Wheels are on their way!

The funding for the new mobile veterinarian vehicle was sent to Chiang Mai University in mid-September. While the vehicle will be put into service as soon as it is ready, the official dedication will be on March 13, 2019. This is Thai Elephant Day and an appropriate (and fun) time to be in Chiang Mai. All directors are invited and we will share pictures, including of the vehicle in service, in our April 2019 Newsletter.

THANK YOU to all who participated in the Tee-shirt campaign as well as otherwise helped raise the funds to make this wish a reality. You are awesome and we can only help people help elephants because you are the ones truly helping!

EREC Bonfire T-shirt Campaign

Benefitting the EREC New Mobile Vet Unit

We are excited to announce a new way to help us purchase a mobile vet truck for Chiang Mai University Vet Department to provide care for the surrounding area's elephants.

Dr. Yeaw performing a blood draw from the ear. Typically blood draws are performed from the ear, but they can also be done on the rear leg while the elephant is standing

Currently they are using one vehicle for 4 veterinarians to make house calls to local elephant camps.  AES would like to provide them with a second vehicle to be shared among the vets and to make sure they have a backup in case one breaks down.  The campaign is set to run for 10 days, from July 15th - July 25th.

We'd like to sell as many t-shirts as we can so please share this campaign with everyone you know and buy a couple shirts for yourself!  This is a special, one-of-a-kind shirt only available for this fundraiser.  It features our logo and the EREC logo in white on a charcoal grey shirt.

Thank you and we will keep everyone posted on the progress via our Facebook page!

https://www.bonfire.com/elephant-mobile-vet-unit-fundraiser

(Left) Dr. Yeaw performing an eye exam

(Right) Dr. Yeaw with a newly collected blood sample

Thailand Trip 2018

Thailand is the country where Linda first landed in her quest to see Asian elephants on their home turf. Over the years, many good relationships and programs have offered the opportunity for AES to collaborate and support efforts benefiting both Asian elephants and the people who care for and about them.

Chiang Mai, one of the northern Thailand tourist destinations, is a good base on visits.  Long-time friend, Julia Ferdinand, domiciled here, is always good logistics support and the all important ‘wheels’. So, too, this trip.

Our first stop is a long drive for a brief, but very good visit, to catch up with John Roberts at The Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation (GTAEF) base at the Anantara Resort, near the Golden Triangle.  Through GTAEF, John offers an excellent and flexible elephant experience opportunity for tourists, while also always alert for programs and efforts to help improve captive elephant care where needed, as well as responding to requests for funding for educational, rescue, and other worthwhile efforts.  AES has collaborated with GTAEF on a few occasions and looks forward to doing more together in the future.

The following day we visit the University of Chiang Mai’s Veterinary School.  Linda is fortunate to know a few of the staff from our conferences and workshops, and she knows the effort they are making toward advances in elephant health care but had never before visited.  After a very good meeting with Drs. Chatchote Thitaram and Chaleamchat Somgird, Dr. Khajohnpat Boonpraseet (“Dr. Yeaw”) takes Linda to Patara Elephant Farm. Linda visited there 10+ years ago when Patara had 4 or 5 well-cared for elephants and great sounding plans.  They almost sounded impossible! But, 2018, and Theerapat (“Pat”) Trungprekan has more than delivered on this promise.

Now 57 elephants strong, with three calves born last year and five expected births this year, Patara is helping to stabilize the Thai elephant population.  At the same time, a great tourist opportunity is offered. Staff is kind and friendly and both know and respect the animals under their care. Linda saw a comment on a tourist industry website that said, “If your trip to Thailand includes one day in Chiang Mai, spend it here.  If not, add a day and spend it here,” and thinks that is some pretty good advice!

The next day, Linda rode along as Dr. Yeaw visited several elephant camps to treat elephants; mostly he is drawing blood to examine the cycling of selected females. First stop is Maetaman Camp.  Over the years, Linda has been here many times. At present, they have 60+ elephants, some owned by camp owner, some are owned by others and brought here to work. Dr. Yeaw does 11 blood draws, all to check the cycles of these breeding-age females.  The work goes smoothly with all but one elephant waiting her turn quietly and all cooperating like real pros. The one exception squeaked when she felt the needle but otherwise was a good girl. Maybe she’s new to the program! All elephants seen were between their late teens and into their 40s.

Next, we visit Rimtan Elephant Camp, a small camp with just a few elephants and did one blood draw.

A bit farther we stopped at Elephant Carer Home: no draws, no elephants in sight.  Just a visit to ‘check in’ and be sure all is good. Then a visit to Elephant Rescue Home where we see 5 elephants: 2 adults and 3 juveniles.  Give a tetanus inoculation to one elephant and looked at an inflamed eye on another.
 

