During Asian Elephant Awareness Month 2020 AES sent out an eBlast highlighting its recent work in Cambodia:
We at AES have TONS of LOVE for Asian elephants and the people who work with and live among them in their native ranges.
While our previous articles have covered some of our longer relationships in Asian range countries, we wanted to include a new opportunity we have to help elephants and their care givers in Cambodia.
At the beginning of 2020, the Kulen Elephant Forest sanctuary manager, Leanne Wallace, submitted a grant request for funding to translate into Khmer the Elephant Care Manual for Mahouts and Camp Managers co-authored by Preecha Phuangkum, Richard C. Lair, and Taweepoke Angkawanith in 2005. AES was delighted to do this funding as the manual will be an excellent resource for camp managers, mahouts, and possibly attending veterinarians in Cambodia. This 152-page reference includes drawings by Sirikorn Inkom and provides some basic elephant medical and husbandry advice to both mahouts (the daily care givers to the elephants) and the camp managers, in order for them to better assess when a vet needs to be called or be able to handle an issue by themselves.
The first publications were in Thai and English. The English version can also be accessed online including on our website: Elephant Care Manual for Mahouts and Camp Managers. The manual has also been translated into Japanese and Lao. At this writing the Khmer manual is almost complete, having been delayed by COVID-19, and we know this will be a welcomed and valuable tool for those taking care of elephants in Cambodia.
