Janet's Second Market

It certainly turned out to be Christmas in July with over $330 generated for AES from Janet’s second sale at the Rochester, NY Public Market on July 15. Janet, along with her friends Marie Niedermeier and John Frontuto, rent a stall once a month at their Public Market to sell their unwanted household items.

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They picked ‘Christmas in July’ as their July theme to select items from their homes to sell, such as ornaments, snow globes and figurines. They created a festive mood stringing Christmas lights in their stall, wearing Santa hats and playing carols. A table was set up in front displaying AES merchandise and information. It generated many opportunities to spread the word about the projects AES supports.

Another of Janet’s friends, Carol Conant, is using Janet’s sales as an opportunity to also clear out some of her house with the proceeds going to AES. One of her contributions was 2 large containers of beanie babies. After the June Sale, only one container remained. At the July sale, with a bit of encouragement from Baby Amelia a very nice family bought the whole tub of beanies. It was hard to tell who was happier – them or Janet.

August's theme is glassware and September will be “anything and everything goes”. There’s always another closet or shelf to clean. The Public Market offers the advantage of being held at a public location with parking, no advertising necessary, and always has a variety of shoppers.

Do you know where such sales markets are held in your neighborhood….just in case you get the ‘cleaning out’ urge? Great way to help elephants by supporting AES!

Aceh Collar Update

Recently a radio collar supported by Asian Elephant Support was deployed in Aceh, Indonesia, by a team from the Aceh BKSDA (government conservation agency). The collar was put on an elephant who was already part of an earlier study project to identify movement of elephant herds and prevent conflict with local people. Replacing the old collar with a new one will extend the data collected and help inform elephant conservation management decisions.

When the team located the elephant for the collaring operation they found she had a young healthy calf. The collaring operation was successful, and both the mother and calf are doing well.

Ele Bus Update

Following is an update on the EleBus of Sri Lanka, a project that is making a real difference and one you - through AES - have helped to support:

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"One hundred and twenty school children travel daily in the EleBus." The SLWCS

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The EleBus will continue to provide the children of Wasgamuwa with safe transport to school and home Thanks to the generous support of our friends, volunteers and corporate sponsors.

The impact the EleBus has had in creating peace and coexistence in the Tree Hut Elephant Corridor can be measured by the large number of elephants that use the corridor today…not only to travel through but also to feed and socialize.

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The EleBus recently underwent the following repairs, servicing and maintenance to ensure it would continue to provide a safe conveyance to the children of Wasgamuwa.

  • Six new tires, tubes and rim guards

  • Replaced the suspension tie rod set

  • All the spring leaves were reshaped

  • Replaced the Joint Knuckle Kin Pins

  • Replaced all three Universal Joints

  • The radiator was completely flushed, cleaned and filled with new coolant

  • Full servicing and oils changed

  • The Brake Drums refaced

  • Broken side window replaced

  • The license, comprehensive insurance, and permit to carry passengers renewed

  • Passed the emission test

  • Paid the annual Carbon Tax

Recently a reporter Nicole Graaf and a cameraman Emre Çayla from the German National Public Radio interviewed several children who travel daily in the EleBus. Following are several questions that were asked and the children’s responses.

1) How would you get to school if the bus wasn’t running?

Answer – We have to adapt the older system again till Ele-Friendly bus back to operation. In this way we use foot bicycles, land master tractors and Tuk Tuks to come to the school and back. All our parents and older people of the village guarding us at the elephant corridor with all these transport systems.

2) How often do you ride the bus?

Answer – Every day when we go to the school and come back to home, EleBus is waiting till we come every morning and afternoon.

3) Do you feel safer from elephants when riding the bus?

Answer – Yes of course it is safer than any other method what we use before and we enjoy EleBus ride to the school every day.

Some of the 120 students who ride the EleBus daily

Some of the 120 students who ride the EleBus daily

4) Do you think you would miss a lot more school if the bus wasn’t running?

Answer - Yes of course, this will happen to us now very often since the bus is not running, sometimes I feel very lethargic to go to school when bus is not come, sometimes our parents are busy in paddy fields so they can’t come with us to go to school, then we are so scared to go to school when no one is coming to guard us at elephant corridor.

The SLWCS and the children and elephants of Wasgamuwa are sincerely grateful to everyone who contributed to keep the EleBus operating. We would like to say a warm and sincere thank you to our a long time Sri Lankan corporate sponsors Colombo Jewellery Stores and WealthTrust Securities Limited and to all those friends,volunteers and supporters who donated through our online PayPal account and GoFundMe campaign to help in the maintenance, repairs and operations of the EleBus.

