The wild elephants in Nghe An may have died due to old age and weakness.

On the morning of February 17th, Mr. Pham Duc Thanh, Deputy Head of the Nghe An Forest Protection Department, led a delegation from the department to the scene where the carcass of a wild elephant was discovered in Chau Phong commune (Quy Chau district). "The delegation is tasked with investigating the cause of death of the elephant and handling the next steps," said the leader of the Nghe An Forest Protection Department.

The severely decomposed carcass of a mother elephant was discovered in a forest in Chau Phong commune, Quy Chau district. Photo: CTV

The carcass of this elephant was discovered by local people while they were in the forest the day before. Mr. Le Hai Ly, Vice Chairman of the Quy Chau District People's Committee, said that immediately after receiving the report from the people, he personally led a working group to the scene to inspect it. The group included representatives from the District Police, the District People's Procuracy, the Veterinary Department, and the Forest Protection Department.

"The area where the elephant's carcass was found is deep in the natural forest, about 3km from any residential area. The carcass was lying on a slope, with no unusual signs around it. Trees were not broken or fallen, and there were no signs of trapping or hunting," Mr. Ly said.

According to Mr. Ly, the elephant's carcass was severely decomposed, with only skin, bones, a small amount of flesh on the head, and part of the stomach remaining. Based on this, the team concluded that the elephant had died more than a month ago.

"Currently, we don't have enough information to conclude the cause of the elephant's death. However, in our assessment, we can rule out the possibility of it being killed. According to the village elders, this elephant was about 60 years old, and the average age of Asian elephants in the wild is around that age. We believe the elephant died due to old age and weakness, combined with cold weather and scarce food sources," Mr. Ly said, adding that the baby elephant has not been seen near residential areas recently. Its whereabouts are currently unknown. This baby elephant is also about 30 years old.

According to our investigation, not long ago, the relevant agency sent a photograph of this elephant to elephant experts in Africa to determine its age. However, because the photo taken by the locals was too blurry, the experts were unable to determine its age. According to the village elders in Chau Phong, this female elephant is also over 60 years old. Previously, the elephant herd was quite large, but in the last few decades, only this mother and calf remain.

The mother elephant appeared very thin in recent appearances. Photo: TH

Because this herd lacks male elephants, it is no longer able to thrive. For many years, authorities considered merging them with other herds, but this proved unfeasible. Recently, a mother and baby elephant have frequently come to the residential area to search for food. However, according to locals, the two elephants are quite docile and have never shown any signs of attacking people. "Perhaps food is becoming increasingly scarce in the forest, and they are so hungry that they often come to the village. Once they have eaten their fill, they return to the forest," said a resident living on the edge of the forest who frequently encounters the elephant herd.

The last time this herd of elephants appeared in the residential area was on the evening of December 10, 2022. At that time, the mother elephant was alone. According to residents, this time the mother elephant looked very thin and sluggish. She leisurely went into people's houses searching for food, despite hundreds of people trying to chase her away. Many people approached the elephant, but it still showed signs of fear. After eating her fill, she slowly returned to the forest.