AES Supports Workshop Focused on Conservation

With funding from Asian Elephant Support, the Elephant Emergency Response Unit (EERU) in Myanmar under the Myanma Timber Enterprise (MTE) recently held a three-day workshop. EERU staff and MTE veterinarians participated. Delegates listened to presentations from each EERU team, learned about Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV) and forensic wildlife investigations from veterinarians, and learned, hands on, how to build electric fencing to prevent wild elephants from entering cropland as well as how to use cellphones to capture the best photographic evidence. 

Electrical current being tested on a fence designed to prevent crop raiding & Human-Elephant Conflict

Asian Elephant Support is grateful for the EERU teams in Myanmar who patrol and monitor areas to help prevent Human-Elephant Conflict. 

Members of the EERU in Myanmar

You can help AES sponsor workshops just like this one by donating here www.asianelephantsupport.org/donate or via Venmo @asianelephantsupport. Thank you!

Myanmar Vets' to Thailand

Asian Elephant Health and Breeding Management Course in Thailand: Report for Asian Elephant Support

In the online part of the course (22 April to 24 May 2019), we learned about anatomy, physiology, nutrition, endocrinology, ultrasonography, anesthesia, restraint, and breeding and parturition management of Asian elephants.

In June we participated in a 5-day practical course in northern Thailand. The first day (10 June) we had lectures on health care management, endotheliotropic herpes virus, nutrition, plasma transfusion and blood cross match at Chiang Mai University in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

The next days were practical training and demonstrations at the National Elephant Institute in Lampang, and Elephant Rehabilitation center, Pang Lah. On 11 June we had presentations on common health problems, tuberculosis, nutrition, and case studies in Sri Lanka and Thailand. From 12 to 14 June we studied rehabilitation, obesity, welfare, anesthesia, practiced using an elephant-like ultrasonography, semen collection, semen evaluation, estrus detection, reproductive hormone monitoring and calf management after parturition etc.

From this trip, we got the opportunity to hear a lot of elephant information and we got to share knowledge regarding elephant health care management from different regions. Therefore, your support is absolutely effective for us and for taking care of our elephants.

Finally, we would like to express our sincere thanks to Asian Elephant Support for your kind support for our trip. Without your support we could not benefit from this training.

Best regards,

Dr. Moe Win Tun
Dr. Zaw Min Htun

Elephant Veterinarians Sharing Knowledge in Myanmar

In March 2014, Asian Elephant Support (AES) collaborated with other organizations to host the Second Regional Asian Elephant Veterinary Workshop in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. This workshop was hosted by the University of Veterinary Science and the Myanmar Timber Enterprise and was funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Asian Elephant Conservation Fund.

Second Regional Asian Elephant Veterinary Workshop Participants

Workshop participants were veterinarians from around Asia who have field experience in elephant health and medicine. Participants represented several Asian elephant range countries including India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.  Other guest speakers came from Singapore and the United States.  The presentations covered general elephant health issues, disease management, and foot care, while the practical sessions addressed laboratory protocols and wildlife immobilization. In addition, the workshop provided participants with the opportunity to visit several elephant facilities in the area, including the zoo and a working timber camp.  One of the highlights for the participants was the chance to see the sacred white elephants, which are housed in a special pavilion in Nay Pyi Taw.

Bath time at Pinloung timber camp

AES helped host the first regional veterinary workshop in Sumatra, Indonesia, in March 2012. These regional workshops are an important opportunity for elephant veterinarians to network and to share  experience and information. By continuing to provide these educational opportunities and by providing support for medical equipment and supplies in Myanmar, AES is demonstrating our continued commitment to improve the health of wild and captive elephants in Asia. We believe in the power of education. Helping people help elephants is a powerful way to brighten the future of Asian elephants!  If you share our belief that support for educational opportunities is important to maximize learning and communication for veterinarians and other elephant care givers, please consider making a donation today.

Refrigerator donating by AES to store elephant medicine and samples

Waiting for medical check-up at Pinloung timber camp