A six-year-old wild elephant caught in a trap in Yok Don National Park in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak has incurred serious injure and could die if it does not receive prompt emergency aid.
After three days of working, local park workers and the province’s Elephant Reservation Centre have been unable to free the 700-kilo elephant from the trap.
The elephant’s trunk and one of its legs have been immobilised by the trap, and necrosis has set in, causing a foul odor.
On May 8 morning, officials and four local residents used two tame elephants to try to gain access to the elephant, which was stranded in a mountainous area that is difficult to reach.
A truck was used to carry sugarcane and banana to feed the elephant.
Tran Van Thanh, acting director of Yok Dok National Park, said he has asked the Ho Chi Minh City Zoo and Botanical Garden for equipment to anesthetise the animal so that it can be freed.
As of May 9 afternoon, the elephant was still in the trap. If it is freed, it will be taken care of by the Elephant Preservation Centre and later released into the forest.
Local resident said they have heard the elephant cry out at night.
About two months ago, a wild three-month-old elephant was found dead on the banks of the Ea Sup Thuong Lake in the province, which is known as the land of elephants in Vietnam .
The dead elephant was possibly a member of a 20-head elephant herd that sometimes appears in Yok Don National Park and Ea Sup district, according to park officials.
They surmised that the elephant followed his mother to the lake to drink water and became exhausted and died.
Officials said these deaths indicated that more serious actions are needed to protect the animals in the province, as the herd of wild elephants in Dak Lak has been able to survive and prosper in recent years.-VNA
After three days of working, local park workers and the province’s Elephant Reservation Centre have been unable to free the 700-kilo elephant from the trap.
The elephant’s trunk and one of its legs have been immobilised by the trap, and necrosis has set in, causing a foul odor.
On May 8 morning, officials and four local residents used two tame elephants to try to gain access to the elephant, which was stranded in a mountainous area that is difficult to reach.
A truck was used to carry sugarcane and banana to feed the elephant.
Tran Van Thanh, acting director of Yok Dok National Park, said he has asked the Ho Chi Minh City Zoo and Botanical Garden for equipment to anesthetise the animal so that it can be freed.
As of May 9 afternoon, the elephant was still in the trap. If it is freed, it will be taken care of by the Elephant Preservation Centre and later released into the forest.
Local resident said they have heard the elephant cry out at night.
About two months ago, a wild three-month-old elephant was found dead on the banks of the Ea Sup Thuong Lake in the province, which is known as the land of elephants in Vietnam .
The dead elephant was possibly a member of a 20-head elephant herd that sometimes appears in Yok Don National Park and Ea Sup district, according to park officials.
They surmised that the elephant followed his mother to the lake to drink water and became exhausted and died.
Officials said these deaths indicated that more serious actions are needed to protect the animals in the province, as the herd of wild elephants in Dak Lak has been able to survive and prosper in recent years.-VNA
