Elephant gives birth on farm

Residents of Thanh Son Commune, Dinh Quan District on Monday evening saw a herd of elephants entering a cashew farm 20 meters from the jungle.

At around 4 a.m. Tuesday, they heard the loud call of an elephant, presumably of the mother in labor.

On investigation, they saw a calf and its parent following the herd back into the jungle.

Residents found a placenta weighing 30 kilograms (66 pounds) on the farm alongside signs of damage caused by the elephants.

The new calf brings the elephant population in Dong Nai to around 19, according to Dong Nai Forest Protection Department.

Vietnam had around 1,500-2,000 elephants in the wild in th 1990s but the number has dropped to 124-148 in eight of 63 localities in the country.

Human encroachment into forests through the years has robbed the elephants of their natural habitats and main source of food.

In recent years, elephants have been found entering farmland across Dong Nai looking for food.

Dong Nai authorities have installed a 50-km electric fence to protect agricultural areas and plan to build another 20-km section.