Vietnam ranks among the top 15 countries in terms of animal extinction rate, with 47 species vanishing on an annual basis. Among the exploited species are familiar names, such as Indochinese tiger, or less well-known ones like black-crested gibbons.  Elephants, unfortunately, are no exception to this problem. A recent survey conducted by National Geographic found that the number of elephants in Vietnam has reduced to a considerable sum in the last two decades, from 2000 animals residing throughout the country in 1980 to a devasting 100 in 2006 (which means it can be significantly lower now). This alarming occurrence has rung a bell upon the current state of affair in which animals, not exclusive to elephants, are severely exploited for socio-economic purposes, which requires everyone to take actions to prevent this trend from continuing.

Elephants benefit Vietnamese society in various ways. To begin with, elephant is well-known for their friendship values. As a result of their high intellectual ability and complex consciousness, they have been able to establish a proficient level of understanding and employ gesture to respond to that interactions. This function aids them in acquainting themselves with the local people and surrounding. No doubt for centuries, they have been not only the farmer?s company during their painstaking agricultural process but also a part of many village kid?s childhood. Elephants also contain cultural, socio-economic and ecological functions. In many regions, this animal is reported to exhibit deep and genuine respect for the owners whom they share the lands with, which indicates cultural significance. Elephants are also utilized to promote cultural values in various festivals, such as Hue festival, Cong Chieng festival in Tay Nguyen. Regarding socio-economic values, elephants is no doubt a tourism magnet that allows funding which helps protect wilderness areas and other purposes. In terms of ecological functions, elephants are a keystone species, playing an important role towards maintaining the biodiversity of the ecosystem in which they inhabit. Elephants also help hydrating various plants in harsh habitats in the summer by using their tusk to dig or spray water to provide water supply, which is indeed a tremendously helpful function in tropical countries such as Vietnam.

Cong Chieng Festival – Retrieved from http://cand.com.vn/van-hoa/Khai-mac-Festival-Cong-chieng-Quoc-te-nam-2009-tai-Gia-Lai-84151/

Despite these benefits, elephants are still sacrificed in exchange of economic and industrial purposes, including illegal hunting for tusks, and exploitation of habitat for land expansion. The consequences of these actions are severe and devasting.  The number of elephants is reported to be rare and scattered in recent years, with elephants inhabiting in isolated numbers throughout the countries. Worse still, Dak Lak, an eco-tourist city in Vietnam, even has to resort to purchasing Thai elephants to sustain its economy in tourism as a consequence of the complete disappearance of elephants. Other minor consequences are associated with this current trend, such as gender and ecosystem imbalance.

However, this is not to state that Vietnamese community has turned a blind eye to this matter. In fact, several attempts and proposals have been put forward. Dak Lak Province established the Elephant Conservation Center of Dak Lak Province. In 2013, the province approved a plan to work to protect elephants through 2020 with the use of VND85 billion (US$3.95 million) in funding. Vietnamese government has also taken actions in response to this calamity by approving a number of resolutions and projects aimed at protecting elephants, including a national project to protect elephants. The Viet Nam Forest Administration has also been carrying out an emergency plan to protect elephants and improve the capacity to prevent elephant tusk trading through 2020. However, the proposing methods are either short-term or ineffective, which calls attention to the public awareness and actions.

With this said, the time is now ripe for people to take a deep, hard look at this matter at hand and start doing taking actions to prevent further losses. An effective way to prevent further losses is to encourage people to give up using tusk-produced materials. The action will lead to a considerable decrease in the sale of such items, which will eventually discourage the hunters of the incentive of illegal hunting. Another method is to strengthen international protections against wildlife trafficking. Not only world leaders but local people have to demonstrate their commitment to ending all elephants ivory poaching. Only when this practice is taken into account would we be able to stop, if not, postpone further damage on the disappearance of elephants.

Elephants play a vital part towards our everyday lives. However, if no actions and input have to be done to halt this severe trend, elephants are prone to further decreases or even complete extinction.