An Asian elephant living in the nature preserve. Photo courtesy of AnimalsAsia

ĐÀ NẴNG – A collection of 100 stories shared by community members living in a buffer zone near an elephant protection area in Nông Sơn Commune was used as material in a newly released documentary, which aims to raise awareness about protecting the endangered Asian elephant and other wildlife species in the region.

The film, titled Chung sống (Coexistence), was included in a project on 'Promoting the harmonious coexistence between human and Asian elephants in Nông Sơn Elephant Species and Habitat Conservation Area' started by the HiVOOC company.

The project is supported with funding from LVDI International Incorporated, a tax-exempt public charity in the US that is dedicated to preserving biological diversity on Earth.

Students on a field trip to the elephant conservation area in Nông Sơn. More than 1,000 students participated in community awareness activities for elephant protection and conservation. Photo courtesy of HiVOOC

LVDI coordinator Lê Thị Trang said the project was implemented in the region from 2024 to 2025 and involved more than 200 students and 62 households in field surveys and interviews about living near the endangered elephants.

According to Trang, the project was implemented in the region in response to recent findings that Việt Nam's wild elephant population has declined by approximately 90 per cent over the last 30 years.

Reports from international conservation organisations show that only about 100 individuals are left in isolated groups in the Vietnamese wilderness, Trang said.

“The project, which was jointly implemented with the management board of the Elephant Species and Habitat Conservation Area (now under the Đà Nẵng Special-Use Forest Management Board), aims to raise awareness of elephant protection among local people and school students,” she noted.

“Under the project, information was gathered about livelihoods, main conflicts and collective conservation efforts. Thirty-four representatives from eight buffer zone communes were selected to share 100 stories through photos, voices and documents for the film,” Trang said.

An interview is conducted by LVDI International staff as part of the project. Photo courtesy of Lê Trang

“More than 1,000 school students participated in extracurricular education, and four ‘Wildlife Heroes’ clubs were established with 100 core members for in-depth learning and field trips to the conservation area,” she added.

Trang, who has been working in wildlife protection and conservation in central Việt Nam for decades, noted that the project is seeking an effective solution for sustainable coexistence between humans and elephants.

Đỗ Đang Vũ, from the Đà Nẵng Special-Use Forest Management Board, said: "I believe that educational programmes integrating interactive sessions with forest protection officers are extremely essential for students and local residents to understand the importance of the Elephant Species and Habitat Conservation Area and forest management activities.”

Head of Bình Yên Village in Quế Phước Commune Phạm Đình Đại said: "Villagers create a meaningful connection and mutual understanding between buffer zone residents and forest protection efforts, significantly contributing to the mitigation of potential tensions and conflicts by sharing their stories."

A section of the Asian elephant conservation area in Nông Sơn Commune. A herd of eight endangered elephants was found living in the area. VNS Photo Công Thành

According to a report from the Project on Sustainable Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation in Việt Nam, the project has successfully pivoted to focus on education and communication after identifying another that already covers social conflict assessments, thus avoiding resource duplication.

As for a long-term vision, the project aims to develop a conservation education programme for students, including classroom lessons and nature-based experiences.

The elephant protection area was set up under the United States Agency for International Development-funded Green Annamites Project, assisting Việt Nam’s transition to climate-smart and low-emissions development through improved forest protection, enhanced biodiversity conservation and increased resilience of communities.

With 18,977ha of critical habitat for Asian elephants, the protected area helps conserve one of the last groups of the endangered species in central Việt Nam.

Several recent measures have helped improve livelihoods for locals living in and around the protected area, and biodiversity monitoring has helped raised conservation awareness among residents.

Local rangers reported a herd of eight Asian elephants living in the conservation area, including a mature male, one semi-mature male, three mature females, two semi-mature females and a one-year-old calf. VNS