Last stop is Baanchang Elephant Park.  Met the woman owner to treat a female elephant who is bossy and a fighter but picked the wrong gal for her last battle, and besides lots of skinned up places, has a horribly swollen front leg Dr. Yeaw is treating.  They have 54 elephants there and the facilities are quite new, well laid out, decently designed, and look like good materials and construction. And, these elephants get preventative medicine and have veterinarians on the premise.

No visit to Chiang Mai would be complete without a day trip to Lampang to visit with Richard Lair.  An American who has been working in Thailand for more decades than we care to admit at this point, he is a true authority on not only the Asian elephant in Thailand and other Asian countries, but also the Thai history, culture, and language.  We are proud he is an AES adviser.

The last day in Chiang Mai concluded with Dr. Yeaw and Pat, owner of Patera, and Linda at dinner.  It was an excellent meeting and Linda agreed to help the newly forming Thailand Elephant Alliance (the owners of working elephants) which is being set up to both improve camps where needed and to educate the public on good elephant husbandry as well as the history and culture of Thai elephants and their owners/mahouts.  Not sure how she/AES can be of assistance, but we are eager to help where possible.

Mom and calf at Elephantstay

After six days based in Chiang Mai, a last visit to Ayutthaya and the Elephantstay program at the Royal Kraal.  Linda always has a horrible time getting tuk-tuk drivers to get her to the right destination. Finally, Ewa and Michelle explain to her it’s her pronunciation – comes out not meaning anything to the driver (who evidently isn’t good at 20 Questions, but sure tries!).  It was a short visit, but a good time watching the bulls delivering fodder to the ‘elderly ladies’ in the Elephantstay program and the antics of two young calves.

Personal note from Linda:  I always return from any trip to Asia more convinced than ever that Asian Elephant Support has it right.  Concentrating our funding in Asia is without a doubt the best investment we – and our donors – can make. Lots of challenges ahead to get these magnificent animals into the next century, but if we look at ‘challenges’ as opportunities for us to put our commitment and resources toward – and with the support and encouragement of you, our donors and friends – we are confident we can be an important contributor to this effort.  Thank YOU – for helping us help elephants.

In July we will commence a campaign to provide The Center for Excellence in Elephant Research and Education a second vehicle. Stay tuned!

Asian EEHV Working Group

In November 2016, AES president Linda Reifschneider attended the second meeting of the Asian EEHV Working Group, a group of veterinarians, elephant managers, researchers, and mahouts who are committed to providing the best care possible for elephants.  In our February 2017 Newsletter we gave an overview of Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV)  and its devastating impact on Asian elephants, especially young calves, worldwide.

However, we are Asian Elephant Support, and the meeting was an eye-opening but honest wakeup call about how very much needs to be done throughout the Asian range countries to prevent deaths due to EEHV.  There the largest number of Asian elephant calves is born and, tragically, many are dying without proper diagnosis of EEHV, much less the needed equipment, supplies, and training - not just of veterinarians but also of mahouts and owners – to enable them to both identify the disease and be able to initiate treatment in the very narrow window for possible survival.

To this end, AES has made their first commitment of $3,000 to cover the airfare of six participants in a three-day training workshop at Kasetsart University in Thailand.  This laboratory is well-equipped and easily accessible to participants traveling internationally from the range countries.  The workshop will provide training in the molecular diagnostics of EEHV, as well as educating the attendees in sample collecting and planning for EEHV cases.

Polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) machine

The second phase of this project is to support the travel of two or three of the participants from the first training workshop to additional Southeast Asian countries to implement secondary workshops for more wildlife health professionals.  This approach will increase the region’s capacity to continue providing training in EEHV diagnostic techniques, allowing for the training of others in their own labs.  To date, individuals from Kasetsart University (Thailand), National Trust for Nature Conservation (Nepal), and University of Peradeniya (Sri Lanka) are willing to serve as secondary trainers.  They plan on training a total of 15 additional researchers in ten labs in Asia to perform the molecular diagnostics for EEHV.

Only 30,000 to 50,000 Asian elephants remain in the wild, scattered across fragmented habitats in 13 Asian countries.  EEHV is a significant threat to the survival of this vulnerable species.  The formation of the Asian EEHV Working Group together with the National Elephant Herpes Laboratory (NEHL) providing training, chemical reagents, and diagnostic equipment in Southeast Asia – with the collaborative support of AES and other organizations – is a critical step toward successfully confronting this disease in Asian range countries.  Make no mistake; it won’t be easy or quick.  But almost 100 cases have been confirmed in Asia to date, with many more deaths suspected but unconfirmed because of the difficulty of diagnosing EEHV in wild elephants and the lack of testing capacity in the range countries.    After accurate diagnosis in the lab comes training in the field, for owners and mahouts to be able to identify and respond in the small window this disease offers for possible survival.  

