Illegal ivory in containers at Cát Lái Port in HCM City. Surveys recently carried out at 852 retail outlets in 13 locations and 60 individual sellers on 17 online platforms in Việt Nam found more than 10,500 ivory items for sale, demonstrating the persistence of the ivory retail market. — VNA/VNS Photo Hoàng HảiViet Nam News HCM CITY — Illegal ivory is widely available at physical and online retail outlets throughout Việt Nam, according to a new TRAFFIC report published with support from USAID.The study, “From tusk to trinket: persistent illegal ivory markets in Việt Nam,” documents surveys recently carried out at 852 retail outlets in 13 locations and 60 individual sellers on 17 online platforms.Although selling ivory is illegal in Việt Nam, researchers found more than 10,500 items for sale, demonstrating the persistence of the ivory retail market.But the report also found that retailers are often transitory.Although ivory was found in all 13 locations, its sale appeared to highly transitory in nature: repeat visits found that 43 per cent of retail outlets observed with ivory had only just began to sell, stopped selling or simply closed over the course of the survey. The comparable figure for online retailers was…

Over two surveys conducted between November 2016 and June 2017, TRAFFIC’s researchers found more than 10,000 ivory items being offered on sale across 852 physical outlets and 17 online platforms, suggesting an ivory market that has continued to thrive over the past few decades.Physical retail stores in Ho Chi Minh City and Buon Ma Thuot had the highest number of ivory items for sale, the surveys found, but two villages, Ban Don and Lak, had a disproportionately high number of items on sale compared to the number of stores. Among the online platforms, social media sites had the highest number of posts offering ivory for sale.The ivory markets in Vietnam are, however, changing constantly. TRAFFIC’s researchers not only found ivory for sale in places where previous studies had found none, they also observed shifts in markets within their two surveys, over just an eight-month period.The surveyors also found that the sellers were aware that selling ivory was illegal, but “it does not deter them from offering it openly for sale in Vietnam,” they said.Vietnam’s illegal ivory markets are still thriving, according to a new report by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network.Over two surveys conducted between November 2016 and June…

The study, “From tusk to trinket: persistent illegal ivory markets in Viet Nam,” documents surveys recently carried out at 852 retail outlets in 13 locations and 60 individual sellers on 17 online platforms.Although selling ivory is illegal in Vietnam, researchers found more than 10,500 items for sale, demonstrating the persistence of the ivory retail market.But the report also found that retailers are often transitory.Although ivory was found in all 13 locations, its sale appeared to highly transitory in nature: repeat visits found that 43 per cent of retail outlets observed with ivory had only just began to sell, stopped selling or simply closed over the course of the survey. The comparable figure for online retailers was 86 per cent.There are clear links between Vietnam’s physical ivory markets and online outlets, the report said.The survey found retail outlets expanding their networks to sell ivory items online and vice versa.In eight instances, online sellers were either linked to physical stores or physical stores were also selling their items on social media websites, e-commerce websites or online forums.Tourists, particularly from China, are significant buyers.Chinese nationals were reported as buyers by multiple sellers, and tourist villages emerged as particularly significant retailers of ivory.Prices were…

Illustrative image (Source: dantri) Dong Nai (VNA) – Wild elephants have been upsetting local people in Dinh Quan district, in the southern province of Dong Nai, by destroying their homes and crops, causing serious economic losses. According to statistics from the district’s forest protection station, forest elephants have visited Thanh Son commune on dozens of occasions, destroying large areas of mango, banana, and cashew nut farms. A number of guard stations and temporary housing for local people were also pulled down by the elephants. Vice head of the station Nguyen Van Chieu said the 14 wild elephants were divided into two or three groups with three to eight individuals each group, often travelling to hamlet 5, Thanh Son commune to find food and water in ponds and lakes in the area. Some local residents have coordinated with the station’s staff to chase away the elephants and protect them from harm by other less empathetic residents. In order to prevent conflicts between elephants and local people, the provincial forest protection department recently built a 50-km electric fence system worth 74 billion VND (3.18 million USD) to separate natural forests from farming areas. The department has proposed to build an additional 20km…

A man’s body has been found crushed to death outside his pineapple storage hut near Khao Ang Ruenai Wildlife sanctuary, in central Thailand.Wild elephants – notorious for coming down the mountain to the village in search of food – are suspected of having dragged the man from his hut and stamping him to death to get access to his pineapples.Police and park officials were informed by a villager that he had heard elephants as they entered the village and then a man shouting in fear. The incident happened on Sunday night.73 year old Ek Homhuan’s body was discovered 20 metres from his small hut, where he decided to sleep to guard his crop against thieves, both human and animal. Police found evidence at the scene which indicated elephants may have pulled Ek from the hut using their trunks.Examination of the body found severe bruising all over and that his skull had been crushed. His body has now been sent to Tha Takiab Hospital for a full autopsy.Reports vary but say that two to three elephants could have been responsible for the attack, but had returned to the sanctuary after feeding.Please credit and share this article with others using this link:https://thethaiger.com/news/national/wild-elephants-drag-elderly-man-from-pineapple-hut-and-trample-him-to-death

