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.   

Dart Gun for ElephantAsia

ElefantAsia is a French nonprofit organization working with and for elephants in Lao PDR, a historical range country of the Asian elephant. Founded in 2001, and hosted by the National Animal Health Center in Vientiane since 2006, the base of their work is in the Sayaboury Province of Laos. ElefantAsia runs a mobile clinic that travels all over the country to help captive elephants that are in need of help. Many of the emergency calls are related to uncontrollable musth bull elephantsthat have broken their chains and are dangerous not only to themselves but to people as well. Owners and local authorities will call the ElefantAsia team to help calm down the elephant so that it can be taken back to areas safe for villagers. With only one sedative gun (kept in the Sayaboury province), the ElefantAsia team can’t always offer a timely response to elephant owners facing such problems in other parts of Laos.

In July 2011, Asian Elephant Support donated $1500 toward the purchase of a second dart gun for the Vientiane-based elephant mobile clinic, thus aiding ElefantAsia in their efforts to help both the elephants and people who live with and among elephants in the country of Laos.

For more information about ElefantAsia, visit their website at: http://www.elefantasia.org

2011 EMA Conference

AES sponsors Richard Lair as keynote speaker at the 2011 Elephant Managers Association Conference (Rochester, NY)

Asian Elephant Support was pleased to be able to sponsor Richard Lair's attendance as keynote speaker at the 2011 Elephant Managers Association (EMA) Conference in Rochester, NY, in October. Linda, Sharon and April were in attendance at the conference and Gretchen was able to visit with him in Seattle after the conference.

Richard Lair is a world famous expert and conservationist who has had an exciting and diverse career working with and writing about elephants in Thailand. He is a native Californian and has lived and worked with Asian elephants for 34 years, 31 of which were in Thailand. He moved to Thailand in 1980 and volunteered with the Association for the Conservation of Wildlife, the country’s first conservation organization.

In 1988 he wrote the first scientific paper on the numbers and status of Thai domesticated elephants, pointing out the new threats facing a greatly diminished population. In 1997 he wrote “Gone Astray: The Care and Management of the Asian Elephant in Domesticity” for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and this publication remains the definitive text on domesticated elephant in Southeast Asia. In 2005 he edited and coauthored an “Elephant Care Manual for Mahouts and Camp Managers.” His next project will be a review of Thai law on both wild and domesticated elephants, including possible directions for the future.

For twelve years he worked at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center (TECC) as an advisor. In 1993 he founded, trained and managed the Second Unit elephants for a Walt Disney film, “Operation Dumbo Drop.” He also worked on Oliver Stone's "Alexander" as safety and animal welfare officer. He was the first person to train elephants paint in Thailand and is cofounder and co-director of the one and only, world renowned, Thai Elephant Orchestra. The Orchestra has just released its third and final CD entitled "Water Music."

Richard's travel and speaking engagements kept him very busy on this trip, and we are grateful to Richard for sharing his knowledge and experience with so many other elephant professionals.

Justin Smith, Linda Reifschneider, Richard Lair and Jenni Bowman with elephants Jewell and Zina at the Little Rock Zoo

After spending a couple of days with friends in San Francisco recuperating from the long flight from Lampang, Thailand, Richard's first stop was Little Rock, Arkansas and it started out a little ‘rocky'. Due to bad weather in Houston, Texas, his flight to Little Rock on Thursday night was cancelled. The next flight out was not leaving until 8:00am Friday morning. Unfortunately, he was supposed to speak at the Little Rock Zoo at 7:30am Friday morning at a breakfast presentation for Zoo donors and volunteers. However, in the end everything worked out. April filled in for Richard at the breakfast and Richard arrived safely later that morning. We spent about an hour and a half at the Zoo's elephant barn talking with the staff and meeting the two resident elephants, Zina and Jewell. Then it was off to lunch with a couple of the professors from the University of Arkansas Little Rock before his speech at the University. His speech was written for an audience of elephant professionals, so he modified it slightly for the students. He talked a little about his background and the elephants in Thailand, but focused on how he combined his love of art with his love of science. His point for the students was to not limit themselves and to find something they are truly passionate about.

