The locals living near the forests in Dong Nai province are sleepless at night, lighting fires to prevent elephants from entering residential quarters.

According to the provincial forest rangers’ unit, there are 11 elephants living in the forests belonging to the Dong Nai Natural and Cultural Reserve.

Ten years ago, the group of elephants was believed to total 20 members, but some of them have died of unknown reasons. Autopsy reports showed that planted fruits and crops were found in the dead elephants’ stomachs, so there was a possibility that the elephants were poisoned.

Meanwhile, locals all said that they have not tried to kill the elephants, because elephants are a sacred animal in their eyes.

However, their lives have been disturbed regularly by elephants over the last few years. They enter residential quarters, devastating cashew, mango and sugar cane fields and damaging houses.

“A fierce battle between human and elephants has broken out,” commented Tran Van Mui, director of the Dong Nai Natural and Cultural Reserve. “As elephants’ habitats have been damaged, they have been trying to attack people.”

According to the Vinh Cuu district People’s Committee, local residents have to prepare every night to drive elephants away if they come to residential quarters.

“In 2013 and the first nine months of 2014 alone, the elephants came 300 times, damaging 100 hectares of sugar cane, 60 hectares of cassava, 50 hectares of cashew and mango,” a local official said.

Local residents began asking for help to protect themselves from the elephants some years ago, but the project on supervising elephants in Dong Nai province was only recently approved.

Ton Ha Quoc Dung from the Dong Nai Forest Rangers’ Unit, said the project began soon after it got approval.

The most important component is the installment of an electronic barrier to prevent elephants from entering residential quarters.

This includes 20 kilometers of fixed fence and 10 kilometers of roving fence to be located in the forest area in two communes of Ma Da and Phu Ly of Vinh Cuu district.

The barrier would operate with solar energy or electricity from the 220V national grid. It would be designed in a way to just frighten animals, but not kill them.

Le Viet Dung said it would be better to move and resettle people from the reserve area. However, that would be too costly.