VietNamNet Bridge - Dak Lak Provincial People's Council recently passed a resolution on elephant conservation, with huge investment for caring and developing the herd of tame elephants.




The "bounty" for the elephant owner is over VND400 million ($20,000) and VND170 million ($8,000) for the mahout if their elephant has a baby. However, it is very difficult for tame elephants to have babies.

People have still advocated for reproduction of elephants and they thought it’s simple to just gathering elephants together to have baby elephants. They do not know how difficult this thing is.

Mr. Dan Nang Long, in Lak District, Dak Lak, who now owns the highest number of tame elephants in Vietnam, said: since 1992, only one elephant delivered a baby but the baby elephant died at the age of three months old. Since then no female elephant in is heard has been pregnancy.

In the last five years, he tried to be a “matchmaker” for elephants but they did not deliver any baby.

According to Long, the elephant is extremely picky about "love", especially the female elephant, if it does not "like" its partner, nobody can force it.




Dr. Bao Huy, Chairman of Dak Lak’s elephant conservation project, also said that the elephant is rigorous in seeking a partner. They need a long time to get to know each other before become “lovers.”

Meanwhile, elephants are bred individually in different families in Dak Lak. If a family has a pair of elephants, it is not sure that they will have a baby.

In addition, the age of the tame elephants in Dak Lak is also a barrier. A half of the elephants are very old and they do not need “love” anymore.

If the elephants in the wild seek partners when they are mature, the tame elephants are banned from it. Now they are old and "apathetic" about maintaining race.

Mr. Y Sang H'mok, the owner of a female elephant named Na Tuk in Jun village, Lak District, with many years of experience raising the elephant, said that usually, when they are over 40 years old, their needs for “love” almost levels off, especially the male elephants.




He explained: Male elephants in the estrous season often change their character and do not obey their owners. To "teach" the elephant, the owners often feed them less, do not give them water or chain them in the forest. This invisibly curbs and takes off the ability to meet and mate of elephants.

In addition, the male elephants of over 40 years old usually do not copulate with female elephants, even though it likes the partner.

Another problem: when the dry season begins, as well as the estrous cycle of the elephant, is the peak season for tourism.

Elephants are often over-exploited for tourism purposes. During the day, they take 6-7 hours to carry on their back a dozens of tourists. At night, they are chained in the forest and fed to prepare for the next working day. The elephants do not have time to have fun or seek partners.

According to Mr. Dan Nang Long, the biggest difficulty is the lack of space for elephants to “love” because the forest is being narrowed.

Trung Duong