Wild elephants, long regarded as a symbol of strength in nature and closely tied to the culture and belief of many communities in Vietnam, are now facing the real risk of extinction.

Nearly 130 conservationists from 13 Asian countries are gathering in the southern province of Dong Nai, home to Vietnam’s second largest wild elephant population, from September 17 - 21 for the 12th meeting of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC) Asian Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG).

VOV.VN - A newborn elephant calf has been sighted for the first time in the Elephant Species and Habitat Conservation Area in Da Nang, marking a promising milestone for the preservation of Vietnam’s endangered Asian elephant population.

The Dak Lak centre for elephant conservation, wildlife rescue, and forest protection management on August 12 offered a buffet to the herd of domestic elephants in the Central Highlands province’s Lak district as part of an event marking World Elephant Day.

VOV.VN - For ethnic groups in the Central Highlands, elephants are great assets that reflect the power of a family and embody the Elephant God, a symbol of luck and prosperity.

VOV.VN - Customs officers at Noi Bai International Airport have recently halted a haul of 11.8 kilograms of rhino horns and 4.7 kilograms of ivory elephant tusks smuggled into Vietnam.

VOV.VN - The five-day Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival concluded on March 14 in the Central Highland region of Dak Lak, leaving a positive impression on both locals and tourists.

The Central Highlands province of Dak Lak will spend more than VND55.4 billion (US$2.2 million) to convert the model of elephant-riding to elephant-friendly tourism.

In Vietnam, elephants are classified as critically endangered in the Vietnam Red Book, and are included in the group with the highest conservation status, whose exploitation for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited. ​

The Sai Gon Zoo and Botanical Garden’s staff and a group of students at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HUTECH) are making eco-friendly paper from elephant dung every weekend.