Elephant Deaths Spark Security Boost

Somsack Pongkhao, Vientiane Times
March 27, 2009

Local authorities will beef up village security forces to protect wild elephants from poaching in Phou Khaokhouay, or ‘Buffalo Horn Mountain’,National Protected Area after five elephants were shot dead a few weeks ago. Villagers said two of the five elephants died in Ban Na in Thaphabath district of Borikhamxay province.The remainder, including a juvenile, were found inBan Yangkheua in the same district. Ban Na, located 82km south of Vientiane, relies heavily on tourism income derived from its pachyderms. The town boasts an elephant observation tower which has proven popular with visitors wanting to see elephants in their natural environment.

While the motivation for the killing has yet to be proven,officials suspect commercial motives. Poachers usually kill elephants for their valuable
body parts, namely tusks,trunks, teeth and tails. Deputy Head of Phou Khaokhuay National Protected Area, Mr That Keothone, said authorities were still analysing the bullets for clues.

“We are encouraging people in the 10 villages living nearby the protected area to be our ‘eyes and ears’, as well as to report strange sightings or incidents to authorities immediately,” he said. Yesterday, district authorities met with residents of the 10 villages to discuss preventive measures as well
as how to boost villagers’ participation in the rotection of elephants from
poaching.

Head of tour guides at Ban Na, Mr Bounthanom Inthilath, said Thaphabath district’s Agriculture, Forestry and Tourism Office had issued a notice barring villagers from interfering with the elephant remains.


“Those who interfere with the dead elephants will be considered to have been associated with the crime,” he said. “At the meeting we agreed to add extra village security force patrols to protect the conservation area. The reason is because village security men know a lot about the protected
area.”


People in Ban Na say the elephants are their most important source of income, and losing them would mean hardship for many. Mr Bounthanom said the villagers had been earning income from tourists coming to watch wild elephants since the opening of the elephant observation tower in April,
2005.


Villagers benefited from domestic and overseas visitors who spent money on homestay accommodation, tower entry fees, village tour guides, food and the purchase of handmade products and souvenirs from the village.

Mr Bounthanom said last year the village earned about 100 million kip from
tourists coming to see the elephants. “More tourists now want to see the elephants, but my concern is that if elephants are scared of poachers, they won’t come to the tower and finally no tourists will come here. All of us will be affected,” he said.

It was unclear how many wild elephants there are in Phou Khaokhouay, but Mr Bounthanom said about 40 elephants were reported in 2005.

Meanwhile, officials said one elephant was also reported killed in Phou Phanang National Protected Area. They called for urgent attention
from the relevant sectors to address the issue.

Domesticated elephants poached for ivory

Ingrid Suter, ElefantAsia
10 September 2008
Alarming reports as Laos’ endangered elephants are being poached for the illegal ivory trade.
News of elephant poaching has been reported from Laos’ north-west province Sayaboury. In two separate incidences a total of five elephants were found dead with bullets to their head and feet. Occurring in May and August of 2008 both cases are believed to be linked. All five of the dead elephants were male and had their tusks extracted from their heads by the poachers. Some of the elephants were found to have also had their tails removed. Three of the deceased elephants were privately owned and two were from wild populations. Alarmingly this is the first time domesticated elephants have been reported as being poached for the ivory trade in Laos. District and provincial authorities are taking the matter very seriously.

With less than 1000 wild and 560 domesticated elephants remaining in Laos, poaching is a very serious threat to the entire elephant population. The interrelationship between wild and domestic elephants is still very strong in Laos, with poaching directly affecting the survival of both populations.