Richard Lair presents at University of Arkansas, Little Rock

Later we met Linda, our foundation President, back at the Zoo and took a tour of the rest of the zoo. Then it was off to the Riddle's Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary (www.elephantsancutary.org) to visit with Scott and Heidi Riddle. After a good visit with the Riddles, Richard and Linda flew to Orlando for a day's visit to Ringling's Center for Elephant Conservation, whose motto is: "Endangered Species? Not if We Can Help It." It was a privilege to meet with both old and new friends at the CEC and we greatly appreciate everything they have done for Asian elephant conservation and research over the years.

Richard presenting at EMA

Next, it was off to Rochester, New York. The staff and volunteers at the Seneca Park Zoo did a fabulous job hosting the 32nd Elephant Managers Association conference. There were approximately 110 participants from around the world and everyone enjoyed Richard's keynote speech. It was fascinating to hear about his journey through life and how he ended up working with the elephants of Thailand for 31 years.

Richard then traveled to the west coast to present at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, and to catch up with some old friends. The Woodland Park Zoo were gracious hosts and set up a very nice event, complete with an elegant reception with appetizers and beverages. Richard gave an engaging presentation about his experiences with elephants, and focused primarily on the situation of elephants in Thailand, where he has been living for over 30 years. Gretchen and her husband had worked for Richard in Thailand for 6 months and hadn't seen him for 2 years, so they were excited to meet up with him at the event. Richard then went on to visit other friends and family in Montana and California before returning to Thailand.

International Elephant & Rhino Conservation and Research Symposium

Our foundation President presented at the 2011 International Elephant & Rhino Conservation and Research Symposium, hosted by The Rotterdam Zoo and the International Elephant Foundation, 10 - 14 October 2011.

This was my first European International Elephant Foundation (IEF) Symposium and the first time I participated in a symposium that included both elephant and rhino conservation and research papers. The Symposium began the day after the Elephant Managers Association Conference (EMA) in Rochester, New York, so I missed the last day of the EMA activities and had to hit the ground running in Rotterdam.

There were approximately 115 participants from 16 countries and featured 4 days of papers, a total of 58 presentations in all. The papers were equally divided among elephant and rhino papers, except for the second day, which consisted of a half-day of papers and half-day workshop on the endotheliotropic elephant herpes virus (EEHV). Black rhinos are the endearing creatures that convinced me to do my first volunteer travel more than 15 years ago. I didn't believe the poaching situation could possibly be any more horrific than what is happening to elephants in Africa today. I was wrong. This year, African rhinos are being poached at the rate of one every 20 hours and the methods used to take the horns have become more barbaric with technologic advances. For more details on rhino conservation, I recommend visiting these websites:
Save the Rhino (www.savetherino.org)
International Rhino Foundation (www.rhinos-irf.org)

Linda Reifschneider and Dr. Arun Zachariah

As always, I was impressed and honored to be among such a talented and dedicated group of wildlife champions. One of AES' colleagues in Asia, Dr. Arun Zachariah, gave a riveting presentation on the EEHV in elephants in Southern India. He has documented 15 cases of EEHV in young elephants representing both the captive and free ranging Asian elephant populations. This extremely important research project is a collaboration between researchers from the viral oncology program at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, the National Elephant Herpes Virus Laboratory at the Smithsonian Zoo (both in the U.S.) and the Wildlife Disease Research Laboratory in Kerala, India. This is the first report of EEHV infections in free ranging elephants, which highlights the need to study EEHV diseases in the world's largest population of Asian elephants. While finding cases of EEHV would not be considered good news, the importance of knowing what is happening regarding potential diseases cannot be understated. There can be no hope of victory if we do not know the enemy! We are grateful for the work Dr. Arun and his colleagues are doing and we are thankful AES has been able to fund a portion of his work (see our Project page, Emerging Diseases and Conservation in India).

Asian Elephant Support also gave a presentation about our mission, goals, and ongoing collaborations to benefit Asian elephants. We received positive feedback from elephant scientists, veterinarians, field researchers, and elephant managers and, as a result, our supporters can be assured that their financial contributions are being put to work most efficiently and effectively. You are making a difference! I thank you and I hope you will continue your support for Asian Elephant Support. The coming year promises to be another difficult year for Asian elephants and they will need all the help we can give them.

Bona Update

We are pleased to announce a positive report after checking in on Bona.

Dr. Christopher Stremme recently visited Seblat Camp, home of the little elephant orphan Bona, and reports she is healthy, active and alert, but a bit too thin. So, Dr. Stremme has instructed her supplemental feedings be increased from two to three a day.

