Field Update: Dr. Stremme

Just wanted to say “Hello!” from Laos. I am here at the Lao Elephant Conservation Center in Sayaboury at the moment working with their biologist Anabel on several health and management related issues (such as foot care, ultrasound, and training).  I wanted to let you know that the scale donated by AES is still very useful and a much used tool for the health care and monitoring of the elephants here.

Just also want to let Asian Elephant Support friends know that the pickup truck which is used at the ERU Margahayu is now repaired, equipped with new off-road tires and running again reliably to ensure supply of camp logistics, elephant food and transport of ERU team members to some of the conflict spots.

Thanks very much again for this help,

Christopher

A Gathering in Texas

AES's 2017 Annual In-Person Meeting

With directors not all located in easy driving distance of each other, our monthly board meetings are via conference call.  Once a year, in June, we gather together for both the joy of working together in person and enjoy some socializing ‘after business hours’.

This year again finds us in Lewisville, Texas, with our meetings held at Vanessa Gagne’s home. With two small daughters, this arrangement made the most sense and also allowed us the opportunity to visit Ft. Worth Zoo, where our new director, Christine (Turk) Del Turco is one of the elephant keepers.

From our June newsletter you would have seen that our annual meeting this year saw us both say thanks and goodbye to April Yoder, who had been an AES director and officer for over 7 years, while at the same time welcoming Christine Del Turco to our board.  Turk is no stranger to AES; she has been there helping with our annual CPK event as well as doing other fundraisers on behalf of our work.

The meeting was a very productive one and some of our plans will be unveiled in future newsletters during the year.

New York - Canada Trip, June 20-29, 2017

This trip was initiated for AES President, Linda, to present at Buffalo Zoo.  And then the road trip grew…

First, a stop at Columbus Zoo to visit Adam Felts, who is busy preparing to host the 2017 Elephant Managers Association conference in October (*), docent Nancy Mulholand, whom Linda met years ago when paired as roommates on a fantastic Earthwatch project in Tsavo, Kenya, and, of course, big Asian bull Hank and ‘his girls’!

Hank

Then Buffalo Zoo where Mindy Ussrey arranged for AES to do a presentation to staff and volunteers and have some time with their two elephants, Surapa and Jothi.  The lunchtime presentation was well attended, with refreshments also provided, and Asian Elephant Support truly appreciated this opportunity to introduce ourselves to that audience.

Buffalo Zoo staff & volunteers

Jothi left, Surapa right

Rob Dempsey, elephant keeper, Mindy Ussrey, elephant manager, Gary Steele, elephant keeper

Next, a visit to Rochester Zoo where Janet Dray, a fellow elephant enthusiast who will be traveling to Kenya with Linda in August, shared the day meeting keepers and staff as well as many zoo residents in addition to their lovely African elephants.

Janet and Rich Dray

Finally, up to Hamilton, Ontario, for a day’s visit at African Lion Safari, the home to one very exceptional Asian elephant program.  Charlie Gray’s ability, experience, and dedication to the Asian elephant – from its history through its needs today and into the future – are as good as they get!  Sebastian made sure we had a complete visit, from barn visit throughout all that a full day offers, and Linda’s hat is tipped to Taren for her talent, as well as athletic ability in demonstrating various elephant mounts and dismounts, during a program that educates the public about the Asian elephant, his relationship to us, our shared history, and our responsibility for his future. 
 

Walking the elephants at African Lion Safari

Elephants always pack the house at keeper chats

Nancy Mulholand, docent at Columbus Zoo and elephant enthusiast
Carl Hogan, new AES volunteer

It is always good – and important – to visit others to share our efforts and also learn about all the ways others who care for elephants are putting forth their time, energy, and resources to do all possible to insure a future for both Asian and African elephants.  For the time they give on such visits, our sincere thanks and appreciation!

