Ekaphone Phouthonesy, Vientiane Times
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.
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