Others are also helping with the cost of these supplements, but we have made a commitment to Bona and we continue to be there for her if needed.

Bona, the orphaned calf

Bona upon arrival

Bona is an orphaned female calf who wandered into Seblat Camp in early April, 2011. The previous week, three wild elephants were found dead in one of the neighboring plantations. The presumption is that the calf's mother may have been one of them. It's not known whether the little calf was drawn to the camp because she sensed elephants there or if it was just a matter of taking a lucky turn as she traveled through the jungle.

Bona 2 months later

Just being in camp with an experienced veterinarian and mahouts does not assure survival for such a young elephant. This little calf is estimated to be between six and eight months of age, which means she is still very dependent on mother's milk. Initially, the mahouts and the camp veterinarian, Dr. Yanti, made several attempts to feed different milk formulas (from human milk powder formulas) but all these attempts resulted in diarrhea.

Bona helping herself to her food supplement

So, the milk formulas were discontinued and replaced with a feeding of palm sugar diluted with water, which did no result in diarrhea. However, the sugar water (for additional calories and fluids) along with the solids the calf was already able to eat and digest were not providing the high energy diet a calf of that age would still be receiving from its mother's milk. Thus, a food supplement consisting of rice, soy beans, palm sugar, coconut and small amounts of milk powder was created for the calf.

After a few trials, Bona started to eat the food supplement without developing diarrhea. As you can see, she must have a good appetite as she decided to serve herself right from the cooking pot!

Dr. Christopher Stremme feeding Bona

Bona continues to eat this food supplement and in order to nurture this calf to a healthy weight, this formula (or some variation of it) may be needed for some time.

Asian Elephant Support has transferred an initial $1,350 to Vesswic for these foodstuffs, but with a monthly cost of a bit more than $200 per month for the ingredients for the supplement, our initial gift won't keep the kitchen open for very long.

AES is making a commitment to assist in giving this brave and lucky little girl the opportunity of life that was almost lost along with her mother. We will be there for her continuing needs, and if you could help us with a donation at this time, it would be most appreciated.

2011 Annual Board Meeting

Our board held its annual meeting today in Portland Oregon, which is where Director Sharon Glaeser does elephant research. We thank the Oregon Zoo for offering the use of a meeting room. Director April Yoder gave a presentation on the palm oil crisis, and we spent a lovely afternoon in the elephant barn thanks to the fabulous elephant staff and their magnificent group of elephants. In our photo, April enjoys a reunion with the elephants that she had cared for over many years.

Domain Change

Asian Elephant Support has changed its domain provider from GoDaddy to Namecheap.

Portable Scales for VESSWIC

In 2010 our Board voted to purchase two portable scales for Vesswic’s use in caring for elephants in the Way Kambas ECC and other camps in Sumatra. We are happy to announce that they finally made it to Sumatra. One of  directors,  April Yoder, recently travelled to Sumatra and had the honor of delivering  the scales in person. (Please note that all travel expenses are paid with personal funding and not the foundation.)  

With the addition of two portable scales, VESSWIC veterinarians will now be able to accurately calculate dosages for medication and better monitor the general health of the elephants in the Elephant Conservation Centers.  With an animal as large as an elephant, it can be difficult to visualize weight lost until they have lost a significant amount.  Knowing the baseline weight of an elephant and being able to accurately determine weight on a regular basis can help the VESSWIC veterinarians detect possible health issues much sooner. Also, several babies have been born and it is critical to be able to monitor their weight as they grow to ensure they are healthy.  

The first place we used one of the scales was the EEC in Tangkahan. The mahouts fashioned a platform and each elephant in the camp calmly walked onto the platform to be weighed.  The elephants with calves were a little more challenging. Of course, the babies wanted to stay under mom so it took some coxing to get them to stand next to her, but not on the platform, so we could get her accurate weight.  

Often the weights are calculated by doing field measurements. However, because the results can vary depending on age groups it is not always accurate. To help better understand the correlation between actual weights and field measurements, measurements were also taken on each elephant at the same time.

California Pizza Kitchen Fundraiser

A GREAT TASTING AND FUN FUNDRAISER

Asian Elephant Support held its first fundraising event at the California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) in Chesterfield, MO. Since that's our president's home turf and she organized the event, we'll let Linda share the day:

"When I first looked at the marketing bits about doing such a fundraiser with California Pizza Kitchen, the examples they gave were entire school events netting several thousand dollars. That I knew we weren't! But with fundraising being difficult for a newer nonprofit and especially in this economy, I decided to make the inquiry.

