From today, February 10, the herd of six elephants was officially "liberated" from carrying tourists. According to Dak Lak September 2 Import-Export Company Limited, the elephant rides will be replaced by new tourism products associated with the unique ecosystem of "Buon Don Island Village". The Central Highlands province of Dak Lak is projected to spend more than 2.2 million USD to convert the model of elephant-riding to elephant-friendly tourism in Buon Don and Lak districts. The project is scheduled to be conducted from November 2022 to December 2026 with sponsorship of the Animal Asia Foundation. Statistics of the Dak Lak Centre for Elephant Conservation, Animal Rescue and Forest Protection Management show that, from 2009 to 2021, 22 elephants in the province died due to different reasons. Dak Lak currently has 37 elephants in Lak and Buon Don districts./.