Vietnam to reward owners for breeding their elephants

Hanoi - Vietnam is to award owners of female elephants 20,000 dollars for every calf their animals produce to boost the plummeting numbers of pachyderms, an official said Friday.

"This is a part of an elephant conservation project approved last month," said Y Rit Buon Ya, vice director of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department in the central province of Dak Lak and head of its Forest Protection Division.

Under the 60-billion-dong (2.9-million-dollar) project, all domestic elephants are to get a free health checkup once a year.

Owners of any cows who give birth would receive 414 million dong to cover care during the pregnancy, labour and the calf’s infancy.//DPA