Last month, during a biodiversity inventory exercise at the Elephant HSCA in Quang Nam province, the USAID Green Annamites team spotted a healthy 9-12 month old elephant calf with four adult elephants. This is the first baby elephant identified since the biodiversity inventory recording in 2017 when USAID supported Quang Nam province to open the Elephant HSCA to conserve critical habitat for one of the last groups of endangered Asian elephants. USAID helps the Elephant HSCA in conducting biodiversity inventories, applying the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) in patrolling, developing a Sustainable Forest Management Plan, raising conservation awareness of the local communities, and helping improve livelihood opportunities for people living in and around this protected area.

So What? The appearance of this calf is a success for Quang Nam province’s Elephant HSCA and demonstrates that there is now more stability in the elephants’ habitat, less exposure to threats or disturbance, and larger food availability.