We still face challenges to operate the EleBus. We still need funds to cover the daily cost of fuel and staff to operate the EleBus. Please share our GoFundMe campaign (https://www.gofundme.com/help-to-keep-the-elefriendly-bus-running) with your family, friends and colleagues.

All ready to create peace and coexistence

All ready to create peace and coexistence

Big, rumbling thanks to our Corporate Partners for their kind support and to everyone who has donated and supported our wildlife conservation efforts!

Photo Credits:
Ravi Corea/SLWCS
Indika Sampath/SLWCS

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Janet's Market

Looking for a motivator to clear out some of your home clutter? Selling unwanted home items with the proceeds going to Asian Elephant Support is helping AES Director Janet Dray get rid of lots things that were just taking up space.

Janet and a couple of her friends have rented a Sunday stall once a month for four months at their local Public Market. The sun gods were smiling on their June sale and brought a large crowd resulting in over $120 for AES and, as Janet points out happily, a much neater kitchen and bar area at her home! A small table was also set up at their stall entrance with AES info to help spread our message.

On Sunday July 14, Janet and her friends Marie Niedermeier and John Frontuto had a Christmas in July sale at the market with at least 7 big totes ready to go - including donations from several friends also clearing out their closets in support of AES!

See if your community hosts a Public Market Community Garage Sale. Get some friends together and have fun getting rid of (AKA recycling!) your clutter in support of Asian elephants. We would love to share your events and the elephants will benefit from your effort.

2019 Director's Meeting

June 7 - 8, 2019
Cincinnati, Ohio

Val Nastold and President Linda Reifschneider

Since in existence, AES has traveled its annual in-person board meeting among various directors’ homes. As our board grows, having our meeting in any one home is becoming more complicated and so earlier in the year, President Linda Reifschneider suggested we start selecting our annual meeting site to coincide with the location of one of the several zoos that have been consistent supporters of our work. This would provide an opportunity to say "thank you" in person for that institution’s support. As director Christine Del Turco would be visiting friends in the Cincinnati area around our annual meeting dates, she suggested Cincinnati Zoo. That was a solid choice as we have benefited for multiple years from their zoo’s fundraising for Asian elephant conservation with their behind-the-scenes-tours in their elephant barn.

AES Board Members: Barbara Davis, Linda Reifschneider, hippos Fiona and her mother Bibbi, Janet Dray, Christine DelTurco

Linda reached out to Cecil Jackson,Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden Elephant Manager, and while he would be out of town on our meeting dates, he was delighted we had selected Cincinnati Zoo and Val Nastold, Jr. would take care of us. Our idea was simply to say "thank you" in person and Linda would treat the board and barn crew to dinner. (Funds donated to AES are used only for projects that benefit Asian elephants and those who care for and/or must live their lives among the elephants.) Val and the Cincinnati crew had other ideas! 😊

Vanessa Gagne and Christine DelTurco

Val helped set up our lodging reservations to ensure we were close to the zoo. He also secured a conference room on zoo grounds for the two days of our meeting; saw that we benefited from the staff’s 50% discount at the cafeteria at lunch; gave us a wonderful visit to their barn (always a very special time for all the AES board); set up a meet and greet for zoo staff and volunteers; and, with Friday night just happening to be the Zoo’s “Zoo La La” gala, secured an attendance lanyard for each board member. Talk about Friday evening dinner! The weather was resort quality, the food, and drinks were excellent, and delightful entertainment made for an unexpected and most humbly appreciated ‘perk’ we certainly never expected.

AES board members and Cincinnati Zoo elephant crew

Saturday night, Linda finally got to treat AES board and Cincinnati Zoo elephant barn team to dinner at A Taste of Denmark. And what a fitting venue for we ‘elephant folk’ – their signature brew, Delerium has a logo of a pink elephant and the stem is shaped to represent an elephant’s trunk!

Of course we visited the gift shop for a remembrance of this special year’s annual meeting location and gifted each elephant crew member with an AES tee shirt.

Not only did we have a productive board meeting, we had the opportunity to say ‘thank you’ in person to those who care for and about Asian elephants passionately – and the opportunity to enjoy each other’s company in a social setting.

