Tourists ride elephants in Dak Lak Province
The Asian Animals Foundation (AAF) has continued to call for elephant owners in Dak Lak Province to end elephant riding services and return elephants to the forest, to protect the dwindling population of domesticated elephants in the region.
The appeal came after the death of a 51-year-old female elephant named Bak Kham, owned by a family in Lien Son Commune.
A file photo of Bak Kham besides her owner Y Thanh Uong
Bak Kham was found dead on July 17, chained in a forest about 10km from her owner’s home. According to local authorities, the elephant slipped and fatally injured herself on a tree stump while mating. Her owner, Y Thanh Uong, said they had taken Bak Kham into the forest to mate with a male elephant, Thong Rang, when the accident occurred during heavy rain.
Y Thanh Uong's wife, H'Ha Triet, cries by the body of Bak Kham which is found on July 17.
Heidi Quine, AAF’s Vietnam Director, expressed deep sadness over the incident, highlighting the dangers of mating in captivity and the challenges of managing ageing elephants.
AAF is currently working with Dak Lak provincial authorities and related agencies to improve elephant welfare. The organisation has pledged over USD 2.2 million to help shift from elephant riding tourism to eco-friendly, elephant-watching experiences, while ensuring local livelihoods are maintained.
This tourism model has seen early success in Buon Don Commune, where 10 elephants have been relocated to Yok Don National Park for ethical tourism purposes. However, in Lien Son, only one out of nine elephants has joined the friendly tourism model, while the rest remain in riding services.
AAF has coordinated with the Ho Lak Forest Protection Management Board to allow elephant owners in Lien Son to walk their elephants in the forest under strict supervision, minimising environmental impact.
Public awareness campaigns are also underway, centred around the message of stop riding elephants, let them return to the forest. Quine emphasised that sustained community participation and stakeholder commitment are vital to the long-term success of ethical elephant tourism in Dak Lak.
Nguyen Duc, Director of the Ho Lak Forest Protection Management Board, acknowledged that allocating forest land for private elephant grazing is unfeasible. However, due to historical practices, local authorities are making exceptions to support the care of elephants, classified as critically endangered under Vietnam’s Group 1B species list.
Elephant owners are allowed to graze elephants in the forest with conditions: no chaining to saplings and mandatory ranger supervision if elephants stay overnight. The shared goal between AAF, local authorities, and the Elephant Conservation Centre is to transition all elephants in Lien Son to the friendly tourism model.
Each participating owner receives VND 20 million (approximately USD 785) per month and a share of visitor revenue.
“We're committed to supporting elephant owners who agree to stop using elephants for riding services. We aim to protect the animals, extend their lifespan, and preserve the remaining elephant population,” said Duc.
Over the past 45 years, Dak Lak’s domesticated elephant population has declined from about 500 to just 33, posing a major conservation challenge as most elephants are ageing and no longer able to reproduce. Of the remaining elephants, 24 are in Buon Don and 9 in Lien Son, according to the province’s Elephant Conservation, Animal Rescue and Forest Protection Centre.