Plans are being made to establish elephant outposts to protect wild elephants in Mandalay Region, said Daw Mya Thida of the Wildlife Conservation Society.
“We are discussing ways to stop the killing of wild elephants. These outposts will be installed at the end of the rainy season,” she said.
The outposts for the protection of wild elephants will be set up in Thabeikkyin and Singu townships.
“We submitted detailed information to the regional minister, such as the number of workers and outposts needed,” an official from the regional Forest Department said.
The proposal included the construction of six outposts that would be supported by villagers in the areas.
“Forestry police will be stationed at these outposts. They will have to patrol the forest besides guarding the outposts,” the official said.
There are already outposts aimed at protecting wild elephants in Yangon, Ayeyarwady and Bago regions, and initial data showed that the number of wild elephants killed in these forests has been reduced since the outposts were set up.
The society said that poachers have apparently moved their operations to Mandalay since the outposts were set up in the three regions.
It said wild elephants had been killed in Mandalay from March to July.