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Baby Elephant died a sudden death in Luang Prabang

Som Neuk, the nearly 4 year old rescued Baby Elephant which was living in Luang Prabang “Elephant XL Camp” died a very sudden death on Saturday, 15 March. The Elephant died “probably due to incorrect medication” given about 10 days ago, the examining veterinary
surgeon Mr. Krisda Luangka (formerly of Thai Elephant Conservation Center – Chiang Mai) said today in an interview. According to his preliminary autopsy information the young Elephant died from internal bleeding and intoxication. The liver was destroyed and a natural cause of death seems very unlikely. The veterinarian and the camp management are waiting for final test results from the laboratory in Thailand.
The young and vital elephant was freed from an uncertain future last year and brought into the sanctuary to be raised with other elephants in a natural setting. The “Elephant Park Project” members and owner wished to give this baby elephant a brighter future without being taken for hard and brutal logging work in the forests of Laos!
Ten days before his death the young elephant was examined by a delegation from the non-profit
organisation ElefantAsia and a French veterinarian. According to their information the elephant
was sick and medication was given. Immediately after the death on 15. March, the same
veterinarian was called and visited the dead animal. The police and tourism authority officials
present during the visit can attest that the veterinarian from ElefantAsia only performed a visual
examination of Som Neuk, not enough for a professional diagnosis. Nevertheless, ElefantAsia
asserted the elephant died of “weakness and diarrhoea”. The findings of Mr. Krisda Luangka
from Thailand show that this is unlikely.
As elephants in Laos slowly vanish it is vital to keep the younger offspring healthy and provide
professional care. As younger elephants are getting more difficult to breed and raise to
adulthood this loss is tragic. Providing medical care is one of the main objectives of the
“Elephant park project” and “Elephant XL Camp” in Luang Prabang. This small but needless
accident shows us that constant and professional health care for elephants in Laos still needs
improvement, further supervision, and perhaps further international support.
All persons and organisations involved regret the death of the young Som Neuk!

Tourists seen as a lifeline for Laos elephants

By Thin Lei Win, Reuters

April 1, 2008

VIENTIANE (Reuters Life!) - Laos, once known as the Land of a Million Elephants, faces warnings from conservationists that it could lose its herds within 50 years if it does not move quickly to protect them with tourism eyed as a possible savior.

Poaching and habitat loss from logging, agriculture and hydroelectric projects has caused a major decline in the number of both wild and domesticated Asian elephants in Communist Laos.

ElefantAsia, a France-based non-profit organization, estimates the number of domesticated elephants, who are used mainly in the logging industry, has fallen 25 percent in the past five years to 560 with only 46 cows under the age of 20 left.

It estimates there are less than 1,000 elephants left in the wild where there are only two births to every 10 deaths.

"(The situation is) critical," Sebastien Duffillot, co-founder of ElefantAsia, told Reuters. "Destruction of habitat has huge impact on wild elephant groups. Domesticated elephants are overworked in logging and thus do not reproduce."

The World Wide Fund for Nature estimates as few as 25,000 wild and 15,000 captive Asian elephants may be left in the 12 countries where they live

To read the full story click on the blog title

Elephants In Laos Rapidly Disappearing

Elephants In Laos Rapidly Disappearing

DENIS D. GRAY, The Associated Press

March 21, 2008

VIENTIANE, Laos - Connie Speight has swayed on elephant-back through unforgiving jungle and has adopted nine of the high-maintenance beasts. At 83, the retired American teacher is back in this Southeast Asian country to help save what remains of the once mighty herds.

Once so famous for its herds that it was called Prathet Lane Xane, or Land of a Million Elephants, Laos is thought to have only 700 left in the wild.

"Lots of people in Asia tell you how elephants are their proud national heritage," Speight said. "But I tell them, 'It was your heritage, and what are you doing to bring it back?' Often precious little."

Elephants in Laos are better off than in most of the 12 other nations that are home to the animals. The country has extensive forest cover and a sparse population. But like elsewhere, it's a race against time. Poachers, dam builders, loggers and farmers are taking a deadly toll on the endangered species.

"The situation will become very dramatic in about 10 years if nothing changes," said Sebastien Duffillot, co-founder of France-based ElefantAsia. At their current rate of decline, Laos' wild elephants could be extinct within 50 years, he warns.