Thank you, Cincinnati! We came to say thank you; we leave also saying thank you – Val, you sure did set that bar ‘way up there’! THANK YOU!!!

Helium Comedy Club Fundraiser

As mentioned in our previous newsletter, a fundraiser for AES was held last month at The Helium Club in Buffalo, NY.

Since there are no California Pizza Kitchen restaurants (or even Asian elephants) in western New York, some of us were feeling left out of the AES Annual April ‘Pizza for Pachyderms’ fundraising event. Mindy Ussrey, former Buffalo Zoo Elephant Manager thought of an alternative that resulted in raising $535 for AES on Saturday May 18, 2019. Mindy worked in conjunction with a local Buffalo, NY comedy club ‘The Helium’ to host an event before one of their performances. The Helium allowed us to receive a portion of the tickets sales that we sold as well as provided a table for us to promote and raise more funds for AES.

So even though the two Buffalo Zoo Asian elephants Jothi and Surapa had relocated to New Orleans earlier in the year, their former manager Mindy initiated, organized, and set up a very successful fundraiser for AES. She had support from a very generous Seneca Park Zoo (SPZ), SPZ Assistant Curator Lindsay Brinda, and the four SPZ African elephants – Chana, Moki, Genny C, and Lilac. Lindsay not only helped in selling an amazing number of tickets to the event but also provided elephant paintings for sale to the public. AES Board member Janet Dray supported the event by sewing and selling embroidered laptop cases and recycled tote bags as well as provided items for an AES gift basket raffle. We also sold AES bumper stickers and handed out AES brochures.

Including the entertainment it was a very fun evening with friends, family and coworkers supporting AES through ticket sales, 50/50 raffle, gift basket raffle, item sales and donations. As an additional benefit – Mindy created a wonderful AES information display which we plan to reuse for more outreach opportunities. Huge thanks to Mindy Ussrey and Lindsay Brinda along with Buffalo zookeepers Steve Ussrey and Gary Steele for making this a wildly successful evening. Your enthusiasm and commitment in supporting AES is inspiring, contagious and very much appreciated.

Thinking outside of the box, there are many ways to support AES fundraising efforts and have fun even if there are no CPKs in your location. We are looking forward to seeing more ideas on how people are raising funds in support of AES efforts.

Automated Elephant Tracking to Reduce Human-Elephant Conflict

Automated Sensor-Based Elephant Tracking Device for Reducing Human-Elephant Conflict

Koustav Choudury Interim Report

This report describes a sensor and call alert system designed for detecting elephant intrusions into villages that border wildlife reserves and alerting threatened communities of the location of the elephants. The sensor system for detection is wireless and is connected with a Hooter and Elephant Alert Call Amplifier for alerting communities. In order to balance power consumption, cost, and ease of installation and testing in rural areas, novel strategies for hardware, firmware, and communication have been applied to the rareness of events to be detected and low data rates and light traffic load involved.

The system needs to be maintained by the communities, so attempts have been made to build in preventative maintenance measures and to build the system such that it is maintainable by personnel without technical expertise.

We have received permission from West Bengal Forest Department, India. Now we are ready to install 40 devices in 11 locations of Garumara South Range under Gorumara Wildlife Division. We have conducted 3 awareness workshops with forest villagers of that region regarding the device. We have already built the 40 devices, which was accomplished by myself, Koustav Choudhury, Shimu Saha and Pradyut Roy and all of our team. Hooter will be placed in 4 Forest Beat Offices: Ramsai-Kalipur Beat, Gorumara Beat, and Bichabhanga Beat. We have made iron poles and iron boxes to install those sensors and we have already 20 poles installed in the Ramsai-Kalipur, Bichabhanga, Gorumara, and Dhupjhora locations.

We have installed 10 devices, and they are working very well. With these 10 devices we have tracked elephants at least 5-6 times and have sent alerts to forest officials, and in these areas crop raiding is starting to decrease.

Update from ECC in Sayaboury

This past January, Dr. Stremme visited the ECC in Sayaboury, Laos to help their team begin health assessments on their elephants. This was the first in a series of visits scheduled for Dr. Stremme that we have funded so that the ECC can provide the highest standards of medical care and management to their elephants. The team, Kan and Anabel, plus all the mahouts, participated in reproductive assessment training as well as overall health condition monitoring.

