JavaScript is off. Please enable to view full site.

Vietnam province to buy private elephants for tourist services, forest protection

Vietnam province to buy private elephants for tourist services, forest protection

Friday, December 26, 2014, 11:26 GMT+7

Forest rangers in the southern Vietnamese province of Binh Phuoc have decided to buy a few elephants from local households and use them for tourism and forest protection purposes.

The provincial Bureau of Forest Rangers is poised to purchase four elephants from two households in Bu Dang District for around VND2 billion (US$94,135,) according to Vu Dinh Truc, the bureau’s deputy head.

Each of the elephants weighs between four and five tonnes.

The People’s Committee of Bu Dang District has also recruited four experienced indigenous elephant tamers for a total of VND15 million ($706) a month.

Truc added the four animals and their tamers will be transferred to the Bu Dang Protective Forest Management, where they will receive training to entertain visitors at ecotourism sites and join forest ranging patrols.

According to representatives of the Bu Dang People’s Committee, close examinations will be conducted on the four animals regarding their weight, size, age, health conditions, and fertility.

Construction work has begun on the province’s new ecotourism complexes, including the 5,000-hectare Trang Co Bu Lach Complex and 19,000-hectare Bu Gia Map Complex.

According to the provincial Bureau of Forest Rangers, Binh Phuoc is still home to another four elephants of the Asian breed.

But their owners – coming from the S’tieng ethnic minority in Bu Dang District – have encountered financial difficulty covering the expenses for caring for them in recent years.

The bureau thus signed an agreement to provide VND500,000 ($24) in monthly aid on each elephant for four local households since November 2014 so that they can properly take care of the beast, Truc added.

The aid will be supplied until November 2015, before more assistance is considered.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

TUOI TRE NEWS

More

Read more

;

Photos

VIDEOS

‘Taste of Australia’ gala dinner held in Ho Chi Minh City after 2-year hiatus

Taste of Australia Gala Reception has returned to the Park Hyatt Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1 after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Vietnamese woman gives unconditional love to hundreds of adopted children

Despite her own immense hardship, she has taken in and cared for hundreds of orphans over the past three decades.

Vietnam’s Mekong Delta celebrates spring with ‘hat boi’ performances

The art form is so popular that it attracts people from all ages in the Mekong Delta

Vietnamese youngster travels back in time with clay miniatures

Each work is a scene caught by Dung and kept in his memories through his journeys across Vietnam

Latest news