Sumatran Veterinary Seminars

A few months ago, our partners in Sumatra conducted a two-day seminar on elephant health care for final year veterinary students. The first day of the workshop consisted of classroom lectures. The second day of the workshop focused on practical demonstrations and training on patrol elephants from nearby Conservation Response Units. The veterinary students were taught about safety concerns when working with elephants, clinical examination in elephants, drug administration, sample collection, and footcare in elephants. We are grateful for the veterinarians who are committed to educating future generations of wildlife veterinarians!

Students take part in hands-on demonstrations learning aspects of elephant care

Following the Wildlife Ambulance Veterinary Team in Sumatra

We are pleased to provide support for veterinary care of elephants and other wildlife in Sumatra along with our veterinary field partner, the Wildlife Ambulance from the Syiah Kuala University Veterinary Faculty in Aceh province.
 
The Wildlife Ambulance veterinary team spends many hours on the road to reach elephant and other wildlife patients. Recently the Wildlife Ambulance assisted the Aceh provincial conservation agency BKSDA with the rescue and release of a trapped Sun Bear. The adult female Sun Bear was trapped with its right front paw in an illegal rope snare. The animal was sedated and the rope snare was removed. Antiseptic and antibiotic wound treatments were applied locally and systemic antibiotics and analgesics were administered. 

Treatment of rescued Sun Bear

Due to the fact that this case was quickly reported by local people and the bear received immediate medical attention, the snare had not yet caused irreversible damage to the paw of the bear. Therefore, after the treatment and reversal of the sedation the bear was transported to a nearby forest area and released back into the forest.

Removing snare from bear paw

During the past six months, the Wildlife Ambulance Veterinarians conducted over 50 field missions for routine elephant health care, emergency treatments, wildlife rescues, and assisted with postmortem examinations on elephants and other wildlife. Routine health care is provided to more than 70 camp elephants in 12 different locations in the provinces Aceh and Lampung.
 
The Veterinarians also assisted conservation activities such as fitting Satellite GPS collars on wild elephants, wild elephant and sun bear rescues and treatment, as well as supporting rescue and release operations of different primate and bird species in collaboration with other conservation organizations and government agencies.
 
We are grateful for the efforts of the Veterinarians of the Wildlife Ambulance and the Elephant Response Unit field staff who work tirelessly to provide medical care for critically endangered Sumatran elephants and other wildlife. You can help Sumatran elephants and wildlife by donating today! CLICK HERE to donate.

Banana fodder, pineapple meds and primate exam

Training Future Elephant Veterinarians

For several years we have provided support for veterinary care of elephants in Sumatra along with our veterinary field partner, the Wildlife Ambulance from the Syiah Kuala University Veterinary Faculty in Aceh province.
Wildlife Ambulance activities include seminars on elephant health care conducted for veterinary students. During the first day, classroom lectures are conducted, followed by a day of practical demonstration and training with patrol elephants at the Elephant Conservation Center Saree and the Conservation Response Unit Sampoinet in Aceh.

Topics covered include the following:

* Safety precautions when working with elephants
* Clinical examination in elephants
* Drug administration and sample collection elephants
* Foot care in elephants

We are grateful for the efforts of the Veterinarians of the Wildlife Ambulance who work tirelessly to provide medical care for critically endangered Sumatran elephants.

Mobile Veterinary Program: Elephants and Sun Bears too!

The vet program has been quite active especially since the wildlife ambulance has been fully operating since the end of last year. Currently it is providing the veterinary assistance for GPS collaring program for HEC mitigation in Aceh which is run in collaboration with BKSDA and researchers from the University. The first elephant was collared in east Aceh the end of December, the second one in early January in Aceh Besar, and the collaring operation for third one in Aceh Jaya was completed in February.

In early January the wildlife ambulance provided the veterinary assistance for the rescue of an elephant baby of about 6 months of age. This baby had been abandoned: it is unclear if its mother may have been killed or for other reason could not follow its fast moving herd that had been driven in difficult terrain during a conflict situation. The baby had already strolled around in the area observed by local people and become increasingly dehydrated and weak.  It was not possible to reconnect the baby to its herd and it needed fluid therapy, food supplements, and some wound treatments. After initial treatment on site, the baby was transferred to the ECC in Saree and currently is cared for there with assistance from the wildlife ambulance.

The Wildlife ambulance recently also assisted the BKSDA with the rescue of two snared sun bears: one was released directly after it was freed from the snare; due to very serious injuries. The other bear had to be taken to the vet faculty for surgery and remains under treatment at the BKSDA Aceh quarantine facility where the ambulance staff provide regular care.  We are involving our students in this care to give them some hands-on experience with the care of injured wildlife.  We hope that the recovery of this second bear will progress within the next 2 months to a level that will enable us to release this animal back into the wild.

March 2014 Update From the Field

In our January 2014 newsletter, AES announced our 3 year commitment to the

Veterinary Society for Sumatran Wildlife Conservation (VESSWIC). We would like to

share an update on a couple of elephant projects from our VESSWIC partners.

The Sumatran elephant is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature

(IUCN) as critically endangered, but every birth gives us hope for the future of this

species. On January 16, 2014 at the Way Kambas Elephant Conservation Center, the

elephant Mela, gave birth to a healthy male calf weighing approximately 200 pounds.

