The area where the wild elephants recently arrive in Dak Wil Commune, Lam Dong Province
According to local reports, three wild elephants have frequently appeared in the crop fields of residents in Dak Wil Commune. The herd was suspected of trampling a local man to death earlier this month.
Officials said the elephants have since returned to the forest but may come back to farmlands in search of food. Local authorities have urged residents to keep a safe distance if they encounter the animals.
In case the elephants invade farms or damage crops, people are advised to use gongs, loudspeakers, flashlights, or fire to scare them away. Residents are also warned not to gather in large groups, provoke the elephants, or harm them in any way.
A maize farm is destroyed by wild elephants in Dak Wil Commune, Lam Dong Province
Authorities have asked villagers to avoid travelling or sleeping overnight in forests or fields where elephants have been sighted. The local police, forest rangers, and forestry companies have been assigned to patrol high-risk areas, prevent residents from entering elephant zones, and stop illegal hunting or trapping.
On October 17, a 66-year-old man went missing after going to collect bamboo shoots in a forest in Dak Wil. The next day, search teams found his body bearing multiple injuries and elephant footprints nearby.
In another incident in Danang City, villagers discovered a 48-year-old man named Polong Nhuong lying injured by the roadside with wounds on his face and neck at around 6.30 pm on October 21.
Polong Nhuong is injured by a wild bear near a forest in Danang City on October 21.
The man said he was attacked by a bear while returning home from his field near the Laos border.
Following the attack, local authorities advised residents to stay away from the forested border areas. A similar bear attack was reported in Tay Giang District before 2020.