---

(*) All serious Elephant Enthusiasts: this is an excellent opportunity that includes a pre-conference trip visit to Cincinnati Zoo (think baby hippo Fiona!), learn a lot about elephants during a couple days of good papers and opportunities to visit with keepers and vets from across the country and abroad, a wonderful Zoo Day at Columbus (if you haven’t seen their polar bear and African savannah exhibits, much less met Asian bull elephant Hank…you really must!), and topped off with a wonderful post-trip conference to The Wilds!  Check out the Elephant Managers Association Conference 2017 and consider joining us.  AES will be there, updating all on our past year’s work as well as having an information and merchandise table.

Update on Elena, ERU Tegal Yoso

The approximately 2-year old female elephant calf named Elena had been rescued by the ERU Tegal Yoso last December because she suffered from serious injury in her left hind leg, which made it impossible for her to bear weight on the swollen leg. During their regular patrols, the ERU team had observed her for several weeks and noticed her strength and body condition constantly declining and was hardly able to follow her herd, so they decided to take her in captivity to provide care and treatment for her.
 

Elena with her siblings in the  river

Due to the care in the ERU Tegal Yoso, Elena’s condition has slowly but continuously improved and now almost has fully recovered and is able to use and bear weight on her left hind leg again. Her recovery was not only supported by the mahouts and veterinarian but also by the two pregnant female patrol elephants, Rika and Dona. Both female elephants from the beginning accepted her and adopted her as part of their family, and very soon after her arrival, Elena formed close bonds with both of them. This has not changed after Riska and Dona, who had been mated by wild bulls while grassing in the forest during nighttime, gave birth to their own calves on the 20th and 22nd of March 2017. Elena has formed close bonds to her little siblings, Linda and Cory, and forms a nearly natural family group with them and their mothers.

Best wishes and appreciation for your continued support,
  Dr. Christopher Stremme.

Check out this video of Elena playing in the water with her new family!

Florida Trip, May 2017

It is always good to visit with those who not only have dedicated their careers to Asian elephants but also help support our efforts, so in May president Linda Reifschneider, accompanied by volunteer Cynthia Christison, headed to Florida.

Their first stop Jacksonville Zoo where Corey Neatrour and LeShea Upchurch have been hosting a successful CPK event for us for 3 years.  A brief presentation of AES’s work, a lovely visit of the zoo, and a shared pizza lunch, made for a great day with these wonderful friends.

Jacksonville Zoo crew

The Center for Elephant Conservation is always a very special visit, and this trip was no exception. Spending time with elephant experts Wendy Kiso, Janice Aria, and Laura Keefe, who has also been hosting a CPK event for us in recent years, is always an opportunity to expand our knowledge as well as visiting some very special pachyderms! The opportunity to see the lovely Assan again and meet Mysore, the 72+ year old Asian female elephant who has taught so very many people all about elephants, made for a most memorable and appreciated visit.

At the Tampa Zoo, our CPK hostess Christi Reiter was finishing up a maternity leave, so met us with her new and charming daughter Charlotte and brought us up to date on their elephants as well as meeting their keepers, her hubby, and the most charming Aldabra tortoise, “Al”, ever!

We also had a very good visit with Dr. Mark Wilson at his Zoo Teaching School.  While being a vet who can treat most species, Mark is especially experienced in elephant medical care and is always willing to share his expertise with us when we ask.

We spent a delightful morning with Patricia Zerbini at Two Tails Ranch where she offers her visiting public the opportunity to meet and connect with Asian elephants and sends them off understanding the realities of caring for elephants – both those living with us or in the wild today, as well as the challenges they face in the future.  It is always a special treat to spend some time with her big – and still growing – Asian bull Luke, and one cannot help but be impressed with her message to the public about elephant care and challenges.

Our last stop was the Nashville Zoo. There Jennifer Wu set up the opportunity for us to present AES to keepers and volunteers.  It was especially appreciated to be able to introduce ourselves to so many of her friends and coworkers who have been supporting us through the CPK events – and now also a Granite City Food & Brewery evening!  It needs to be added that their new zoo entry is amazing: truly like entering an African village, sans commercial signs, and with new facilities (thinking specifically of the new ladies’ restroom at the entrance!) that are both welcoming and simply beautiful.

presenting at Nashville Zoo

Thank you to each of our hosts who so generously welcomed us along the way, and thanks to Cynthia Christison for helping Linda talk AES to those we visited.  It is through the collaboration and cooperation of those who care, have the experience and knowledge, and spend their working lives 24/7 on behalf of this magnificent species that the Asian elephant has its best partners in its long trek into the next century.   We appreciate, respect, and thank you for all you do!