This was Mela’s second calf.Unfortunately, she attacked and killed her first calf in 2011

immediately after it was born. This time she was a bit nervous, but remained

reasonably calm towards the calf. After a short time she accepted the calf and allowed

it to nurse. Two months later, she has adapted well to her role as a mother and the calf

is doing well.

Back in November 2013, a female calf was rescued from the wild with a serious wire

snare injury to her front left leg. VESSWIC provided the medical supplies for her

treatment and is also providing food and milk supplements. They are happy to report

that the calf, named Yekti, is also doing well.

Human-elephant conflict (HEC) is still a growing problem for both humans and elephant

in Sumatra, Indonesia. In January VESSWIC Elephant Healthcare Program

veterinarians assisted the Nature Conservation Agency and Frankfurt Zoological

Society and fitted two wild elephants with GPS collars. This is part of an HEC

monitoring program that is being conducted in the Bukit Tiga Puluh forest area in the

province of Jambi.

By working together, we can make a difference in the health, welfare, and conservation

of elephants in Asian range countries. AES is proud to support these dedicated

individuals who are working hard every day.

Support for VESSWIC and Elephants Helping Elephants (CRUs)

CRU patrolling Way Kambas boundaries

  History, Geography & Partners in this effort:

 The Veterinary Society for Sumatran Wildlife Conservation (Vesswic) is a registered non-profit organization founded in 2003 by a group of Sumatran veterinarians with a special interest in wildlife medicine and conservation. To legally conduct its activities, Vesswic has signed a MoU (memorandum of understanding) with the national Agency for Forest Protection and Nature Conservation (PHKA), which provides Vesswic the legal authority on behalf of the Government of Indonesia to implement its programs and activities in Sumatra.

Home destroyed by wild elephants in Way Kambas

 This project operates in and around the Way Kambas National Park on the southeastern coast of the Lampung province. Way Kambas National Park is home to about 10% of the remaining 2,000 - 2,500 wild Sumatran elephants. The Way Kambas Elephant Conservation Center (ECC) is currently home to 62 captive elephants. The ECC was established in 1985 with the goal of reducing human-elephant conflict (HEC). Wild elephants were captured from areas of HEC between 1985 and 2000, but the capture program ended in 2000 because the government authorities recognized that the capture strategy did not solve the HEC problem. Unfortunately, the government funds allocated for ECC maintenance and captive elephant care was insufficient and there was no clear strategy for managing these captive elephants. The result was poor management, lack of food and medical attention for the elephants, insufficient staff qualification and training, lack of activity and socialization of the elephants, and ultimately poor condition and sickness in many elephants.

 In 2006, at the request of the Way Kambas National Park, the Veterinary Society for Sumatran Wildlife Conservation (Vesswic), through its Elephant Health Care Program (EHCP) began providing technical and financial assistance to the Way Kambas ECC to improve the health and management of their captive elephants. The program successfully utilizes captive elephants for HEC mitigation and forest patrols. The Conservation Response Unit (CRU) program integrates wild and captive elephants as the forest patrols made by the captive elephants help to protect their wild counterparts. In addition, the captive elephants benefit from interactions with their mahout and the exercise and stimulation of outings into the forest where there is an opportunity to feed on a wide variety of natural food plants. This program also utilizes the mahouts and captive elephants to address HEC mitigation and education. Finally, the mahouts have the opportunity to develop their elephant care skills, to become educated and engaged conservation workers, and to serve their people in resolving conflict.

CRU elephants herding wild elephants out of HEC area

 Since the Way Kambas Conservation Response Unit (CRU) began operating, it has significantly contributed to the reduction of HEC and habitat encroachment. It has improved the health of the captive elephants taking part in this program, and has built the knowledge and skill of the mahouts involved. Therefore, the continuation of these activities is important for both the wild and captive elephants of Way Kambas National Park. External funding is required as Way Kambas National Park and its Elephant Conservation Center are not able to provide sufficient resources to ensure the continuation of this important and successful program.

 Asian Elephant Support is pleased to partner with Vesswic, the Way Kambas National Park, and the Elephant Managers Association (EMA) in this undertaking. Our initial $4,500 donation will help keep the Conservation Response Unit in the field for a few more months. This is an exceptionally well run effort making positive progress for both wild elephant conservation and improved care of captive elephants.

CRU patrolling Way Kambas boundaries

 Going Forward:

 We would like to be a more sustainable supporter of this effort as it is one that is definitely making a difference for both captive and wild Sumatran elephants. In addition, the veterinarian group always needs additional medical supplies and the addition of two portable scales would help immensely in their care for this large number of elephants. Knowing the weight of an elephant is vital for medicating, establishing proper diets, following the progression of pregnancies, and as an alert to possible illness. While weight can be estimated via formulas based usually on shoulder height and chest girth, none are precise for all age groups and estimation inaccuracies can vary greatly, which is not a good scenario when medications need to be prescribed. In addition, weight estimation is time consuming, and with 62 elephants in Way Kambas and other elephant camps for which Vesswic provides care, it is easy to see that this ‘wish list' item is not frivolous!