Please read Anabel’s full report here

Sophie's 50th Birthday Bash

Little Rock Zoo celebrates Sophie while raising funds for AES

Little Rock Zoo celebrates Sophie while raising funds for AES

Nothing like packing up a SUV full of AES merchandise and informational handouts knowing you are heading to a 100% rainout! But with 6 big watermelon also already packed to go, Linda and volunteer Cynthia Christison head out.

Linda and Heidi

Linda and Heidi

Arriving in Little Rock early Friday afternoon, we drive to Conway for dinner with our advisor, Heidi Riddle. It is always a good visit and opportunity to talk about future funding possibilities for AES. Oh, and the weather was lovely on Friday.

The rain was already in full force with the rising sun on Saturday and the weatherman’s 100% rain prediction was 100% accurate. So some computer work, shopping, a movie, and dinner with the elephant barn crew made our Saturday.

Luckily the weatherman was right again with his prediction that the rain would be gone by Sunday morning and so the zoo decided to celebrate their Sophie that day. Although chilly and windy, the turnout was good and a very fun and interactive event took place with children decorating brown lunch bags, filling them from buckets of chopped produce, and then being able to place them in the yard where Sophie would find her birthday presents. Birthday cake and punch for all was also provided, and the zoo’s public is always kind to AES, purchasing our merchandise, giving donations, and showing a real interest in our efforts for Sophie’s “cousins” in Asia.

Little Rock Zoo has been a dependable supporter of our work for a number of years now, and we can only say, THANK YOU!
We appreciate you very much.

Houston EEHV Workshop March 26-28, 2019

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As elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) has been a cause of death for many young Asian elephants both in captivity and in the wild, Linda & Janet attended the Houston EEHV Workshop held March 26-28 to learn more about the situation. It was an overwhelmingly instructive and inspiring experience to be with many people from around the world trying to contain, treat, and develop a vaccine against EEHV, including researchers, zookeepers and elephant managers, geneticists, veterinarians and stem cell producers.

EEHV is a very tough and heartbreaking disease and to see that so many people and institutions are committed to this cause gave us a sense of hope because as we heard repetitively at the conference,  ‘Who doesn’t want to Save a baby elephant?”

AES Trip to Thailand

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From the perspective of new board member, Janet

I had two major objectives when I joined the trip to Thailand for the mobile vet dedication on Thailand Elephant Day:

  1. To see for myself how AES funds are put to use,

  2. To learn more about Asian elephants in one of their range countries.

Let’s just say this trip delivered on these items and more. I met recipients of AES grants: camp managers, workshop participants, the wonderful elephant vets and researchers at Chang Mai University and AES partners.  Some funds are used to improve camp conditions  for some captive elephants.  It was thrilling to actually see the mobile vet van in use, with vets treating elephants at different camps and facilitating research data collection.

I traveled from Chang Mai to Chang Rai in the new mobile vet van purchased with AES funds.  If I had to choose a highlight of the trip, this was it.  I saw the countryside where the wild elephants reside, visited a number of different types of camps and watched the vets  interacting with the patients and clients. I realized firsthand how remote the camps are from elephant medical facilities and experienced that the CMU van was able to handle the rough terrain and winding roads.  We met camp managers, mahouts, veterinarians and respected experts in the study of Asian elephants and, yes, even an elephant chiropractor.

Throughout all these travels in the van and a very informative stay at Elephantstay (a great place to learn about the life of a mahout), I don’t think a day passed without seeing multiple elephants.  From meting the first Thai calf conceived through artificial insemination named AI, seeing a calf less than 2 weeks old and a cow almost ready to give birth, to treating scrapes, collecting blood draws and checking on a lame elephant  - all were part of the job of the mobile vet.  At the Friends of the Asian Elephant (FAE) elephant hospital, I even had the opportunity to see an elephant being treated for an injury from a land mine. The hospital has a lab that can produce prosthesis for wounded elephants!

There were so many other discoveries on this trip.  I wish I could tell you about each and every one.  Overall, I could not be more proud of the people and work enabled through the donations made to AES.  It was gratifying to see the vet being able to treat remote elephants in the field.  The studies and recommendations of Chiang Mai University are so important to the survival of the Asian elephant in Thailand and elsewhere.

From the perspective of secretary, Vanessa Gagne

This past March I had the rare opportunity to travel to Thailand for National Thai Elephant Day and the dedication of the vehicle AES purchased for Chiang Mai University's Vet School's mobile clinic.  I most treasured my experience with the Thai people – I met so many colleagues in person and spent quality time with them.   It is through these human connections we will be able to help ensure the future of the Asian elephant.

