A herd of 30 wild elephants have recently been seen to migrate into the Yok Don National Park in the Central Highland province of Dak Lak, said Nguyen Huy Hai, a forest official in the Park.
Hai said that in the past month, the elephant herd has been consistently spotted in many parts of the park. Earlier the elephant herd had inhabited the Cu Jut forest, however because of depleting food resources they were now migrating to the Yok Don National Park.
The park management board have suggested to local residents living in close proximity of the park in Ea Sup District, to create a hostile atmosphere by creating loud sounds by beating drums and lighting fires to drive away the elephants from approaching too close to their residential areas and agricultural fields. This method would help in protecting their homes and crops and move the elephants away without harming them.
The province already has a project until 2015 to conserve wild elephants. Under the program, 10 wild elephant herds including those in Yok Don Park and in Ea Sup District will be conserved and protected in the wild. The elephant habitat and their food source will also be under the conservation plan.
