The Giant Friends Are Now in Hanoi

From September 30th to October 7th, the photo exhibit “Lasts of the Tay Nguyen elephants” is now open to the public at 31 Trang Thi, Hanoi.

Tay Nguyen is known in Vietnam as the region still possessing the largest number of tamed elephants. The indigenous people of the highland have a tradition of capturing and taming young elephants for work and ceremonial purposes. However, since 1985, due to the official ban on capturing wild endangered elephants and the failure of captive breeding, the once over-500 strong herd has now been reduced to a mere 51.

The exhibit is being organized by the Vietnam National library, Now and Then magazine and the authors of Enter Vietnam Group. The obtain pictures for the project, the authors have had to spend months in Tay Nguyen following these big animals and photographing them in their daily life.

The exhibit is said to contain 51 large size images of 51 out of the total 52 tamed elephants currently in the central highland. However, viewers should note that as of opening day, the number of living elephants has further been reduced one more, for Dalat’s Beckham has been brutally slayed a while ago.

Asiatic elephant is listed as an endangered species by UNCN and their number has been greatly dwindling in the past few decades.

Also available at the exhibit is the new book "The Giant Friends". The exhibit will end October 7th in Hanoi but will soon come to Ho Chi Minh city and Danang.