Elephants fighting back in southern Vietnam
February 25, 2012
An elephant feeding itself on cassava from a farmer’s field in Hamlet 2, Phu Ly Commune, Vinh Cuu District, Dong Nai
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herd of wild elephants have been ravaging farmers’ fields in the
southern province of Dong Nai for a week-and-a-half, according to local
forest management authorities.
The
elephants have eaten up fields of corn, sweet potatoes, cassava and
sugarcane in Hamlet 2 near the Vinh Cuu Nature Reserve in Phu Ly
Commune, Vinh Cuu District.
The
elephants usually show up at midnight and stay until the following
morning, the residents said, adding they may have been unable to find
food in the forests during the dry season.
Dang
Van Nhon, chief of Hamlet 2, said he had sought permission from
district government to establish a quick-reaction team to instruct
residents on how to avoid the elephants and to protect the animals from
being killed by terrified residents.
The
elephants are living in a protected forest of around 30,000 hectares in
Dong Nai, stretching from Cat Tien National Park to the Vinh Cuu Nature
Reserve.
At least nine elephants have died in Dong Nai forests since 2009.
Local authorities, however, have not made any official announcements about the exact reasons for the deaths.
According
to conservation experts, a shrinking habitat and scarce food resources
for elephants have led to conflicts between humans and elephants.
The Dong Nai Forest Management Department said there are only around 15 wild elephants left in the province.
Experts have warned that the wild elephant herd in Dong Nai may become extinct in the near future.
By Kim Cuong, Thanh Nien News
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