To sum it up: a delightful day! The managers at CPK were most helpful....and I think a bit amazed and sympathetic as I arrived at 10:30 a.m. and left shortly before 10 p.m., after our last supporting diners were served their dinner (they even sent me home with a complimentary piece of a wonderful chocolate cake!). But I wanted to greet everyone who made the effort to come out and support us and, honestly, from 11 a.m. until almost 3 p.m., I was delighted to see several smiling familiar faces come through the door. Then I had a chance for me to grab a late lunch and the early diners, led by my mom, her friend and my sister, started arriving shortly after 4 p.m. From family to friends and friends of family and friends - including the entire Grant's Farm elephant barn staff and friends - at the end of the day, Asian Elephant Support had added some much needed funds to its bank account, and the support, friendship was a wonderful and greatly appreciated vote of confidence.

Thank you Jean for thinking of taking pictures for me. Next year I will remember my camera. Yes, next April there will be the Second Annual CPK Fundraiser Asian Elephant Support, and I'm already spinning some ideas to make it an even more enjoyable event!

Thank you to each and every one of you who made this a very special day!"

Update from Sumatra: veterinary work, calves born to Olive and Yuni

Our latest update from Sumatra is a testimony to the scope of happenings one encounters when working for and with Asian elephants.

Collaboration and learning are keywords in our campaign to help both captive and wild Asian elephants. In the past couple of months, Christopher’s group hosted Dr. Satya P. G. Bhalla, who is a veterinarian from Corbett Tiger Reserve.  Dr. Bhalla came to volunteer and guest lecture to the veterinary faculty in Banda Aceh about conservation medicine and veterinary needs in his national park.  Dr. Sonja Luz, a wildlife veterinarian from Singapore, who works on many conservation projects in south Asia and Africa, was also a guest lecturer addressing conservation medicine, reptile husbandry and medical care.  

Facilitating the exchange of information and knowledge is an important part of improving our care of not only Asian elephants but all wildlife, and we certainly appreciate their extra effort in this direction.

Unfortunately, not all AES news is as positive and encouraging. Several weeks ago, a morning began with the call that’s never wanted:  Edi, one of the elephants at ECC Holiday Resort, was found dead.  Christopher rushed to perform a necropsy, but the cause of death was not clearly revealed, so now we wait for the results from the lab.  Prompt necropsies help us learn and expand our knowledge for ever-improving care. None the less, it is never easy to lose an elephant, especially when it is sudden and unexpected.  We share in their loss.

In the beginning of December an emergency call came in from Aceh, as one of the male elephants in musth had attacked and seriously injured its mahout.  The elephant was out of control, attacking people and cars on the main road. A standing sedation had to be administered from a distance using a blow pipe.  The elephant’s long tusks were trimmed for safety and he was secured with a 20’ chain to a tree with easy access to food and water.  Until he is no longer in musth, the elephant will still be restrained in the forest and looked after by the mahouts. His mahouts will move his location daily by luring him with bananas so that the chain can be removed and he is then relocated to an area with fresh fodder.

Tusk trim on sedated bull

Were it not for the vets and their ability to help bring this musth bull under control, the outcome would surely be grim!  We so appreciate these people who make it possible for such animals to be taken care of for their own safety as well as the people in the area.

Now some very happy news!    In November, Olive gave birth to her first calf, a very tiny (for an elephant!) but agile and healthy little girl.  On December 4th, Yuni at Tangkahan gave birth to a male calf weighing about 70 kg.  It is Yuni’s first calf and she is taking very good care of her baby and both mother and calf are in good health.  Now the two mothers often stay together, giving the calves the chance to play and socialize.  These are the moments that lift our hearts and reaffirm why we care so very much.

And it’s not always just about elephants.  During Christopher’s last visit to Aceh, he examined a tiger, which had been captured in central Aceh after killing some cattle and two villagers in the past three months.  The tiger was sedated for a general health examination and found to be in good health and, according to his teeth, was estimated to be 6 to 7 years old.  At the time of Christopher’s writing, the tiger was still in quarantine, while options for release in a remote forest area are considered and evaluated.   This is an example of people working primarily with one species and being in the position to help others. Thanks to Christopher and the Vesswic veterinarians, and here’s to a very good 2011 for our Sumatran friends, both two and four-legged!
 

