GPS collars will be used on wild elephants in Dak Lak. (Photo: nongnghiep.vn) Dak Lak (VNA) – GPS collars will be fitted to 28 wild elephants in the Yok Don National Park in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, a workshop heard on June 29.
The workshop was held by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Vietnam and the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in the city of Buon Ma Thuot to consult relevant parties on the project.
WWF project consultant Thai Truyen said the collars will allow rangers from the provincial centre for elephant conservation, animal rescue and forest protection and the Yok Don National Park to track the location of the elephants and predict their movements in an attempt to prevent conflicts with humans, he said.
It is the first time GPS collars for elephants have been used in Vietnam, Truyen said, adding that it is critical for the project to receive help from experienced foreign experts as well as technical and financial support from the WWF and Animals Asia Foundation (AAF).
If the project is approved, Vietnam will need to learn from other countries, said Dr. Cao Thi Ly from Tay Nguyen University, underscoring the importance of training and experience sharing for staff at the centre and the Yok Don National Park.
According to Tran Xuan Phuoc, director of the centre, if the project gets approval, it will be implemented in the 2022 – 2023 rainy season./.
