An exhibition of photos titled "Portraits of Domestic Elephants in Dak Lak" is being held at the Vietnam Museum of Nature in Hanoi. The exhibition runs until September 9, 2023.

The exhibition is a collaboration between the Asian Animal Foundation, the Vietnam Museum of Nature, and Yok Don National Park. It aims to raise awareness of the current status of elephants in Vietnam and to encourage the public to take action to protect the species.

The exhibition features 36 photos of individual elephants still living in Dak Lak

The exhibition features 36 photos of individual elephants still living in Dak Lak province. Each photo is accompanied by a short story about the elephant's life. The stories highlight the diversity of elephants, their unique personalities, and their importance to the people of Dak Lak.

In addition to the photos, the exhibition also features artifacts, models, videos, and educational materials about elephant welfare, specifically: 36 sets of photos, each set with 36 photos and an accompanying story about individual elephants still living in Dak Lak province. The photos capture the moments of the elephants in their daily lives. Each elephant is unique, with its own personality, history, and story.

The Asian Animal Foundation said that through this photo collection, they hope the public will better understand elephants, love elephants, and from there take action to help this endangered species.

Visitors can learn about artifacts related to the process of taming and training domestic elephants from Yok Don National Park; Video presentations about the natural behavior of elephants, elephant rescue missions, the model of elephant-friendly tourism at Yok Don National Park, an introduction to the AAF's technical assistance project to implement the conversion of elephant riding tourism to elephant-friendly tourism in Dak Lak; Educational materials related to elephant welfare from AAF.

At the exhibition, all aspects related to domestic elephants in Dak Lak provide a unique and realistic perspective, such as scenes of elephants being rescued, elephants integrating into the lives of ethnic people, elephants building villages. Not only are they photos, they are also stories. The photos help viewers feel the daily lives of the elephants, their origins, information, and personality.

Children learning about stories of elephants in Dak Lak

Elephants have been a part of the lives of the people of Dak Lak for centuries, and are considered one of the cultural symbols of the region. In the past, Dak Lak was home to a large population of elephants, but due to human activities in recent years, the Dak Lak elephant population - the largest remaining elephant population in Vietnam - has declined significantly.

As of 2023, there are only 36 domestic elephants left in Dak Lak province, with 21 in Buon Don district, 14 in Lak district, and 1 in Krong Ana district. This number is much lower than in the early 1980s, when the province had 502 domestic elephants. There are several reasons for this decline, including the sale of elephants to other provinces, the poaching of elephants for their tusks and tails, the shrinking of elephant habitat, and over-exploitation of elephants.

According to information from the exhibition, the number of domestic elephants in Dak Lak has declined sharply in recent years. The population has fallen from around 502 elephants in the early 1980s to just 36 elephants in 2023. Of these, 14 elephants are in Lak district and 22 elephants are in Buon Don district.

The decline in the number of elephants in Dak Lak is due to a number of factors, including the sale of elephants to other provinces, poaching for their tusks and tails, the shrinking of elephant habitat, and the over-exploitation of elephants.

According to a survey by the Forest Protection Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), there are only three localities in Vietnam where Asian elephants still live: Nghe An, Dak Lak, and Dong Nai province. The Asian elephant population in Vietnam is currently under threat.

As part of the exhibition, the Asian Animal Foundation (AAF) organized a painting workshop for children and parents at the Vietnam Museum of Nature. The workshop was led by artist Do MyLinh (stage name Dinh Kieu Duong), a young graphic designer who uses her paintings to convey humanistic emotions about love and awareness of animal protection.