This British man devotes his life to elephants in Vietnam’s Dak Lak

In the golden light of late September at Yok Don, footsteps echoed along forest trails carpeted with dry leaves.

For hours, a group trekked patiently through the wilderness on a field trip in search of domestic elephants scattered across the vast woodlands.

Among them was Hockley, a British welfare expert who has made Dak Lak his home.

Accompanying him were veterinarians, staff from the Dak Lak Elephant Conservation, Animal Rescue and Forest Protection Management Center, and local mahouts.

Their backpacks carried medicine, equipment, and supplementary food.

Each time an elephant was found, the veterinarians examined it, Hockley recorded behavior, and the mahouts held the animal steady for vaccinations.

The mission lasted four days across Buon Don and Lak, which are home to the province’s largest herds of elephants.

Nearly 60, with graying hair and sun-darkened skin, Hockley brings more than 35 years of experience working with elephants across Asia and Africa.

“I’ve seen elephants treated as tools, pulling logs or carrying tourists until exhaustion. They have memory, emotions, and deserve to live by their instincts,” he said.

Four years ago, when Dak Lak partnered with AAF to end elephant-riding tourism, Hockley answered the call to come to Vietnam.

For him, living and working with elephants in Yok Don was “a dream come true.”

Hockley is not one to stay behind a desk; instead, he throws himself into the forest to vaccinate and treat elephants, establish nutrition plans, and work side by side with veterinary teams.

He shares international expertise while training mahouts, encouraging them to shift from controlling elephants to caring for them in humane ways.

“Ryan works directly and points out problems clearly, but he always respects local culture. He’s willing to climb hills and cross rivers with us, so people call him ‘the foreigner for elephants,’” said Nguyen Dai Bang, a staff member at the conservation center.

Beyond his work, Hockley has immersed himself in Buon Don’s cultural life, where elephants have been companions of the Ede and M’nong ethnic communities for centuries.

“I want to listen and share, so we can find solutions that keep elephants happy while ensuring livelihoods for local people,” he explained.

Dak Lak currently manages 35 domestic elephants, the largest herd in Vietnam, though the number is declining.

From 2022 to 2026, the province is carrying out a project to transition from elephant riding to elephant-friendly tourism, with a budget of more than VND55 billion (US$2.1 million), most of it funded by AAF.

The project replaces rides with experiences such as walking with elephants in the forest, observing them bathe and feed, taking photos, and listening to mahouts’ stories.

So far, 14 elephants have had their living conditions improved, while 11 have been integrated into non-riding models.

Facilities such as mud baths, nutritional supplements, and regular medical care have been put in place.

Training for mahouts, community awareness campaigns, and international partnerships are also underway.

Still, challenges remain since most elephants are over 40 years old, with low reproductive ability.

Shrinking habitats and human-elephant conflicts persist, while project implementation has been slowed by lengthy approval processes and hesitation among elephant owners concerned about income stability.

“These obstacles need urgent solutions, or the project’s future could be at risk,” Hockley admitted.

On the final evening of the field trip, Hockley stood quietly, watching elephants roam freely under the forest canopy.

As sunlight slanted through the leafless branches, casting a golden glow across their broad backs, he murmured softly: “This is the greatest reward of all.”

Yet he remains optimistic: “International visitors increasingly value animal welfare. If Dak Lak develops friendly models, it could become one of Vietnam’s most unique destinations.”