Mahout Workshop 2017

For several years AES has been proud to support the Indonesian Mahout Workshops and this year is no exception. However, the 2017 workshop was unique in that it brought together two groups of mahouts from different countries that are both supported by AES.

AES has supported Mamatha’s tireless work in southern India to provide educational opportunities for mahouts.  This year Mamatha arranged for two mahouts from the state of Karnataka to attend the Indonesian workshop.  It was a wonderful opportunity for the two cultures to share information and experiences.

The 2017 Mahout Workshop was held from May 16th through the 18th in Lampung province, Indonesia and included a wide range of topics including the overall health, feeding strategies, the use of an ultrasound machine, use of GPS units and software updating skills, and incorporating technology into their operations.

Workshop participants

Because India has such a long and intricate history with elephants, the Karnataka mahouts were surprised to learn that the elephant tradition in Indonesian is only about 30 years old.  Even with a much shorter history with elephants, the Indonesian mahouts provided valuable information on the importance of the use of technology and the proper usage of tools to care for elephants.

Two Karnataka mahouts (right) being instructed on the use of a GPS unit by two Indonesian mahouts (left)

In turn, the Karnataka mahouts stunned the vets when they visually determined that an elephant had never conceived. They also taught the Indonesian mahouts the importance of proper feeding strategies, allowing elephants to roam freely in the forest, and the importance of cleaning the tusks.  There was also a lot of discussion on caring for baby elephants. 

This workshop is an excellent example of how important it is to provide these types of educational opportunities. With your continued support, we will continue to support the people that care for elephant throughout Asia.  

Jun update

Jun is thriving at the ECC in Dak Lak, Vietnam.  He is growing into a young healthy bull with a handsome set of ivory.  He enjoys his training sessions and his enrichment, which he receives daily.  Thank you to all that have made his success possible.  Check out these videos of him on Facebook!

Photos of the new mobile clinic vehicle

Elefantasia provided us with these photos of the new mobile clinic vehicle funded by AES.

Welcome Christine Del Turco!

It is an honor for us to welcome Christine Del Turco (Turk) as a new member of the AES board of directors.  Turk comes to us with extensive hands on elephant experience; an essential asset to our operations.  She has an animal behavior degree from Delaware Valley University and a passion for training and enrichment.  Christine currently works at the Fort Worth Zoo where she cares for Asian elephants, Greater One Horned Rhinos, and Nile Hippopotamus.  We knew she would be a perfect fit after she put so much time and effort into making this year’s CPK fundraiser our best year ever - rallying elephant people from across the country.  Her involvement in the Elephant Managers Association over the years has also helped her become a prominent figure in the elephant community.  On a personal note, I am thankful to be working alongside Turk in this capacity.  Once upon a time in my first elephant internship, Turk was my supervisor.  She selflessly lifted me up and gave me guidance time and time again to help me get to where I am today.  We are looking forward to what AES will become with her involvement.  

Vanessa, Linda, and Barbara

Farewell to Director and VP April Yoder

Many of our readers know April Yoder.  She worked hands-on with elephants at various facilities for over 22 years and joined AES as a Director in 2010.

I still consider us a very new nonprofit, with just over a decade under our belt.  April was there in our infancy when we were still trying to figure out who we were and how we could best have an impact on the care and conservation of elephants in Asian range countries….  Especially those people whose lives are intertwined by sharing living space with elephants or the veterinarians and researchers dedicated to the future of Asian elephants.

From fundraising, to writing articles, editing newsletter material, doing outreach events, and everything else that seems to come in between, April has always been there to see that the job got done, and done very well.

Life definitely is a journey and, while April’s life path is veering off from being an officer/director part of the AES team, she will remain as one of our advisers and always committed to elephant conservation.