I truly enjoyed seeing how each camp operates differently to manage their elephants.  Thailand is so rich in culture, especially elephant culture, that to miss seeing this as a part of their daily lives is to omit an integral portion of their national sense of self.  I think I set a personal record:  I saw over 140 elephants in one day during the Thai Elephant Day celebration.  It was remarkable!

Thailand has a fascinating history, and since archaeology is one of my favorite hobbies, I visited some temples and was captivated by their myths and symbols.  Many of the motifs are identical to that of the Maya.  I was able to visit the Patara Elephant Farm in Chiang Mai where I participated in their “mahout for a day” program.   The staff's educational talks to the participants were informative, demonstrating their professionalism and knowledge.  They explained the important difference between animal welfare and animal rights.

I left with a sense of peace and the hope I would return again soon.  There is so much work to be done helping people and their elephants.  I know it was the beginning of a life-long relationship with the Thai people and their “Chang Baan,” or domesticated elephants.

From the perspective of president, Linda Reifschneider

This was the first trip to Thailand for Janet and Vanessa.  I remember my first trip!   But that was 2002 and there have been 20+/- trips since then, so my perspective on this trip is a bit different.

From our visit to Richard Lair in Lampang, breaking in the new vet vehicle visiting elephant camps, our visit to Patara Elephant Farm, the vehicle dedication ceremony at Chiang Mai University through the welcoming Thai Elephant Day visits at Maesa and Maetaeng elephant camps and our visit to a Karen camp and John Roberts at the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, I experienced the ‘being with’ elephants that made me know on my first visit in 2002, it was time for me to say goodbye to a wonderful 43 -year career with Edward Jones and figure out how to be of benefit to today’s Asian elephant as well as a positive force for their future.  I’ve had a lot of help along the way, and so, I wish to use this article to say thank you to some very special friends who are the ‘boots on the ground’ in Thailand – the men and women with the education and expertise, determination and dedication, to a better today as well as the future of Asian elephants.  They are:  Richard Lair, acknowledged expert on Thai history, culture, language, and elephants; Drs. Chatchote Thitaram and Khajohnpat Boonprasert, Chiang Mai University; John Roberts, Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation; Theerapat (Pat) Trungprakan, Patara Elephant Farm and his lovely wife Anocha (Dao); Julie Ferdinand, a most helpful friend, and an expert canine exporter!  My sincere appreciation also to the newer friends and acquaintances made on this trip as they, too, are the hope of the Asian elephant and I am simply humbled to help in whatever small ways AES is able.

Both top and bottom truck pictures are courtesy of Dr. Yeaw

Both top and bottom truck pictures are courtesy of Dr. Yeaw

Wahdi Azmi's Visit to the US

From advisor Heidi Riddle

Wahdi and I were originally invited to the US for an AZA Asian Elephant SAFE meeting in Columbus on Feb -5-6. On February 7 we flew to DC from Columbus. We went to the USFWS office where Wahdi gave a presentation to USFWS staff from the Division of International Conservation about the project "Aceh Sustainable Development Caucus" which is funded though the grant to AES that we call Mentor. The proper name of that grant is: "An innovative partnership for human-elephant conflict and forest conservation in Sumatra." On February, 8th we were invited by the International Conservation Caucus Foundation (ICCF) to visit their main office in Georgetown where Wahdi gave a presentation about the Aceh Sustainable Development Caucus. The ICCF staff was very impressed. They plan to initiate an Oceans Caucus in Indonesia and will stay in touch with Wahdi. Wahdi left for Indonesia early the morning of February, 9th. Overall the short trip was very worthwhile as both USFWS and ICCF were pleased to hear about the Aceh Caucus and the efforts though Wahdi's work to target legislators about conservation issues.

EEHV Workshop

eehv workshop.jpg

As elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) has been a cause of death for many young Asian elephants both in captivity and in the wild, Linda & Janet attended the Houston EEHV Workshop held March 26-28 to learn more about the situation. It was an overwhelmingly instructive and inspiring experience to be with many people from around the world trying to contain, treat, and develop a vaccine against EEHV, including researchers, zookeepers and elephant managers, geneticists, veterinarians and stem cell producers.

EEHV is a very tough and heartbreaking disease and to see that so many people and institutions are committed to this cause gave us a sense of hope because as we heard repetitively at the conference, “Who doesn’t want to Save a baby elephant?”

