Support for Cambodia’s Last Captive Elephants & Their Mahouts

COVID-19 has had far reaching impacts across the world, and Cambodia is no exception. Tourism has been halted for well over a year and as there is no end in sight, Cambodian elephants and their caretakers are feeling the effects. With only 70 captive and 400-600 wild elephants remaining in Cambodia, protecting what is left of the population is the mission of Elephant Livelihood Initiative and Environment Organization (ELIE) and the Elephant Valley Project (EVP), a sanctuary for retired elephants in the Mondulkiri Province. Program manager, Jemma Bullock, and the rest of ELIE and EVP, have been working with the local communities and governments for over 15 years to protect the remaining habitats for the wild elephants, and make sure the captive elephants remain safe and healthy.

ELIE and EVP have historically used ecotourism as a main source of funding for their conservation efforts, community projects (which includes creating jobs and supporting local schools), mobile vet team, and elephant rehabilitation at EVP.

Eco-Tourism funded ELIE & EVP programs prior to 2020.

Unfortunately, like many other camps and sanctuaries across Asia, ecotourism has been eliminated as a source of funding due to the pandemic. Jemma predicts the impact of the pandemic will have far reaching consequences for Cambodia’s elephants, like increased poaching, deforestation, and land sales, since funding for protection of these things will be slim.

Mobile Vet Team treating a community elephant with a leg injury.

Fortunately for the Cambodian elephants and the communities, ELIE and EVP have reached out to AES for much needed aid to continue their efforts with their mobile vet team. ELIE supports the care of 11 elephants currently in the EVP sanctuary, as well as the elephants and mahouts around the whole Mondulkiri Province. Their vet team also responds to wild elephant emergencies and injuries around the province. AES has proudly funded $3,500 to ELIE and EVP to provide the salary for the veterinarian and veterinary assistant for six months, and for six months of medical and emergency elephant supplies.

(L-R) The Mobile Vet Team's Vet Assistant Chan and Vet Heir with an injured community elephant and his owner.

We will continue to update you on the progress of the ELIE and EVP efforts for the Cambodian elephants, both captive and wild. If you would like to support their boots-on-the-ground mission, please donate today.

AES Loves Asian Elephants in Cambodia

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.