Vanessa and I met and knew April through the Elephant Managers Association conferences, the EMA being a great gathering organization for those truly concerned about all elephants.  It has been a joy having April on our team for all these years.   And I personally want to say thank you to April in our newsletter – a very special thank you for all the highs and lows our shared path followed: our common concern and caring for the Big Ones got us through a lot of growing pains to an always ever-better AES!  

Thank you, April.  We’ll miss you at our board meetings.  I’ll miss emailing you constantly with questions, ideas…  all those things that come from the early days of a nonprofit.  We thank you for staying available to us on an adviser basis and wish you all the best going forward.

Linda, Vanessa, and Barbara

Sri Lanka School Awareness Program Photos

The following are a few photos of classrooms jam packed with students attending the School Awareness Programs in Sri Lanka.  Mr. Jayantha Jayewardene, who runs the program, tells us the current program is still in session and will be concluded soon.  It is through teaching school children the importance of keeping both elephants and people safe that we hope to better mitigate the human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka.  We look forward to hearing more about this past semester!

San Antonio Zoo Outreach

This past Mother’s Day, Secretary Vanessa Gagne and her family took a road trip down to San Antonio to talk about AES with the San Antonio Zoo staff.  Vanessa arranged the trip with Jonathan Reding, Director of Mammals, while at the Elephant Managers Association conference last fall.  The herd of three, Lucky, Nicole, and Karen, has an expanded yard and a renovated pool in which to swim.  Vanessa presented our most recent projects, field updates, as well as ways to help and our mission to save and protect Asian elephants.  It was nice to meet people who participated in the CPK fundraiser as this was their first year to host a location and they sent a painting for the prize baskets.  Talking elephants is always easy for us at AES and we are grateful to the San Antonio Zoo for their gracious hospitality toward Vanessa and her family.  We look forward to a continued relationship focused on Asian elephant conservation.

Field Update from Dr. Sarma: The 138th Rogue!

The 138th rogue that Dr. Kushal helped capture and return to his owner is Raja, a makhna (tuskless male elephant) belonging to a Nepali farmer from the Indo-Bangladesh border in the high hills of Meghalaya.  This rescue required a 12 hour road trip, the last 5 hours of which are off road driving.  Dr. Kushal advised his car required a good after care upon completion of this campaign.  The medicines used included drugs AES had previously supplied Dr. Kushal. An entire night was spent in the jungle around a fire to save them from the chill.  Tea in an improvised tea cup, time spent waiting on a treetop for the rogue, and a charging elephant, is all part of such an operation!

Waiting in treetops

Tea in an improvised cup

Rest after 48 hours

Glorious moment!

Mobile Veterinary Program: Elephants and Sun Bears, too!

The vet program has been quite active especially since the wildlife ambulance has been fully operating since the end of last year. Currently it is providing the veterinary assistance for GPS collaring program for HEC mitigation in Aceh which is run in collaboration with BKSDA and researchers from the University. The first elephant was collared in east Aceh the end of December, the second one in early January in Aceh Besar, and the collaring operation for third one in Aceh Jaya was completed in February.
 

In early January the wildlife ambulance provided the veterinary assistance for the rescue of an elephant baby of about 6 months of age. This baby had been abandoned: it is unclear if its mother may have been killed or for other reason could not follow its fast moving herd that had been driven in difficult terrain during a conflict situation. The baby had already strolled around in the area observed by local people and become increasingly dehydrated and weak.  It was not possible to reconnect the baby to its herd and it needed fluid therapy, food supplements, and some wound treatments. After initial treatment on site, the baby was transferred to the ECC in Saree and currently is cared for there with assistance from the wildlife ambulance.
 

The Wildlife ambulance recently also assisted the BKSDA with the rescue of two snared sun bears: one was released directly after it was freed from the snare; due to very serious injuries. The other bear had to be taken to the vet faculty for surgery and remains under treatment at the BKSDA Aceh quarantine facility where the ambulance staff provide regular care.  We are involving our students in this care to give them some hands-on experience with the care of injured wildlife.  We hope that the recovery of this second bear will progress within the next 2 months to a level that will enable us to release this animal back into the wild.

