After a monumentally successful fundraiser - thanks to you, AES's amazing community of supporters - and being able to fully fund the salary for a second veterinarian, February and March saw the doctors with Chiang Mai University’s Center of Elephant and Wildlife Research Mobile Veterinary Clinic continuing their mission of providing veterinary care to Asian elephants all over Thailand. Using the AES donated van, the tireless veterinarians were able to traverse all sorts of terrain, including crossing a waterway to reach a remote forest village (Facebook users: click here to see the CMU van in action).
Their travels took them to the western border with Myanmar, and with the help of the Thai Elephant Alliance Association (TEAA), led by President Therrapat Trungprakan, the CMU van took a 6 hour drive, for the third time in a month, to help a 9 year old female elephant suffering from mouth burns. The elephant was roaming loosely, around a farm at night, away from her owner, and got into some bottles of farming chemicals. As elephants do, the elephant put those chemicals in her mouth, causing chemical burns. Thankfully the elephant, with guidance and help from the veterinarians, the TEAA team and the dedication of her owners and caretakers, was able to fully recover.
Photo courtesy of TEAA: Touching photo of an elephant owner, grateful for the care provided by the CMU Mobile Vet Clinic and TEAA
Specifically travelling to the districts of Om Koi, Mae La Mad and Ta Song Yang, Drs. Siripat and Khajohnpat, along with the CMU Elephant and Wildlife Research team, provided education to local elephant owners and villagers on the importance of wild elephants living in their natural forests. Up until this point, these areas did not have any issues with human-elephant conflict, however there are now conflicts among elephant owners and farmers where elephants are getting into local corn farmers’ plantations. The veterinarians also discussed elephant management, disease and ways to medically treat elephants. While in these remote areas educating, the doctors also visited and treated several sick elephants.
Dr. Siripat and the team with the CMU Mobile Vet Clinic providing essential education and tools to owners and caretakers
AES couldn’t be more proud to see the elephant success stories and the education Dr. Khajohnpat and Dr. Siripat are providing communities across Thailand.