"Our happy elephants in my hometown" Exhibition is welcoming visitors from March 15 to April 15, 2023 at Dak Lak Museum.

"What is happiness for Elephants?" by Cao Tien Dung won the first prize
The exhibition is organized by Animals Asia in collaboration with the Buon Don District Youth Council and Dak Lak Museum, in order for visitors to learn about the image of elephants in the Central Highlands culture from the perspectives of children.

Vu Tran Thao Nguyen won the First Prize in Primary School category.
The exhibition displays the winning works in a contest held for young students in Buon Don district in February 2023.
The selected works have recreated the big, mighty elephants that are the symbol of vitality, nature and culture on the majestic highlands.

Students visiting the exhibition at Dak Lak Museum
The painting exhibition introduces an authentic perspective of the students about happy elephants, thereby conveying the message about protecting elephants, raising public awareness on conservation and improving the welfare of Dak Lak domestic elephants by targeting elephant-friendly activities.
According to the Organizing Committee, 30 best works out of more than 210 paintings selected for awards.
The first prize in Primary School category went to Vu Tran Thao Nguyen (9 years old) with the idea "my friends, teachers, young volunteers, rangers together taking care of elephants in the national park of Yok Don”.
First Prize in Secondary School category went to Cao Tien Dung (11 years old) with the work "What is happiness for Elephants? Which conveys the message "What is the real happiness of an elephant? Is it being ridden by humans?”
H'Phuong Linh Eban, a student in Buon Don district, said: "Visitors coming to Buon Don are very excited to see, touch, and even ride on elephants once. But then, I thought: "These friendly and lovely elephants also have the desire to return to the forest, where they freely bath in the cool stream and live a peaceful life with the herd”. My painting titled "The Voice of Heart" was created with a message to everyone to join hands to act in a friendly way with elephants”.
Through this competition, Animals Asia wants to motivate students to actively learn about elephants and understand the important role elephants play in the life and culture of their homeland. From there, promoting the changing of behavior to ensure elephant welfare in the customs, practices, culture, and festivals of the Central Highlands, and conserving the endangered animals.
Currently, Dak Lak only has 37 domestic elephants, which are getting old and weak, while not a single baby elephant has been successfully reproduced in the past 30 years.
|
Earlier on March 5, the awarding ceremony of the painting contest "Our happy elephants " organized by Animals Asia and Buon Don District Youth Council took place at the Festival Cultural Center of Buon Don district. The contest launched on the occasion of Youth Month, the Elephant Festival and the Traditional Cultural Festival of Ethnic Minorities in Buon Don district, which received the participation of students from 14 primary schools and 8 secondary schools in the district. With the theme "Our happy elephants", students are encouraged to learn and create about activities with elephants in the festivals, culture, customs and habits of the Central Highlands (e.g. health offerings for elephants), as well as customary laws, folklore, visual arts, etc., in which elephants must be shown to be treated humanely, without being mistreated, not being forced to perform behaviors that are not natural for elephants such as soccer, parade, elephant circus, elephant racing, painting or transporting passengers, etc. Artworks were accompanied by clear messages on the equal and harmonious relationship between elephants and humans; supporting traditional elephant-friendly practices and criticizing behaviors that threaten elephant welfare. |
Kim Bao