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.

Sai Chon is blessed

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.  

Update from Sumatra

We are delighted to share an August update from Dr. Christopher Stremme, the wildlife veterinarian working with Vesswic in Sumatra.

Hello!    

We are just back from ECC (Elephant Conservation Center) Seblat in Bengkulu.  Things are going well in Seblat, we conducted the quarterly elephant training standard evaluation which we started almost 2 years ago aiming to improve general training and handling standards, especially for health care needs, medical intervention and general handling reliability.  Following a standardized scheme and number of commands and skills, this evaluation has become a main trigger for the mahouts to keep focusing on improvement of elephant training needs for medical and health care management.  The better the training levels are getting now, the slower the progress.  But at least improvement is still slowly increasing and I think the mahouts and camp management have confirmed that Vesswic should keep following this up for maybe one more year to at least stabilize the reached standards.  Besides general health checks and treatments of some minor problems, the regular de-worming and tetanus vaccinations of all 18 ECC Seblat elephants were conducted.

14 year old Robi enjoying the King Grass

The management of the revitalized elephant food plantation, which was started several months ago and supported by Vesswic, is going very well.  For about a month now, king grass is harvested regularly and contributes to improved nutrition for the Seblat elephants.

King Grass harvest

It is a special joy for me to again see the male elephant Harris now being in very healthy and well fed condition, after he was in such a poor and fragile condition when he was rescued with the help of your supporters the end of 2008.  Due to his very good condition now,  ECC Seblat has started to use Harris for protected habitat patrols  and, for this activity, he has been based now alongside 5 other elephants at the 14.00 hectare nature reserve, Bukit Kabar, in central Bengkulu.

Harris and his mahout Saparudin

It is also good news to report that we got approval from the USFWS (United States Fish & Wildlife Service) for a proposal for funding support for the utilization of mahouts and captive elephants from the ECC Way Kambas for forest patrols and HEC (human-elephant conflict) management in and around Way Kambas National Park.  So, funding for these activities, which have been started almost 2 years ago, initiated and supported by Vesswic and Asian Elephant Support, and which have become a vital part of the Way Kambas National Park management strategy, is secured for at least one more year.

Best wishes and many thanks from Sumatra,
Christopher

2010 Elephant Manager's Association Conference

Two of our directors attended the Elephant Managers Association (EMA) 2010 conference, which was held in Pittsburgh, Sept 30 through Oct 3. The EMA is an international non-profit organization of professional elephant handlers, administrators, veterinarians, researchers and elephant enthusiasts.

Our president, Linda Reifschneider, gave a presentation on the role of AES in elephant conservation and her personal history in the conservation of Asian and African elephants and other wildlife in range states. Her presentation walked through her early years of being an elephant enthusiast and highlighted how her visits to the zoo, her involvement as a zoo volunteer, what she learned from elephant keepers, and her participation in the global elephant community gave her the tools she needed to make a difference in the future of the species. Her presentation touched the hearts of many at the conference and sparked new ideas for collaboration.

AES President giving presentation at EMA

The EMA has a very active conservation committee that supports mahouts and elephants in both African and Asian range states. Together we can make a difference.

To learn more about EMA, please visit www.elephantmanagers.com.

Scales for VESSWIC

In view of the USFWS funding to keep ECC Way Kambas elephants and mahouts in the field for the next year, our Board voted to use funds we thought might be needed for that work to instead purchase two portable scales for Vesswic’s use in caring for elephants in the Way Kambas ECC and other camps in Sumatra.  We know this equipment will be appreciated and well cared for, and, without a doubt, the hours saved in measuring elephants to formulate an estimate of weight will be available for other constructive activities.  

A portable scale allows elephants to step up on a base, stand still for just a few seconds then walk off.  Such a scale provides accuracy and efficiency for safe and effective dosing.

Emerging Diseases and Conservation in India (2010 - 2012)

We are pleased to tell you about our involvement in a very important research project and to tell you a story of teamwork that AES believes is so crucial to the future of Asian elephants.

The goals of this research project are to identify emerging diseases and their prevalence in the largest global population of Asian elephants, and to determine the impact of these diseases for long-term conservation. These goals will be met through (a) assessing health-related aspects of the free-ranging elephant population (for example, stress, morbidity, and mortality), (b) evaluating the presence of infectious and non-infectious diseases and their dynamics in the elephant population, and (c) identifying risk factors and possible solutions to mitigate impact.

