Elephant skeletons displayed at Vietnam national park to raise conservation awareness

Pu Mat National Park, which includes a 94,804-hectare core area and an 86,000-hectare buffer zone spanning Tuong Duong, Con Cuong, and Anh Son Districts, is a biodiversity hotspot which is home to many rare and endangered species.

In 2024, two wild elephants were found dead in the forest of Chau Khe Commune in Con Cuong District.

Authorities found no signs of human or animal attacks, suggesting the deaths were due to natural aging.

Amid the significant challenges in protecting wild elephant herds, Pu Mat National Park proposed preserving the skeletons as educational specimens and this request was later approved by relevant agencies, said park director Le Anh Tuan.

The elephant remains were buried in sand to accelerate decomposition, then treated with special chemicals for cleaning.

After nearly a year of preparation, the two fully articulated skeletons are now displayed at the entrance of the park.

Each was carefully arranged to retain its natural anatomical structure, from ribcage to tailbones.

Nghe An is currently home to only 13-15 wild elephants, mostly located in Pu Mat National Park in Con Cuong District and the Pu Hoat Nature Reserve in Que Phong District.

Most of these elephants are elderly, with limited reproductive capacity.

Experts warned that without urgent conservation measures, the wild elephant population in Nghe An could face extinction in the foreseeable future.