Preserving Rare Lao Elephants!

Laos: 50 Elephant Festival to be Held in Xayaboury! (30.1.2025)

The festival aims to preserve Laos’ dwindling elephant population, which is at risk of extinction, while inspiring support for their conservation and ensuring their cultural significance endures, Lao national TV reported on Thursday.

Each year, the festival attracts large crowds to Xayaboury, where visitors can witness the majestic elephants, trained and led by their mahouts.

This year, 50 elephants will participate in the festival, reflecting the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

The festival will kick off with a mini-marathon and elephant rides, followed by cultural performances. A street market will offer a variety of products from Laos and beyond.

Yunnan: China Protects Asian Elephants! (13.9.2022)

The Management Bureau of the Reserve said that monitoring data showed that the baby elephants born during the northward journey are growing up and finding independence. In January, another baby elephant was born at the Reserve. Since then, the herd of elephants have moved deep into the forests in Mengyang and are rarely seen.

Chen Fei, Director of the Asian Elephant Research Centre under the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, said that the efforts made by the Chinese government and local residents have served as a vivid example of China’s determination to promote harmony between man and nature, providing a warm-hearted example for global wildlife conservation.

“Helping the herd go home does not signal the end of our efforts. There is still a long way to go to protect Asian elephants and their habitats,” said Chen, adding that Asian elephants have been included in the list of 48 critically endangered species under emergency protection during China’s 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).