AES Supports Workshop Focused on Conservation in Myanmar

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!

You Came, You Ate, You Raised Over $14,500 in the Fight Against EEHV

Trunks Up! go to the staff of Your Pie Grant Park & CPK restaurants across the U.S. for their hospitality

On April 25th & 26th, thousands of AES supporters across the United States came out for Pizza for Pachyderms 2023. We had 27 California Pizza Kitchen and the Atlanta, Georgia Your Pie restaurants host us for this event to help raise money in the battle against Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV). 

Young elephant enthusiasts enjoy pizza at CPK Tampa

While we are waiting for additional contributions to come in, our initial calculations indicate we raised over $14,500 to help fund both research and the treatment of elephants with the deadly disease in Asia.

Friends & docents at CPK St. Louis

Help us make it to $15,000!
Donate before May 31st and you can still make an impact on the fight against EEHV.

Click here to donate!

Los Angeles AAZK Chapter members & keepers grab a bite at CPK Burbank

We have so many people to thank for supporting and getting the word out about the event. These friends and organizations worked with us for months in the coordination leading up to this year's event and many have been participating in Pizza for Pachyderms for a decade or more! We are so grateful to everyone involved!

Adrienne Watkins
Annemarie Sandberg 
Anton Morrison
April Yoder
Ben Whitebread
Brent Atkinson
Charley Shepherd
Charlotte Trapman-O'Brien
Christi Reiter
Erin Dowgwillo
Janel Jankowski
Jared North
Jennifer Wu 
Joan Teske
Katrina Wilbanks
Kelly Garner 
Kelsey Eggers
Kim Klein
Laura Garcia
LeShea Cochu
Matt Pron
Maura Davis
Pat Maluy

America's Teaching Zoo, Moorpark College 
Columbus AAZK Chapter
Georgia AAZK Chapter
Greater Baltimore AAZK Chapter
Greater Houston AAZK Chapter
Greater New Jersey AAZK Chapter
High Forest AAZK Chapter
Honolulu Zoo
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens AAZK Chapter 
Los Angeles AAZK Chapter
Milwaukee County Zoo
New Mexico BioPark Society
Rocky Mountain AAZK Chapter
San Antonio AAZK Chapter
Santa Barbara Zoo
St. Louis AAZK Chapter
ZooTampa at Lowry Park

Photos above: Friends, family & colleagues came out in herds across the country to help make Pizza for Pachyderms 2023 a success at CPK restaurants in Hunt Valley, Ventura, Virginia Beach & Albuquerque

AES would also like to express our appreciation for the Staff and Management at all 27 participating California Pizza Kitchen restaurants and Your Pie Grant Park in Atlanta, Georgia. We also would like to acknowledge Carol Flynn, Director of Marketing for California Pizza Kitchen for her continuing efforts to make the process of communicating with so many restaurants so seamless. We thank you all! 

AES Awards Funds from 2022 EEHV Campaign

At the beginning of 2022, the Board of Directors for Asian Elephant Support decided to dedicate all of the funds raised during our annual Pizza for Pachyderms events at California Pizza Kitchen to the fight against Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV) - a deadly disease impacting elephants across the globe and those that care for them. Our goals were to ultimately aid much-needed research of the disease in wild elephant populations as well as assist where we could to save the lives of young elephants in Asia from this virus through medical support.

With Pizza for Pachyderms and various events in locations with no CPK restaurants, like an art class at a Painting with a Twist studio in Buffalo, New York, and efforts from our friends in Memphis, along with individual donations, this campaign generated close to $12,000!

We are pleased to announce, with thanks to the collective efforts of our supporters, we have been able to grant funds to fulfill our original goals. Recipients of funds include:

Center of Elephant and Wildlife Health Animal Hospital - Chiang Mai University in Thailand for their use to diagnose and treat elephants with EEHV - providing antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and supportive medications, as well as blood and plasma transfusion preparation and banking.

Dr. Arun Zachariah in India to continue valuable research into the prevalence of EEHV and the mortality rate associated with the virus in wild populations of Asian elephants.

As the battle against EEHV continues, we hope the funding provided contributes to the overall conservation of the species and learning more about the disease in order to protect elephants in human care and in the wild.

You Came, You Ate, You Helped Elephants!

We'd like to send our unending thanks to everyone who joined us for Pizza for Pachyderms at California Pizza Kitchen last month, benefiting EEHV research and the testing and treatment for the disease in Asia. With the help of our amazing Hosts for each location, Asian Elephant Support raised an astounding $10,360!

To everyone who participated, donated or shared the word about the event: TRUNKS UP!

Special thanks to our Hosts across the country who worked to gather their herds and get over to their California Pizza Kitchen. We literally could not have a successful fundraiser without their support and dedication.

An elephant-sized THANK YOU goes out to the following Hosts!

Alena Lamirato - Littleton, CO
April Yoder - Norfolk/Virginia Beach, VA
Ben Whitebread - Hunt Valley
MD, Brent Atkinson - Atlas Park, NY
Brittany Bishop - Short Hills, NJ
Caitlin Amox * Houston, TX
Charley Shepherd - Jacksonville, FL
Christi Reiter - Tampa, FL
Erin Dowgwillo - Milwaukee, WI
Jennifer Wu - Franklin, TN
Jeremy Wilcheck - Louisville, KY
Kelly Garner - Atlanta, GA
Laura Garcia - Columbus, OH
Lauren Howard - San Diego Area, CA
Linda Reifschneider - St. Louis Area, MO
Lindsey Eagan - Albuquerque, NM
Liz Beem & Tina Torres - Santa Barbara/Ventura, CA
Marissa Hickel - San Antonio, TX
Maura Davis - Denver, CO
Pat Maluy - Los Angeles Area, CA
Rachel Winkler - Sacramento, CA,
Sean Cunningham - Fairfax, VA
Susan Hoss - Orlando, F

And we would like to give a hearty thanks to the American Association of Zoo Keepers and the individual AAZK Chapters that worked hard to help us promote Pizza for Pachyderms!

