Elephant Conservation Week 2025 in Dong Nai concludes

On September 21, at Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve, Tri An Commune, the Elephant Conservation Week 2025 officially closed. This is an event associated with the 12th meeting of the Asian Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG) under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), held in Vietnam.

The Asian Elephant Experts Group poses for a photo after a meeting on September 20 in Ta Lai commune, Dong Nai province. Photo: Hoang Loc

The week took place from September 17 with many activities such as: experience-sharing meetings, discussions on solutions to preserve wild elephants; exhibition of photos and documentaries about elephant life; a Run for Dong Nai elephants, Jump for kindness to elephants and wild animals; field trips to wild elephant areas that regularly appear in Cat Tien National Park, Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve; learning about the cultural life and history of people living along the forest... The main message of the event is: Living in harmony. Safety for elephants - Safety for people.

A team of Asian Elephant Experts visits an area with an electric fence that prevents elephants from entering farmers’ production area. Photo: Hoang Loc

According to Provincial Party Committee member and Vice Chairwoman of Dong Nai Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thi Hoang, Dong Nai is currently home to the second largest wild elephant population in the country with about 25-27 individuals, in reality the number may be 1 or 2 more individual elephants due to reproduction. Over the years, the province has coordinated with international organizations and research institutes to implement many solutions to preserve this endangered species and reduce human-elephant conflicts.

The event attracted 130 experts from 13 countries with Asian elephant populations. Through many meetings, delegates agreed on the need to strengthen international cooperation, promote research, replicate conservation initiatives, and spread the message of nature protection and sustainable development.

The Elephant Conservation Week 2025 has contributed to raising public awareness, affirming Vietnam's determination to preserve a "safe home" for wild elephants, aiming for the goal of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

A group of Dance for Kindness to Elephants and Wildlife takes a photo with a Dong Nai elephant model. Photo: Hoang Loc

For Dong Nai province, being chosen as the host of the 12th meeting of the Asian Elephant Experts Group partly affirms Dong Nai's position in elephant conservation, while also creating an opportunity for the province to gain international experience and spread the message of "harmonious coexistence".

By Hoang Loc - Translated by Quoc Dung, Thu Ha