Click to read the press release

eehv workshop photo.jpg
,

AES Trip to Thailand

,
header.jpg

From the perspective of new board member, Janet

I had two major objectives when I joined the trip to Thailand for the mobile vet dedication on Thailand Elephant Day:

  1. To see for myself how AES funds are put to use,

  2. To learn more about Asian elephants in one of their range countries.

Let’s just say this trip delivered on these items and more. I met recipients of AES grants: camp managers, workshop participants, the wonderful elephant vets and researchers at Chang Mai University and AES partners.  Some funds are used to improve camp conditions  for some captive elephants.  It was thrilling to actually see the mobile vet van in use, with vets treating elephants at different camps and facilitating research data collection.

I traveled from Chang Mai to Chang Rai in the new mobile vet van purchased with AES funds.  If I had to choose a highlight of the trip, this was it.  I saw the countryside where the wild elephants reside, visited a number of different types of camps and watched the vets  interacting with the patients and clients. I realized firsthand how remote the camps are from elephant medical facilities and experienced that the CMU van was able to handle the rough terrain and winding roads.  We met camp managers, mahouts, veterinarians and respected experts in the study of Asian elephants and, yes, even an elephant chiropractor.

Throughout all these travels in the van and a very informative stay at Elephantstay (a great place to learn about the life of a mahout), I don’t think a day passed without seeing multiple elephants.  From meeting the first Thai calf conceived through artificial insemination named AI, seeing a calf less than 2 weeks old and a cow almost ready to give birth, to treating scrapes, collecting blood draws and checking on a lame elephant  - all were part of the job of the mobile vet.  At the Friends of the Asian Elephant (FAE) elephant hospital, I even had the opportunity to see an elephant being treated for an injury from a land mine. The hospital has a lab that can produce prosthesis for wounded elephants!

There were so many other discoveries on this trip.  I wish I could tell you about each and every one.  Overall, I could not be more proud of the people and work enabled through the donations made to AES.  It was gratifying to see the vet being able to treat remote elephants in the field.  The studies and recommendations of Chiang Mai University are so important to the survival of the Asian elephant in Thailand and elsewhere.

From the perspective of secretary, Vanessa Gagne

This past March I had the rare opportunity to travel to Thailand for National Thai Elephant Day and the dedication of the vehicle AES purchased for Chiang Mai University's Vet School's mobile clinic.  I most treasured my experience with the Thai people – I met so many colleagues in person and spent quality time with them.   It is through these human connections we will be able to help ensure the future of the Asian elephant.

I truly enjoyed seeing how each camp operates differently to manage their elephants.  Thailand is so rich in culture, especially elephant culture, that to miss seeing this as a part of their daily lives is to omit an integral portion of their national sense of self.  I think I set a personal record:  I saw over 140 elephants in one day during the Thai Elephant Day celebration.  It was remarkable!

Thailand has a fascinating history, and since archaeology is one of my favorite hobbies, I visited some temples and was captivated by their myths and symbols.  Many of the motifs are identical to that of the Maya.  I was able to visit the Patara Elephant Farm in Chiang Mai where I participated in their “mahout for a day” program.   The staff's educational talks to the participants were informative, demonstrating their professionalism and knowledge.  They explained the important difference between animal welfare and animal rights.

I left with a sense of peace and the hope I would return again soon.  There is so much work to be done helping people and their elephants.  I know it was the beginning of a life-long relationship with the Thai people and their “Chang Baan,” or domesticated elephants.

From the perspective of president, Linda Reifschneider

This was the first trip to Thailand for Janet and Vanessa.  I remember my first trip!   But that was 2002 and there have been 20+/- trips since then, so my perspective on this trip is a bit different.

From our visit to Richard Lair in Lampang, breaking in the new vet vehicle visiting elephant camps, our visit to Patara Elephant Farm, the vehicle dedication ceremony at Chiang Mai University through the welcoming Thai Elephant Day visits at Maesa and Maetaeng elephant camps and our visit to a Karen camp and John Roberts at the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, I experienced the ‘being with’ elephants that made me know on my first visit in 2002, it was time for me to say goodbye to a wonderful 43 -year career with Edward Jones and figure out how to be of benefit to today’s Asian elephant as well as a positive force for their future.  I’ve had a lot of help along the way, and so, I wish to use this article to say thank you to some very special friends who are the ‘boots on the ground’ in Thailand – the men and women with the education and expertise, determination and dedication, to a better today as well as the future of Asian elephants.  They are:  Richard Lair, acknowledged expert on Thai history, culture, language, and elephants; Drs. Chatchote Thitaram and Khajohnpat Boonprasert, Chiang Mai University; John Roberts, Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation; Theerapat (Pat) Trungprakan, Patara Elephant Farm and his lovely wife Anocha (Dao); Julie Ferdinand, a most helpful friend, and an expert canine exporter!  My sincere appreciation also to the newer friends and acquaintances made on this trip as they, too, are the hope of the Asian elephant and I am simply humbled to help in whatever small ways AES is able.

