Guardians of the wild: Protecting the great tuskers of Central Highlands

  • Healthy elephants roam freely in the natural forest. Photo: Tuan Anh – VNA
    Healthy elephants roam freely in the natural forest. Photo: Tuan Anh – VNA
  • Elephant caretakers walk many kilometers through the forest with the elephants in search of food and water in temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius. Photo: Tuan Anh – VNA
    Elephant caretakers walk many kilometers through the forest with the elephants in search of food and water in temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius. Photo: Tuan Anh – VNA
  • Healthy elephants are cared for in a controlled natural environment at the center. Photo: Tuan Anh – VNA
    Healthy elephants are cared for in a controlled natural environment at the center. Photo: Tuan Anh – VNA
  • Caring for elephants deep in the forest is demanding work, requiring dedicated people with a special affection for elephants. Photo: Tuan Anh – VNA
    Caring for elephants deep in the forest is demanding work, requiring dedicated people with a special affection for elephants. Photo: Tuan Anh – VNA
  • After more than 10 years working in elephant rescue and care, Cao Xuan Ninh considers the elephants as family members, sharing joys and hardships with them. Photo: Tuan Anh – VNA
    After more than 10 years working in elephant rescue and care, Cao Xuan Ninh considers the elephants as family members, sharing joys and hardships with them. Photo: Tuan Anh – VNA
  • Elephant Jun was rescued by the center in 2015 with severe leg injuries caused by a trap. After undergoing multiple surgeries, the elephant has now recovered and grown healthy and strong. Photo: Tuan Anh – VNA
    Elephant Jun was rescued by the center in 2015 with severe leg injuries caused by a trap. After undergoing multiple surgeries, the elephant has now recovered and grown healthy and strong. Photo: Tuan Anh – VNA
  • An elephant playfully interacts with its caretaker. Photo: Tuan Anh – VNA
    An elephant playfully interacts with its caretaker. Photo: Tuan Anh – VNA
  • Elephant caretakers consider the elephants as members of their own family. Photo: Tuan Anh – VNA
    Elephant caretakers consider the elephants as members of their own family. Photo: Tuan Anh – VNA

VNA Photos

Guardians of the wild: Protecting the great tuskers of Central Highlands
05/16/2026 14:14 | TTXVN
With the domesticated elephant herd in Dak Lak province down to just over 30 and facing decline due to ageing and low reproduction rates, conservation efforts in Buon Don have turned into both a technical challenge and a race to preserve a cherished cultural symbol of the Central Highlands. Amid the scorching dry season in the dipterocarp forests of Buon Don, mahouts from the Dak Lak centre for elephant conservation, wildlife rescue, and forest protection management trek alongside elephants in search of water and food, while tending to their health. Photo: Tuan Anh – VNA

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