A total of 176 elephants from soon to be defunct timber production works within Bago mountain ranges will be moved to Sagaing Region, according to the state-owned Myanmar Timber Enterprise.
About 360 elephants are used in the Bago timber camps with those remaining being put to work in eco-tourism.
Deputy General Manager Aye Cho Thaung from the timber enterprise said 15 elephants were already on their way to Homalin.
Projects have been undertaken to conserve Myanmar’s forests and wildlife, such as the decision to stop felling teak and mahogany in the current fiscal year and put a 10-year ban on timber felling in Bago’s hills.
There also are projects to protect an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 wild elephants as well as increasing research efforts to combat poaching.
Poachers mostly sell elephant parts illegally through black market channels to Chinese and Thai buyers.