Reserve to use solar fence for elephants

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BIEN HOA, Vietnam, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Reserve directors say they are installing a solar fence to protect elephants in the Vietnamese province of Dong Nai from conflict with nearby villagers.

The fence, which will be about 18 miles long, will protect the more than 10 elephants living in the approximately 30,000-hectare Natural and Cultural Reserve.

Reserve director Tran Van Mui said the fencing is the first of its kind in the country, but it has been used to great success in India and Cambodia. "The fence system will be completely safe," he said. "It will enable the control of the animals via sharp but safe shocks, sufficiently memorable to prevent repeat offenses."

Elephants have caused damage in the past to nearby crops, trampling cultivated ground and devouring ripe fruits and vegetables, Viet Nam News reported.