Charging bull in study area (95% of males are tuskers in this area)

The study area is located in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR) in Southern India, and occupies parts of three states: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala. The study area has an estimated 3900 to 4800 elephants. This population is genetically quite distinct and unique in that 95% of males are tuskers, compared to only 5-7% of males in the Sri Lanka population and 50% of males in the Eastern Indian population.

Elephant herd in degraded and fragmented habitat in summer

Many studies in the Nilgiri Biosphere show the elephant population in this region under ever increasing pressure, with degraded and fragmented habitat posing the biggest threat. Summer forest fires coupled with delayed monsoon seasons can result in greater migration and thus increased instances of human/elephant conflict.

Adult elephants are not vulnerable to top predators like tigers and leopards. Thus it is important to study the disease dynamics in this species. Anthrax, Elephant Herpes Virus, and tuberculosis are among the diseases identified, clearly indicating the necessity for an understanding of the emerging diseases in the population.

The research is being led by two veterinarians highly experienced in elephant diseases:

• Dr. Arun Zachariah, Assistant Forest Veterinary Officer of the Wildlife Disease Research Laboratory, Department of Forest and Wildlife, Kerala, India.

• Dr. N. Kalaivanan, Assistant Forest Veterinary Surgeon, Department of Forest and Wildlife, Tamil Nadu, India

These two investigators bring a wealth of experience to this project. In addition, international advisors will partner to advise on ecology and genetics of wildlife diseases.

Asian Elephant Support is excited to play a part in helping this research get underway. In addition to AES financial contribution, this was our first grant submission to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Asian Elephant Conservation Fund. AES helped write the grant application and will serve as the grant administrators for this project. The USFWS and AES have provided funding for project support staff, transportation, research station costs, lab analysis fees, and medical supplies. The initially funded study period will run for one year.

We would be remiss if we did not express our sincere appreciation to Heidi Riddle, Riddle's Elephant & Wildlife Sanctuary, for bringing this project to our attention, and to the staff at USFWS for their patience and assistance in securing this funding for Drs. Zachariah and Kalaivanan. Working together we can make a difference for the future of the Asian elephant.

It will be exciting to follow the findings of this important field work, and we will share updates as they are available. Please contact us to put your name on our email list for news, and please consider making a donation now so that we can remain in a position to help other projects that need support in their work for the future of Asian elephants.

Thank you for your Support!

Photos provided by Dr. Arun Zachariah.

Fast forward to November 2012…

Two years of intense field and laboratory work have brought to the forefront new observations about diseases in wild Asian elephant populations. Several diseases were identified during the course of this study.

One of the diseases identified is the Endotheliotropic Elephant Herpes Virus (EEHV). This study provides the first report of EEHV in free ranging Asian elephants. Although only a few cases were confirmed, the findings of EEHV in free ranging elephants, and the scientific data generated, can help to identify the cause of EEHV emergence in captive populations. This research may also shed light on the evolution of the virus, which has a high mortality rate in elephants.

Like all good research, we have a better understanding of certain issues, but have been left with a long list of questions. In this case, there are serious questions that can and need to be addressed. Even these initial findings will impact our efforts to conserve Asian elephants.

More research is needed on how the free ranging elephant population has been affected by emerging diseases such as EEHV. As this free ranging population shares habitat with captive elephants, livestock, and human settlements, there is an important need for long-term wildlife health monitoring of the elephant populations. There is also a need to determine the extent that environmental factors, such as sharing space with livestock, contribute to the emergence of disease of Asian elephants.

Knowledge and good science represent the real hope for the future of this magnificent species. Obviously, there is much more work to be done. To this end, AES is continuing to partner with scientists, veterinarians, and other organizations concerned about Asian elephant health. AES will focus support on continuing the study of EEHV in Asian elephant populations around the world.

Each life is precious, not only to the population, but to the future of the species. Please consider making a donation to AES today to help support additional research and efforts that are needed to protect the next generation of Asian elephants.

With your help, we are improving the lives of elephants and mahouts across Asia.

Directors

We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of our newest director, Lynda Cole. Lynda was a good friend of the AES president and we were excited to partner with someone of such talent, knowledge and enthusiasm for all flora and fauna.

