After several hours of efforts by authorities to drive them away, the herd crossed the Giang River and moved deeper into the forest. Anh Son authorities are now working with relevant agencies to monitor the area and prevent the elephants from returning to residential neighbourhoods.
A wild elephant from the herd seen in a rubber production forest on the evening of November 3 (Photo: Le Huy).
On November 7, Nguyen Tran Chuong, vice-chairman of Anh Son Commune People's Committee, said local authorities had deployed personnel in coordination with forest rangers, Pu Mat National Park and Nghe An Rubber Investment and Development Joint Stock Company to guard the area and keep the herd away from residential areas.
The herd, comprising five to six elephants, was first spotted on November 3 in the Dong Tau area, within the core zone of a rubber plantation operated by Nghe An Rubber Investment and Development Joint Stock Company and near Pu Mat National Park. The location lies close to the boundary between Veu 2 Hamlet and Bai Lim Hamlet in Anh Son Commune.
The elephants also damaged some crops and livestock shelters belonging to residents of Veu Hamlet.
Chuong said the herd regularly returned to these areas in search of food as part of its seasonal movement patterns.
"Every year, from the ninth lunar month, when bamboo shoots are in season, the elephants usually return to this area to forage. In 2025, prolonged floods damaged forest vegetation and local crops, leaving food supplies scarce, so the herd was not seen here," he said.
The commune vice-chairman described the elephants' return as an encouraging sign that they remained safe and that the local ecosystem was recovering and developing well after natural disasters.
However, their presence in plantation forests and near residential areas has caused concern among local people, disrupting agricultural activities and raising safety concerns.
Anh Son authorities mobilised personnel and worked with relevant agencies to drive the elephants back into the deeper forest.
On the night of November 4, large fires were lit, while residents used pots, pans and water bottles to make noise and scare the elephants away from livestock shelters and production forests. By the morning of November 5, the herd had crossed the upper reaches of the Giang River and moved further into natural forest areas.
Le Anh Tuan, director of Pu Mat National Park, said the herd spotted in Anh Son included both adult elephants and calves.
The camp and warehouse area of Nghe An Rubber Investment Development JSC was damaged as the wild elephants searched for food (Photo: Le Huy).
A 2024 survey found that two to three elephant herds, comprising approximately 12 individuals in total, lived in the core area of Pu Mat National Park. Their habitat extends across several dozen kilometres.
During summer, the elephants are often spotted around Pha Lai Dam in Mon Son Commune, within the national park's buffer zone. From the ninth lunar month each year, they move towards areas bordering production forests in Anh Son Commune. This seasonal movement has been recorded over many years.
"Veu Hamlet was also part of the wild elephants' natural habitat in the past. As agricultural and production activities expanded, their habitat gradually shrank. However, the elephants continue to return because of their established habits and seasonal cycles. In addition, local residents grow crops that elephants particularly favour, such as bananas and sugarcane, which also attract them," Tuan explained.
