Dong Nai's elephant population rebounds to 30 individuals

At a meeting reviewing the Master Plan on Elephant Conservation for the 2015-2025 period held on December 26, Mr. Doan Hoai Nam, Deputy Director General of the Forestry and Forest Protection Department, stated that the 1990s marked a period of severe decline in Viet Nam's elephant population. In response to this situation, in 2013 the State allocated budget resources to a national-level elephant conservation project, shifting from a fragmented approach to a more strategic one with integrated resource allocation and comprehensive assessments.

Elephants are regarded as an ecological indicator species of forests. The existence and growth of elephant herds directly reflect habitat quality and the integrity of ecosystems. Therefore, restoring elephant populations is a measure for the effectiveness of forest protection and biodiversity conservation.

Dong Nai is the locality that most clearly illustrates this shift in approach. According to Mr. Co Tan Huy, Deputy Head of the Dong Nai Forest Protection Sub-Department, the 1990-2009 period marked the lowest point in the decline of the province's elephant herd. From 15-20 individuals in the early 1990s, the population dropped to only about 10 animals by 2009. Human - elephant conflict occurred frequently, causing damage to agricultural production and leaving elephants injured or even killed in retaliatory actions.

The turning point came with the emergency elephant conservation project launched in 2013. Based on habitat surveys and population monitoring using camera traps, signs, and community interviews, Dong Nai selected a core solution, which is constructing electric fences to separate elephant habitats from residential areas and farmland. This measure was not intended to confine elephants but to redirect their movement routes, keep herds within suitable habitats, and limit incursions into cultivated fields.

The results have become evident year by year. While the pre-project period recorded only about 10-16 individuals, Dong Nai’s elephant population had increased to 25-27 animals by 2023. During the 2023-2025 period, an additional 4-5 calves were recorded, indicating that the herd is not only surviving but also growing stably.

In addition to electric fences, the province has identified an elephant habitat area of approximately 34,000 hectares, including nearly 16,000 hectares of bamboo and mixed forests that serve as key food sources for the species. Six water pans and mineral-supplementation sites have been completed, thereby attracting elephants and other large mammals back to their natural habitats.

From 2019 to 2025, Dong Nai also implemented a pilot elephant conservation program with support from the Humane World for Animals organization. The program focuses on population monitoring, habitat assessment, and the development of a harmonious human-elephant conflict management model that considers community livelihoods integral to conservation.

According to Deputy Director General Doan Hoai Nam, the most important lesson learned is that elephant conservation cannot stop at maintaining population size. Sustainable solutions must place people at the center, reducing conflict through practical technical measures while simultaneously supporting livelihoods and raising awareness.

Throughout the elephant conservation process, Viet Nam received the support of international and non-governmental organizations such as WWF, HWA, and AAF through technical assistance, research, and awareness-raising communications. This coordination has helped supplement experience, methodologies, and technical resources for population monitoring, mitigating human–elephant conflict, and protecting habitats.