and reducing human-elephant conflict.
Data on the characteristics and behaviour of elephants andhuman-elephant conflicts will be recorded and updated regularly. This willbe analysed to find out the social structure of the herd, the level ofhuman-elephant conflict, and impact projections to tailor possible solutions.
Tran Quang Bao, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Administration ofForestry, said that the elephant population in the country had declineddramatically over the past four decades.
However, after much effort, the elephant population in DongNai showed positive signs.
Recently, the Government allowed to extend the implementation ofthe Master Plan on Conservation of Vietnamese Elephants to 2025, which createdfavourable conditions for the province to continue conservation./.
