Posted on January, 09 2026

Supported by WWF-Laos, the global positioning system (GPS) collaring activity was carried out in close partnership with the Government of Laos, through the Department of Forestry, together with experienced wildlife veterinarians, representing an important step forward for elephant conservation and management in this ecological landscape and nationally.

The elephant’s collar is fitted with a GPS tracking device to monitor its movements and behavior, and to support conservation and management actions on the ground.

“Elephant collaring in Nam Poui National Protected Area represents a critical milestone in strengthening our long-term, science-based approach to elephant conservation in Lao PDR,” said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Somvang Phimmavong, Director General of the Department of Forestry. “Nam Poui is widely recognized as one of the most important biodiversity conservation areas in the country and along the Annamite landscape. Its fauna, including the wild elephant population, is uniquely Lao, with many endemic species that are found nowhere else in the world.”

He explained that the data generated through this collaring initiative will directly support evidence-based management of this important elephant population, contribute to national planning under the Elephant Action Plan, and help guide future efforts to expand similar initiatives across other key elephant habitats nationwide. “We hope to collar more elephants in the future, and this initial successful achievement in Nam Poui marks an important first and foundational step,” he noted.

“Elephants have long been an integral part of Lao culture and history,” he added. “For centuries, captive-bred elephants have been raised by Lao communities and are deeply connected to our society, traditions, and livelihoods. Protecting elephants therefore means not only conserving a flagship species and its habitat, but also preserving the enduring relationship between people, communities, and nature in Lao PDR.”

Why Elephant Collaring Matters for Conservation

GPS collars allow conservation teams to better understand elephant home ranges, movement patterns and seasonal migration routes. The data also provides valuable insights into how land-use change affects elephant behavior, including how elephants move through and interact with community areas. This information can be used to support more proactive planning for mitigating or responding to human–elephant conflict.

The tracking data also strengthens management and security efforts, enabling partners to plan patrols more effectively and respond more quickly to potential risks, including suspected poaching incidents and emerging conflict situations. Together, these measures support both elephant protection and safer coexistence between people and wildlife.

“By seeing how elephants use the landscape, we can work more proactively with communities and partners to reduce risks for both people and elephants, while strengthening long-term conservation efforts in and around Nam Poui,” said Mr. Sompong Chittavong, Head of the Nam Poui National Protected Area Management Office.

“Elephant collaring will give us practical, real-time information that we have never had before, helping us better understand elephant movements. This data allows our teams to plan patrols more effectively, protect key habitats, strengthen early responses to potential conflict situations, and improve day-to-day management of the protected area,” he added.

Nam Poui: A National Stronghold for Elephants and Biodiversity

Nam Poui National Protected Area, located in Sayaboury Province, is one of the largest national protected areas in Laos, covering 191,200 hectares, and has recently been designated an ASEAN Heritage Park.

In addition to being one of the country’s key remaining strongholds for wild Asian elephants, Nam Poui supports a wide range of other threatened species, including gaur, bears, clouded leopards, and a remnant population of white-handed gibbons. The area is also recognized as having high potential for tiger recovery from neighboring Thailand, underscoring its vital role in national and regional biodiversity conservation.

For more than a decade, WWF-Laos has been supporting elephant conservation in Nam Poui National Protected Area through management planning, biodiversity surveys, land-use planning, law enforcement training, conflict mitigation, patrols, and community awareness.

“This achievement in Nam Poui reflects WWF-Laos’ long-term commitment to securing a future for elephants in Laos,” said Dr. Akchousanh Rasphone, Conservation Director of WWF-Laos. “By combining elephant collaring with other scientific tools and years of on-the-ground conservation, we are strengthening the evidence base needed to guide effective action.”

“By working in partnership with the Government, WWF-Laos aims to build on this effort in Nam Poui and ensure that the data generated through elephant collaring is translated into meaningful conservation outcomes for Asian elephants,” she added.

Why Science-Based Elephant Conservation Is Urgent

Across Southeast Asia and China, only about 8,000–11,000 wild Asian elephants remain, making conservation efforts in Nam Poui and other key elephant strongholds in the region increasingly urgent. In Laos – as in many other countries – habitat loss and degradation, reduced range connectivity, negative interactions with people, and poaching have driven declines in wild elephant populations.

With no comprehensive, up-to-date national population data currently available, recent DNA analysis from Nam Poui, combined with elephant collaring, will provide the first scientific estimate for the population of this key landscape. These findings could help guide similar studies and monitoring efforts in other elephant habitats across Laos. By applying these tools to better understand population size, distribution, and trends, conservation partners can more effectively address the underlying causes of elephant decline. 

Partnerships Behind the Elephant Collaring Effort

The elephant collaring was conducted under the leadership of the Department of Forestry of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, with implementation being carried out in close collaboration with provincial and district forestry offices, and Nam Poui National Protected Area management and patrol teams. Financial support for the collaring was provided by the Wyss Foundation, the principal donor for the overall elephant conservation programme implemented by WWF-Laos.

Technical and veterinary expertise was provided through collaboration with Mahidol University, Thailand; the Zoological Park Organization of Thailand; and the Thai Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. Additional specialist support was provided through Wild MED, a collaborative initiative of the Lao Conservation Trust for Wildlife and the Elephant Conservation Centre. Further in-kind support was provided by Manda Lao Elephant Conservation. Rally for Rangers Project of Mongol Ecology Centre contributed field motorbikes that were essential for team mobility across the challenging terrain during collaring operations.

This multi-institutional collaboration reflects strong partnerships between Lao and Thai government agencies, academic institutions, conservation organizations, and private-sector partners, working together to strengthen long-term elephant conservation and management in the region. 

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Photo credit: © WWF-Laos (The photo used for this press release is restricted and may not be used for any other purpose without prior written permission.)

For media inquiries, contact: bounpone.sookmexay@wwf.org.la
Communications Manager, WWF-Laos

Find out more about our work in Laos: www.wwf.org.la