This is part of the project "Protecting Asian elephants in Dong Nai through solutions to reduce and prevent human-elephant conflict in a sustainable way" implemented by the province’s Department of Forest Protection, the Vietnam Administration of Forestry and Humane Society International (HSI).

On April 15, the agencies also signed an agreement to cooperate in research on the ecology and behaviour of elephants with a branch of the University of Forestry in Dong Nai to ensure the continuity and sustainability of the programme on elephant monitoring.

The elephant and habitat monitoring programme aims to understand elephants and their habitats - one of the fundamental solutions for elephant conservation and reducing human-elephant conflict.

Data on the characteristics and behaviour of elephants and human-elephant conflicts will be recorded and updated regularly. This will be analysed to find out the social structure of the herd, the level of human-elephant conflict, and impact projections to tailor possible solutions.

Tran Quang Bao, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Administration of Forestry, said that the elephant population in the country had declined dramatically over the past four decades.

However, after much effort, the elephant population in Dong Nai showed positive signs.

Recently, the Government allowed to extend the implementation of the Master Plan on Conservation of Vietnamese Elephants to 2025, which created favourable conditions for the province to continue conservation./.