The event is a traditional cultural activity of local people to improve the community’s awareness of conservation of home elephants and promoting the traditional cultural values ​​of ethnic people, contributing to promote local tourism. It saw the participation of 10 elephants. A number of traditional rituals were presented to audiences such as wharf offering, elephants’ health offering, performance of hunting and taming wild elephants, elephant marching, elephant race, and elephant football games.Addressing at the event, Vice Chairman of the Dak Lak provincial People’s Committee Vo Van Canh said that the province has the largest elephant population in Vietnam with the number of 43. Annually, the province organizes the festival to demonstrate local ethnic minority people’s skills in hunting and taming wild elephants.The 7th Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival under the theme “The Quintessence of Jungle” is taking place from March 9th to 16th. With famous brand and geographical indication, Buon Ma Thuot coffee has been sold across over 60 countries and territories worldwide, contributing significantly to the country’s total coffee export, which hit nearly 1.9 million tonnes worth over USD3.5 billion in 2018./.Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://en.dangcongsan.vn/culture/buon-don-elephant-festival-2019-in-dak-lak-province-516104.html

The elephant plays an important and symbolic role in the cultural life of the M’Nong ethnic people. They consider elephants as members of their community. Many M’Nong families use rituals as an opportunity to thank the gods and pray for the health of the elephants. For the local people of the district, elephants are considered their greatest assets and are gifts from the Jade Emperor. A shaman, a respected religious person with profound knowledge of M’Nong customs, goes to families, who have elephants to perform a ceremony to pray for the health and obedience of the animals. The offerings include wine, steamed rice, bottles of water, and pork. The ceremony is also accompanied by a gong performance. This unique ritual typically captures the attention of both local people and tourists during the 7th Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival which is held in Dak Lak province. Girls wearing traditional outfits perform a M’Nong ethnic dance. The local ethnic customs are kept alive in order to preserve the traditions of the ethnic people and to entertain tourists. The Gong performance in particular proves popular among visitors. The elephant plays an important and symbolic role in the cultural life of the M’Nong ethnic…

A budget of Bt1.74 billion has been set aside in 2019 to protect farmers against damage to their rice and a further Bt212.8 million for damage to their maize grain, which the farmers grow commercially for livestock animals' feed industry, said Natthaporn Chatusripitak, spokesman for the deputy prime minister in charge of the economy. The insurance schemes have also been set up to provide two tiers of coverage, tier 1 for a basic insurance policy and tier 2 for a more comprehensive option, which caters both to those willing to pay more for greater protection and to those taking out insurance for the first time. Besides the usual cover for flood, drought, storms/typhoons, cold weather/frost, and fire, the insurance schemes would now also cover damages caused by wild elephants’ intrusion, Natthaporn said.Wild elephants have been a menace for decades to people living near forest zones across Thailand, with numerous cases of invasion of farms and houses. The issue of wild elephants intruding on to farmland has been severe in recent years. Many cases have made headlines, including one incident in Nakhon Si Thammarat province last month, in which 7-8 wild elephants from Khao Luang forest destroyed orchards in tambon Kha…

A Buddhist monk was trampled to death by a herd of wild elephants at a spiritual retreat - after refusing to move his tent.Phra Prapop Chanphaikhor had been spending 19 nights in the jungle contemplating religious teachings.The 25-year-old ad almost successfully reached the end of the period of seclusion.But he defied warnings from local elephant trackers that there were wild bulls approaching the area and he refused to move his tent for the last two nights of his retreat.He told them that he enjoyed the "peaceful atmosphere" and refused to leave - even though locals had warned him was meditating in the middle of a route often used by the herds.Tragically, Prapop was found dead with broken ribs, arms, and legs near his meditation tent at the palm plantation in Chachoengsao, central Thailand last Wednesday morning.The village leader Somjit Sathuchard was the first who found the dead the body of the monk lying in the wrecked plantation. It had been dragged 15 metres from his tent.Rescue workers took his body to Tha Takiab Hospital, where doctors said he had been dead for at least six hours, which suggests he was trampled in the early hours of the morning.Village leader Somjit…

Top 5 Miss Universe 2018 H’Hen Nie has posed in a new photoshoot of designer Do Manh Cuong featuring the beautiful landscape and elephants of her hometown in the Central Highlands. The Mix and Match is a collection of vibrant colours, from the hot pink to the flowery patterns, and H’Hen Nie helped enliven the photoshoot as she posed with the elephants. Designer Do Manh Cuong also used a varied colour scheme and different types of fabrics including tweed, feathers, chiffon and lace. The colours and fabrics are skillfully mixed together to make the outfits even more eye-catching. Checkered and mix patterns, new puffed skirt, tight pleats, romantic dress, trench coat and merengue dress all exist together in harmony. H’Hen Nie has been named among Vietnam’s 50 most influential women in 2019 in a ranking released by business magazine Forbes Vietnam on March 4. She is Miss Universe Vietnam 2017 and made the top 5 of Miss Universe 2018 in Thailand last December. Some photos of the collection: H’Hen Nie poses with elephantsPlease credit and share this article with others using this link:https://www.vietnambreakingnews.com/2019/03/hhen-nie-poses-with-elephants-in-new-collection-photoshoot/