Laboratory equipment

AES will continue to help with funding as applicable and possible.  To this end, any supporters who would want to make a gift to AES specifically toward this effort can note on their checks or PayPal donations “EEHV”.  Thank you!

Conservation Education with Think Elephants International

Think Elephants International (TEI) is a non-profit organization that aims to conserve Asian elephants through scientific research and education programs. TEI's founder, Joshua Plotnik, PhD, has been studying elephant cognition for the past few years. Two of his most notable studies scientifically prove that elephants can self-recognize, and are capable of complex cooperation.

Last year, TEI started an after school club for middle school students in New York City that taught students the scientific research process, as well as the importance of environmental conservation. Through the use of Skype, these students saw what life was like for elephants and their mahouts (caretakers) in Thailand. This club also had several guest speakers, and took a field trip to the National Zoo to get an up close and personal experience with the elephants.

Because this was such a success, TEI is looking to expand their program globally. They will especially focus on implementing the program in Thai schools, as young Thais have great potential for conserving their elephants and their environment. These students will get a full understanding of the complex situation that many Asian countries are facing by focusing on topics ranging from culture and language, to perceptions of animal welfare and conservation interests. Through this experience and education, these students will be better prepared to deal with the issues surrounding Thailand and its environment when it is their turn to make the decisions.

AES awarded TEI $2,000 for the purchase of an Apple computer and a television that will be used in Thai schools to help educate students about the importance of elephant conservation. Part of AES's mission statement is to increase awareness of the needs and future of the Asian elephant, as well as to provide educational opportunities to those persons who care for captive Asian elephants in range countries. We are very excited by the potential TEI has to positively shape the future of captive and wild elephants and the people with whom they share land.

For more information regarding TEI, please visit their website at: www.thinkelephants.com.

Update on Flooding at the Royal Kraal

We wanted to provide our loyal supporters with an update on the flooding in Ayuttaya, Thailand where Elephantstay is located. So many animals and people were affected (and too many died) throughout Thailand, and our friends at Elephantstay have suffered substantial flood damage.

We’ve been keeping in contact with Ewa and Michelle who live in Ayuttaya at the Royal Kraal. The flood waters had fully submerged ElephantStay and the Kraal for weeks on end. In an update on November 23rd, we learned the water had receded from inside the Kraal, but it needed to dry before anything further happened and the moms and calves were still stranded on the wall. By the 28th, the moms and calves were in the process of moving back to the Kraal and the Nursery was finally dry, but Elephantstay was not. The office was completely destroyed.

While it is an immense relief that the waters have finally begun to recede, now begins the hard part of rebuilding something that was already so functional and a part of many visitors’ memories. Of course, rebuilding will take time, patience, and a whole lot of money. So, if you’re looking for a way to help, please consider Elephantstay. They will use every penny that’s sent their way.

We would like to send a special thank you to those who have already donated money to help Elephantstay and the Kraal. Your money is being put to good use and is greatly appreciated! Thank you for your support. Together, we are helping lighten the burden this flood has put on the shoulders of the Elephantstay staff.   

Flooding at the Royal Elephant Kraal and New Birth

Field where the elephants used to sleep

In 2010, the Royal Elephant Kraal in Ayutthaya suffered devastating impacts from flooding. Flooding meant evacuation for both people and elephants.

The people who live and work with the elephants moved to wherever they needed to be to provide care.The cost for recovery was high and the work to rebuild was hard.

Elephantstay team hut

On top of the damage from floodwaters, they had to turn away many visitors with the ElephantStay program, so it was devastating on all fronts. Asian Elephant Support collected donations to help the Kraal rebuild.

Elephantstay team hut

2011 was another devastating year.  So many animals and people were affected (and too many died) throughout Thailand, and our friends at Elephantstay suffered substantial flood damage. The flood waters fully submerged ElephantStay and the Kraal for weeks on end. AES helped again with a fundraising campaign.

In the midst of this disaster in 2010 was a reason for celebration. To the delight of many, a baby girl named Sai Chon was born to Pang Pootson. Fortunately, she was healthy and strong. Because the temporary field was not an good place for a baby, Sai Chon and her mom had to walk back to the historic Kraal where the other moms and babies were staying. The road was closed due to flooding, so they had to walk on their own, but with quite an entourage of mahouts and admirers who stopped often to make sure Sai Chon and mom got enough rest.  To see more pictures please follow this link.  

Sai Chon is blessed