Monteo McCudden has agreed to serve as our Interim Director. Monteo earned her degree in biology and has always sought ways to contribute to conservation efforts by volunteering. She has learned about elephants through her volunteer work with captive elephants, and she is keenly interested in helping endangered animals and protecting and conserving land.  

Also joining in our efforts to help elephants and those who care for them is Gretchen Rumsey. Gretchen has travelled throughout SE Asia volunteering with elephant centers, and she hosts her own elephant blog (All Things Elephant) . Her goal with her blog is to provide a forum for dialogue for anyone that cares about conservation. Gretchen will be leading our Fundraising Committee.

4th Annual Mahout Workshop

4th Mahout Workshop Conference Center

The 4th Mahout Workshop organized by FOKMAS (mahout association) and BKSDA (conservation agency) north Sumatra was held recently at the ECC Holiday Resort in North Sumatra. Besides IEF, Vesswic also provided financial and technical support for the realization of the workshop.  The Elephant Managers Association (EMA), with Asian Elephant Support participating via directors' individual contributions, provided a supply of hoof knives for all of the elephant facilities.The workshop went very well.  It was attended by 71 participants (the largest attendance to date) coming from all ECCs and CRUs/elephant patrol units, several zoos, safari parks etc. from Java, Sumatra and Bali. Most of the participants were mahouts of course, but also some vets and managers from the private facilities were amongst the participants.

The main topics were:

EMA (Elephant Managers Association of America) presentation about its history, development and activities, followed by question/answer session about elephant management in western zoos and management and handling problems in our places in Sumatra.

Presentations from ECCs and CRUs utilizing mahouts and elephant for conservation activities (Aceh, Bengkulu, Way Kambas, Riau, Tangkahan) followed by discussions about the different experiences from the different locations and further options to utilize the captive elephants in conservation related efforts in the future.

Training about field navigation using maps and GPS conducted by the CRU Tangkahan team leader Edi.  This is the CRU which also supports the work in HEC (human/elephant conflict) management. This presentation was divided in two parts: theoretical background and hands on practice in three locations of the ECC area.

Practical demonstration about needs and techniques to train elephants for medical procedures conducted by Vesswic.  Although this subject was presented during previous workshops, it was repeated at the request of FOKMAS as many participants did not attend previous workshops and to also highlight its importance in general.

Divided in different working groups the participants discussed problems and needed improvements for captive elephant management in different management systems of the ECCs, CRUs, zoos and safari parks.  Finally, a list of subjects which is hoped to be addressed by PHKA was prepared and will officially be handed over to PHKA (National Agency for Forest Protection and Nature Conservation under the Ministry of Forestry in Jakarta) by FOKMAS.

Before and after the workshop all participants filled in a questionnaire to gather their opinions about the quality and value of the workshop, the outcome of this questionnaire still needs to be evaluated and translated.  A few pictures are attached.

Best wishes,
Christopher

Demonstration on training elephants for a medical procedure

Training on field navigation

Harris, the rescued bull

We want to share with you the story of a special elephant in Sumatra named Harris, who was provided care during a visit to Aceh to see the elephants there.  

At 18 years old Harris was alone, under nourished and full of parasites, and his future appeared dim. Harris was moved to one of the elephant camps where the Veterinary Society for Sumatran Wildlife Conservation (Vesswic) provides medical care for elephants, in agreement with the Sumatran government.

Harris in his previous location

Eighteen months later, Harris is now a healthy elephant who enjoys the mental stimulation and physical activity of forest patrols, where he helps keep his wild counterparts safe from poachers and illegal settlers, whose presence hasten the fragmentation and loss of the wild elephants' home.  

Please read the full story of Harris  and see how your support through a donation can help individuals and at the same time contribute to conservation efforts.

Harris with his mahout, Saparudin

Directors

Lynda Cole has joined our board as a new Director and Jerry Koranda has stepped down. Jerry helped us through our transition to Asian Elephant Support, and he leaves us to pursue other interests and commitments. We greatly appreciate his service and wish him all the best. Lynda has a long-term commitment to conservation and animal care. She is also the Director of a turtle rescue and educational NGO, St. Louis Midwest Turtle & Tortoise Society, which is dedicated to the preservation of wild turtle and tortoise populations and to the care of animals already in captivity. We believe her experience and dedication will be of great benefit to the mission of Asian Elephant Support and we look forward to working with her to help Asian elephants in their range countries.