Bundles of joy from Sumatra

We are extremely excited to share some wonderful news from Sumatra! And what could be more exciting than a baby elephant! How about TWO baby elephants?! On March 20th, Riksa gave birth to the first baby born at the Tegal Yoso Elephant Response Unit (ERU) in Way Kambas National Park. The female calf weighed in at 190 pounds and is the second calf for 23-year-old Riska. As a special surprise for us, this little girl was named Linda after AES founder and president, Linda Reifschneider. Seven days later, on March 27th, Donna gave birth to a health male calf named Cory. This, not so little, boy weighed in at 270 pounds.

And you, our donors, had a part in these miraculous events too!  As a direct result of your support, AES was able to donate funds to build an electrical fence enclosure for the elephants to give birth.  This gave the mothers more room during labor, but also allowed the mahouts to remain close to assist, if needed.

We couldn’t be more proud to have played a role in these wonderful events and we can’t thank you enough for your continued support.

Craving more baby elephants? Check out the videos below!

Linda and Cory taking a bath

New calf in Sumatra gets to know head mahout Nazzarudin while playing in the rain.

7 Mile Elephant Camp visit

AES adviser, Heidi Riddle, recently returned from a trip to Myanmar.  While she was there, she met with Dr. Zaw, a veterinarian from the Myanma Timber Company (MTE), and visited the elephant hospital that AES funded. 

The camp, which includes the hospital, is called the 7 Mile Elephant Camp and it is located in the Bome Taung Reserve.  The plan is to bring some of the older elephants from the MTE camps from around the country to the 7 Mile camp to retire.  Most of the mahout village, which is supported by the MTE, has been built and a lot of trees and fodder grasses for the camp elephants have been planted.  Thanks to our AES donors, they have solar panels and a basic water system, but there is more work to be done.  They would like to add at least one more well to provide water for the other sections of the mahout village. 

Because the Reserve is home to a few wild elephants, Heidi and Dr. Zaw were treated to a special early morning adventure.  When they arrived, two of the mahouts said their elephants had joined a herd of wild elephants near the camp.  So they hiked up the steep hill to get a glimpse of the resident wild elephants.

This camp is well taken care of and our donors can trust that their contributions have been well spent in this effort.   Thank you for your continued support.

Protecting Asian Elephants through Environmental Education & Community Engagement

Click here to read the report: Interim Report from Wildlife Alliance April 4, 2017

Update From the Field: Conservation Response Units

This past February the seven operating Conservation Response Units (CRUs) in Aceh, Sumatra were notified that a restructuring of the forestry department would leave them without funds for up to six months.  The change in governance to provincial forestry officials will take several months.  This has left the mahouts in some areas without their basic needs being met.  Unfortunately, as we all know, money matters can take an eternity within a bureaucracy.

Monitoring migration of wild elephants

When AES heard of the emergency situation we were able to provide funds within a 24 hour period after having received the news.  Because we are a small, close-knit board of directors we were able to respond in the knick of time.  Thankfully, due to our dedicated supporters, we had the funds available for the CRUs to continue their mission to mitigate human-elephant conflict around Way Kambas National Park.  We couldn’t have done it without your support.  So on behalf of the elephants and mahouts in the CRUs, we say thank you.  

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!

Human-Elephant Conflict Program for Schools

HEC in Bhutan has become an increasing problem, especially around the perimeter of the Royal Manas National Park (RMNP).  Mr. Yeshy Wangdi is a forestry official from the area and has conducted several HEC awareness programs in nearby schools over the years.  This past year the classes were held at two local schools within the RMNP buffer zone.  The goal is for students to learn the natural history, biology, and ultimately the cultural value of elephants within their society.  The hope is for these children to go on and teach their relatives and other community members about the importance of saving elephants within their country and how to coexist peacefully.  The program consisted of a PowerPoint presentation, a role-play enactment of elephant conflict, prizes, and a Q&A session.  After following up with the students, Mr. Wangdi found and overall 75% increase in positive attitude towards elephants from the kids.  We’d call that a success!