To read the full story click on the blog title

Another elephant killed in Borikhamxay

Ekaphone Phouthonesy, Vientiane Times

June 2007

The protection of endangered wild elephants in Borikhamxay province will eventually become impossible if illegal hunters of the giant animals are not arrested, provincial officials have warned.

According to a report from the Borikhamxay Agriculture and Forestry Department, another elephant was killed in April in the Namkading National Protected Area, bringing the number of elephant killings in the province since 2006 to three.

There are now thought to be just five elephants remaining in this protected area.

A police officer working in the economics unit in Bolikhan district, Mr Sysouphan Lorvanxay, who is involved in the investigation of the latest elephant killing, said the hunters had taken the elephant's tusks, toenails and various organs that are valuable because they are used in some traditional medicines.

He said the investigation team had talked to villagers who said they heard a series of gunshots coming from the area before they arrived on the scene to find the dead elephant. The hunters had apparently used firearms to shoot the animal in the head.

Mr Sysouphan confirmed that the previous two cases involved elephants killed using the same technique, and they were continuing to investigate, as these killings were illegal under the country's forestry laws.

The Deputy Director of the Namkading National Protected Area, Mr Manisengphet Phakhounthong, told Vientiane Times this week that, until now, police had been unable to find the people responsible for illegal wildlife hunting.

“It is going to become ever more difficult to protect these wild animals if we cannot arrest the perpetrators of these acts,” Mr Manisengphet said. “To stop the illegal hunting of wild elephants, the search for those who are responsible must become more urgent.”

He said forestry officials were concerned about the continued hunting of endangered wildlife in protected areas, which would have a negative impact both on the animal population and on the forest itself.

“Wildlife is crucial for the survival of the forest, as they help to balance the eco-system,” he said.

He said that elephants were on the list of protected wild animals along with tigers, and forestry officials were determined to find the hunters and punish them.

He said forestry officials were cooperating with various international NGOs to launch a campaign in nearby villages, to help locals understand the importance of wildlife. If people are more aware of how many wild animals are endangered and what impact this is having on the forests, this might encourage them to play more of a role in protecting the animals.

But this is a slow process, Mr Manisengphet said, because in the past villagers have had problems with elephants damaging their crops and are generally not concerned if they are killed.

He confirmed that forestry officials were increasing their patrols and inspection measures in the protected areas to reduce the opportunity for wildlife hunters to kill endangered animals.

But, he said, this would not solve the problem completely, as it was not limited to the protected areas. For instance, one of the main problems was that people were continuing to consume wildlife in various forms, giving illegal hunters more of a reason to continue killing endangered species.

Discouraging locals from buying or eating wildlife was part of the awareness-raising campaign in nearby areas, Mr Manisengphet said.

Laos losing its iconic elephant. Birth rates are plunging due to lost habitat and gruelling work. Can eco-tourism help?

FRANK ZELLER, Agence France-Presse

MArch 14, 2007

HONGSA, LAOS -- The elephant population of Laos is shrinking fast, a decline ecologists blame on habitat loss and a trend all too familiar to many humans -- too much work, not enough play.

Ancient Laos was known as Lan Xang, the "Land of One Million Elephants" but today fewer than 2,000 of the animals survive and about half of them are driving the problem by helping log the country's last virgin forests.

Birth rates have plummeted as wild populations have been isolated and domesticated elephants often spend eight hours a day in remote logging camps, leaving them exhausted and far from potential mates.

For the full story click on the blog title

Environmentalists in the poor Southeast Asian country are trying to reverse the trend before it is too late, pinning their hopes on eco-tourism and revitalizing the elephant's ancient sacred role in Lao culture.

To raise awareness about the plight of the majestic animals, France-based non-profit group ElefantAsia last month organized modern Laos' first elephant festival in the remote northwestern district of Hongsa. The event featured colourful elephant parades, skills demonstrations and religious rituals in which Buddhist monks performed rites for the pachyderms traditionally honoured for their strength, spirit and intelligence.