Only 80 wild elephants are left in Vietnam, according to Vietnam’s state-run newspaper, Lao Dong. Experts at the Vietnam Forest Management Agency workshop, held earlier this week, reported the elephant population in Vietnam is in rapid decline.
In 1975, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development estimated that up to 2,000 wild elephants were left in Vietnam. In 1992, the Vietnam elephant population dropped to between 400 and 600. Today, it is estimated only 80 elephants remain in the wild. The decline is being blamed on illegal wildlife trade, poaching and deforestation.
Sadly, poaching for ivory and bones is reportedly on the increase. And the increased demand for illegal ivory drives the price of the ivory up. While Vietnam banned the trade of ivory in the 1990s, a loophole allows stores to sell ivory left in inventory.
Over the years, human conflict, population and economic growth have all contributed to the decline in the elephant’s natural habitat. As its habitat shrinks, the elephants have reportedly become more aggressive. Several incidents of elephants charging villagers and destroying homes and crops have been reported. Elephants have been driven away or killed as a result of human-elephant conflicts.
Asian elephant photo Julie Langford
Disgusting! Why, oh why, do we always wait, until it is almost to late, to get serious about saving these, and other innocent magnificent creatures of this planet!
We humans are the worst creatures on this earth, we kill for money, and space to overpopulate… only when we learn to respect all live on this planet can we really find peace and happiness on this earth!!
This is very disgusting!! There is so much greed out there, poachers are the scum of the earth!!!!! Here goes another beautiful creature from this earth!
whatever thing you have no knowledge of, the abuse is inevitable. I think if awareness creation, strong advocacy and implementable policies are put in place people will do the right thing. mind you these human beings also want to survive – food, shelter and stable source of livelihood are crucial to man existence and should therefore be addressed to community level to prevent increase in issues like deforestation, environmental degradation and other unsustainable attitudes.