Elephant Freedom in Vietnam

Recently, on a golden, sunny afternoon in the forest of southern Vietnam, Kham Phanh, H’Blu and Ja Tuc were having a little disagreement. 

Kham Phanh and H’Blu had been enjoying a calm and companionable few hours foraging in the undergrowth and hanging out together, as they’ve enjoyed in their close friendship for years. Now, Ja Tuc ambled over to say hello and H’Blu was clearly not impressed that this upstart elephant was muscling in on some private time she’d been enjoying with her very best friend. At nearly 70 years of age H’Blu decided to make her position clear and, after a few pointed but gentle nudges with her head, Ja Tuc got the message, moved away and resumed her foraging in another part of the forest. Order was restored and H’Blu was happy!

Although harmony didn’t quite reign that afternoon, it was an indescribable feeling to witness such “normal” behaviour that had been denied theses elephant for decades before. All three had been exploited for riding tourism and logging for virtually the whole of their lives and now, thanks to the Dak Lak authorities, the Lien Son Lak Commune, and our Animals Asia team, they are finally free in the forest to enjoy their own choices and simply do elephant things.

Joining our team for the most wonderful event “Happy Elephant Footprints” – supporting the transition from elephant riding to elephant-friendly tourism in Dak Lak Province – we stood alongside over 400 people, including government representatives, the local community, media, school children, tour operators and elephant owners in a festival celebrating welfare and conservation. 

The central theme of the day was a simple truth: that elephants are not built to carry people on their backs.

In one of the opening speeches at the festival, Ms. Sam Thi Van, Head of the Cultural Department under Lien Son Lak Commune People’s Committee, emphasised that the leadership of the People’s Committee were promoting clear and practical objectives: 

• To raise community awareness about elephant conservation and welfare
• To promote the transition toward elephant-friendly tourism models without riding
• To introduce and promote the unique cultural values and community-based tourism of the locality

Emphasising that every elephant deserves to live in a natural environment, to be properly cared for, and to live healthy and happy lives.

At Animals Asia, we’ve been proudly working alongside Dak Lak Province on elephant conservation since 2016 and since 2018 – together with our partners – we began piloting an ethical tourism model at Yok Don National Park, transitioning multiple elephants from riding to truly elephant-friendly experiences.

Partners for change

Our partners – pictured above – include elephant owners, tourism companies, the Elephant Conservation Centre, Yok Don National Park and other government departments:

• Ms. Sam Thi Van – Lien Son Lak Government
• Mr Nguyen Son Hung – Head of the Tourism Management Division, Dak Lak Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Secretary General of Dak Lak Tourism Association
• Mr Nguyen Duc, Director of Lak Lak Forest Management Board, Dak Lak Provincial Government
• Mr Y Tho Mlo – (Speaker) Deputy Head of the Culture and social Affairs Division, People’s Committee of Lien Son Lak Commune, Elephant Conservation Centre, Yok Don National Park.

In these eight years since, we’ve seen elephants living more naturally, we’ve seen visitors responding with enthusiasm and empathy and, just as importantly, we’ve seen that this model can continue to sustain local livelihoods.

Midway through the festival, a short film was shown featuring a former elephant owner telling his own story. Mr Y Khu, spoke of chaining his elephant, Ta Nuon, of allowing tourists to ride her, and of his ultimate decision to surrender the same elephant to the freedom of the forest. To walk without chains, and without tourists perched precariously on her back. 

If ever there was an example of a win-win outcome, this was it.

Later in the day, from a safe and respectful distance in the forest, where the elephant choices are their own – and where not a single touch of their bodies or intrusion of their space is allowed – we watched these majestic pachyderms foraging, bathing, and simply living, as they should.

Around them, their mahouts – Y Thong, Y Gai, Y Jin , Y Hot, Y Khu, Y Grong, Y Nhat – now employed to walk beside them to the end of their days, were gently guiding them to fresh foraging areas, to cool lakes and to a world of freedom that supports animals and people alike. While still part of a tourism experience supporting local communities, here the elephants’ choice is king, with visitors connecting and learning about the species in ways that are both respectful and kind.

With deepest gratitude to our most remarkable team working at the very heart of welfare and conservation in Vietnam, outcomes such as this can be truly celebrated as work continues to bring the last elephants from their most unnatural past of riding tourism, to the most natural path of them all – the forest.

Because in the end, if elephants are healthier and more at ease, everyone benefits – the animals, the community and the future of tourism itself.