THANK YOU!

Asia EEHV Meeting - Guwahati, Assam, India

International Seminar on Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus (EEHV)

4th Asia Working Group Meeting

Guwahati, Assam, India

Nov 28-30, 2019

EEHV is a serious and deadly threat facing the global elephant population both in captivity and in the wild specifically to the young. This has prompted the formation of working groups to focus on understanding this disease and working towards treatments and vaccines needed to help save the elephant population. In 2015 the 1st Asian Working Group was formed. This last November, the 4th Asian Working Group held an international seminar on EEHV in Guwahati, Assam, in northeastern India, home to 2/3 of India’s elephants.

AES has been a supporter of fighting EEHV and was proud to be one of the sponsors for this workshop organized by Dr.s Kushal Konwar Sarma of the Faculty of Veterinary Science , AAU Khanapara and Sonja Luz of Wildlife Reserves Singapore. There were representatives from all (but 2 : Sumatra and Cambodia) of the Asian elephant range countries and included presenters from Japan, China and Pakistan. AES also provided funding for three AES grant recipient veterinarians to present about EEHV in their respective countries: Dr. Amir Sadula (Nepal), Dr. Zaw Min Oo (Myanmar) and Dr. Vijitha Perera (Sri Lanka). Unfortunately AES President Linda Reifschneider was unable to attend the conference so AES Secretary Janet Dray represented AES. There was much for Janet to learn there about the projects and people that AES supports as well as the conditions, attitudes and culture differences among the many areas where Asian elephants reside.

The workshop organizers packed each of the three days full of activities that included allowing each region/country to present their status of EEHV and for international scientists to show their latest findings and recommendations on detecting and treating the disease. In addition, the Thailand Task Force presented their findings as well as the forms they use to collect data. One recommendation from the Assam workshop was for India to form its own Task Force.

Other activities included a panel discussion including the Forest Dept. and WWF on Human Elephant Conflict. This is a serious problem in Assam and emphasizes one of the different factors in considering elephant welfare that is not an issue for the Western world. The workshop also included several of Assam’s traditions through formal presentations, receiving a Gamosa (a typical woven cotton with embroidery), music and dance presentations.

The last day of the workshop was a field trip to Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary where in addition to a jeep ride through the reserve to see wild Asian one-horned rhinos, Dr.s Kushal and Parikhit taught the graduate veterinarians about treating elephants at the mahout camp there, including foot car, feces analysis, injections, and reviewing the elephants medical records.

Not only did this workshop fulfill its mission of gathering veterinarians and researchers around Asia (as well as the UK and the USA) to share information on EEHV, it included an incredible place to visit, an amazing opportunity to connect with AES grant recipients from India, Sri Lanka, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Nepal, and an invaluable experience regarding Asian elephants living in their native ranges.

AES is fighting EEHV at the International Seminar on Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus (EEHV)

EEHV is a serious and deadly threat facing the global elephant population both in captivity and in the wild specifically to the young. This has prompted the formation of working groups to focus on understanding this disease and working towards treatments and vaccines needed to help save the elephant population. In 2015 the 1st Asian Working Group was formed. This last November, the 4th Asian Working Group held an international seminar on EEHV in Guwahati, Assam, in northeastern India, home to 2/3 of India’s elephants.

AES has been a supporter of fighting EEHV and was proud to be one of the sponsors for this workshop organized by Dr.s Kushal Konwar Sarma of the Faculty of Veterinary Science , AAU Khanapara and Sonja Luz of Wildlife Reserves Singapore. There were representatives from all (but 2 : Sumatra and Cambodia) of the Asian elephant range countries and included presenters from Japan, China and Pakistan. AES also provided funding for three AES grant recipient veterinarians to present about EEHV in their respective countries: Dr. Amir Sadula (Nepal), Dr. Zaw Min Oo (Myanmar) and Dr. Vijitha Perera (Sri Lanka).

Unfortunately AES President Linda Reifschneider was unable to attend the conference so AES Secretary Janet Dray represented AES. There was much for Janet to learn there about the projects and people that AES supports as well as the conditions, attitudes and culture differences among the many areas where Asian elephants reside.

The workshop organizers packed each of the three days full of activities that included allowing each region/country to present their status of EEHV and for international scientists to show their latest findings and recommendations on detecting and treating the disease. In addition, the Thailand Task Force presented their findings as well as the forms they use to collect data. One recommendation from the Assam workshop was for India to form its own Task Force.

Other activities included a panel discussion with the Forest Dept. and WWF on Human Elephant Conflict. This is a serious problem in Assam and emphasizes one of the different factors in considering elephant welfare that is not an issue for the Western world. The workshop also included several of Assam’s traditions through formal presentations, receiving a Gamosa (a typical woven cotton with embroidery), music and dance presentations.

The last day of the workshop was a field trip to Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary where in addition to a jeep ride through the reserve to see wild Asian one-horned rhinos, Dr.s Kushal and Parikhit taught the graduate veterinarians (some of whom had no elephant field experience) about treating elephants at the mahout camp there, including foot care, feces analysis, injections, and reviewing the elephants medical records.

Not only did this workshop fulfill its mission of gathering veterinarians and researchers around Asia (as well as the UK and the USA) to share information on EEHV, it included an incredible place to visit, an amazing opportunity to connect with AES grant recipients from India, Sri Lanka, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Nepal, and an invaluable experience regarding Asian elephants living in their native ranges.

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.

Polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) machine

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.

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.

Laboratory equipment

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.  

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!