Lak District, Dak Lak Province, is home to Vietnam\'s largest herd of elephants being employed in tourism. However, the herd are beginning to show their wrinkles as they approach late middle age.
 |
| Elephants provide tourist services |
The 24-person co-operative, currently has 22 elephants offering tourism services, making it the biggest elephant herd in the country.
Head of the co-operative Bui Van Duc, said the group had been established in 2001 with initial capital of VND550 million (USD26,442) and 22 elephants. With each elephant valued at VND200-250 million (USD9,615-USD12,000), its total assets amounted to nearly VND5 billion (USD240,384),
Despite being the main assets of the co-operative, each elephant is really owned by its members.
The elephants help the co-operative provide special tourism products. Visitors can ride them to explore landscapes in the locality such as Chu Yang Sin National Park, and old M’nong ethnic minority\'s villages on the shores of Lak Lake and the palace of former king Bao Dai.
The members provide elephants for tourists on rotation, while during Tet and national holidays, the entire herd elephants is available.
According to Mr. Duc, the co-operative serves 1,000-1,500 tourists every month, with half of them from abroad. Each elephant brings income of VND6-8 million (USD288.46-USD384.61) per month.
The elephants work no longer than six hours per day and are carefully taken care of, particularly when they’re ill.
The co-operative also has a Gong team with 15 artists and uses eight stilt houses and 20 dug-out canoes to provide performances and accommodation for tourists.
However, Mr. Duc is concerned that the co-operative’s elephants are becoming too old to work, with most of the herd now aged between 40-60. He has asked the local authority to help in providing space and facilities for the herd to reproduce.