Both top and bottom truck pictures are courtesy of Dr. Yeaw

Both top and bottom truck pictures are courtesy of Dr. Yeaw

Jalpaiguri Train Workshop

Last autumn AES helped fund a technical workshop to help reduce train-elephant accidents. It was held November 16-17, 2018, in Jalpaiguri in the state of West Bengal, India. The workshop brought together government officials from the Forest and Railways Departments, as well as individuals with expertise in technology and wildlife conservation.

During the workshop there were interesting presentations about new technology that may serve to develop early warning systems to notify train engine drivers about the presence of elephants near the tracks. There were also presentations about elephant movement (based on radio collar studies) in West Bengal, and updates from the Forest Department and Railways Department officials about efforts they have taken to reduce collisions between trains and elephants.

After the presentations and discussions there was a field site visit to an area of railway tracks that has seen several accidents.

The outcome of the workshop will be a document identifying priorities and needs, including how NGOs can help, that will be presented to a higher level of government - both Forest Dept and Railways Dept

Workshop_Book_Cover.jpg

Catching up with Fulbright Scholar & Elephant Feces Analyst Chase LaDue

Extracts from his blog https://www.cladue.org/blog. Chase received some funding from AES to assist in his Fulbright Study in Sri Lanka. Chase has also attempted to expand his science communication efforts on Twitter, pre-scheduling tidbits from the field to be posted every weekday. Some of the material duplicates what is on his blog, but if you’re interested, you can follow him @ChaseLaDue.

Feb 25, 2019 extract

I’m writing this update from my hotel room in Kochi, India, where I’m attending the South-Central Asia Fulbright Research Conference over the next week... This past trip to elephant land was shorter than last time (in part because I had to make it over here to India), but it still found a way to be filled with highs and lows. The trip also brought with it challenging moments as the elephants continue to engage in crop-raiding just outside of the park boundaries. Our elephant sightings have been inconsistent: we had our lowest number of sightings on a day during this trip, with a single elephant spotted before he ran into an adjacent forest patch, but we also had a few days of sighting 40 or 50 elephants at a time. It can be difficult to stay motivated and engaged without the promise of seeing elephants, but the milestones we’ve reached help to quickly overcome these doubts. The last day of this trip marked our 40th day of fieldwork, with over 200 hours spent searching for and watching elephants. We passed our 200th elephant sighting, with now more than 50 male elephants catalogued in our database.

I’m proud of our progress on the project, but I’m always hoping to accomplish more. When I get back from India, we’ll have another trip or two to Wasgamuwa before switching field sites. It’s still the rainy season in elephant land, so most of the elephants haven’t moved on to our next parks (these areas are still heavily flooded, and there’s no reason for elephants to move away from plentiful food sources at Wasgamuwa).

Mar 6,2019 extract

At the end of this week, I will have been abroad for four months—only five months to go! This past week marked the first time I’ve left the island since arriving back in November, as the United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF, the Indian equivalent to the US-Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission [US-SLFC]) hosted the South and Central Asia Fulbright Conference in Kochi, India…

The conference was a time for about 175 student and senior scholars to share the work that we’ve been conducting in the South and Central Asia region, including Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan…

…The conference was full of eye-opening, thought-provoking presentations from around the region. I learned about agriculture, public health, economic development, religion, and even entanglement theory…

At the podium sharing my work Photo: Sandarshi Gunawardena

At the podium sharing my work Photo: Sandarshi Gunawardena

… I was a part of [a session], a panel of Fulbrighters discussing the work in the realm of environmental science. I was one of only a couple ecologists at the conference, and so I thought that a talk about elephants in Sri Lanka may not draw attention. But of course, most people cannot resist photos of elephants, and so my talk was fairly well-attended. My presentation was sandwiched between talks about other environmental issues in the region, including in Kazakhstan, India, and Sri Lanka. None of the other panelists were studying wildlife persay, but the issues facing the environment are all intertwined…

Mar 19, 2019 extract

…With the transition from the wet to the dry season, the rains have also mostly subsided, although that hasn’t seemed to have an effect on the humidity levels.

The dryer heat alters the daily movement patterns of the elephants too. We’ve noticed that elephants are almost impossible to spot before 2:00pm now, even in the morning when it’s relatively cool. We think they’re spending the heat of the day under tree cover in the forest where we can’t see them. The vegetation is so thick that most times after moving just a few meters into the forest, we completely lose an elephant. (On a related note, we’ve also noticed that elephants seem much more wary of the vehicle and more apt to move into the forest when approach, a possible result of the recent crop-raiding that has occurred.) So as we’re driving through the park, I’m sure that there are tons of elephants (…literally) that we’re missing just a little bit off the road. We sometimes hear their trumpets and rumbles, but if we can’t see them, there’s not much we can do. Decreased elephant visibility at Wasgamuwa and lowering floodplains in other parts of the island are signs that it’s about time to move to another fieldsite and meet some new elephants. Hopefully we see some old “friends” too.

… Despite the wane in elephant activity around Wasgamuwa over the past month, there remains one fact in life: everyone poops. And in fact, even when it’s hot outside, elephants will poop, and that fact is evident as we drive around the park. In the areas that they frequent, elephant poop is ubiquitous, and it’s important for proper functioning of the ecosystem. Wild adult elephants are estimated to produce over 100 pounds of poop each day, and because they are rather poor at digesting their food, all of this dung returns vital nutrients back to their environment. Whole populations of insects and other invertebrates depend on elephant dung, including some species of the infamous dung beetles in Africa, who lay their eggs in the stuff.

… And this penchant for poop isn’t due just to it’s environmental importance, nor is it a result of all of the practical uses people have found for it (for those who are curious, you can use elephant dung to make paper products and generate energy, among other things). But it’s what scientists can do with elephant poop (and poop from other species, for that matter) that really sealed the deal for me. We can learn about an animal’s life from its poop, including its diet, genetic composition, microbiome, and other things. For our project, we’re interested in measuring hormones, the body’s chemical messengers that are important regulators of behavior, helping an animal cope with its environment. And yes, we can measure hormone metabolites in elephant poop (side note: we’re measuring the metabolites, not the hormones themselves, because like many other molecules in our body, hormones get broken down so that they don’t have longlasting effects)…

Look how happy our poop team is! Last week, we collected an unprecedented four samples in one day. From L to R: Sachintha, Dhanushka, Nimal (who may not be excited, but is instead questioning his life decisions that led him to hold a piece of elepha…

Look how happy our poop team is! Last week, we collected an unprecedented four samples in one day. From L to R: Sachintha, Dhanushka, Nimal (who may not be excited, but is instead questioning his life decisions that led him to hold a piece of elephant dung in his hand), and me.

Dudhwa Camp Healthcare and Mahout Training

A year ago we received a grant request to help cover the food and healthcare costs of 13 elephants at the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve camp in Uttar Pradesh, India. Over the course of a year the camp has grown to 23 elephants with the addition of a mahout training workshop! Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), the Forestry Department, and Dr. Kushal Sarma have all been working tirelessly to improve the welfare of their elephants. The team used several medical tests and training tests to assess overall welfare of the charges. They also evaluated the comprehension of the mahouts in order to better educate them about training, husbandry, and foot care.

It has been found that closer regulation of these elephants is required to keep the standards of welfare and medical attention high. The report specifically states that the mahouts are dedicated to the keeping of their elephants and are eager to learn as much as possible to keep them healthy and content. We, along with WTI, share the idea that improving the lives and education of mahouts directly benefits their elephants. When a mahout can see a tangible change in the life of their elephant, they earn a sense of pride and a renewal of self-motivation to continue working for that animal and that in turn builds trust between the elephant and the mahout and everything begins to improve from there. We were happy to learn the mahout workshop was added to their plans for these elephants living in human care.

Please read the full welfare[1] and mahout training[2] reports.

[1]: Final_Report_for_Elephant_health_camp_Dudhwa_2019.pdf
[2]: Final_Report_for_Mahout_Training.pdf

Field Report from Chase LaDue

Last year, for the first time AES decided to help fund a field researcher for a 9 month project in Sri Lanka “Musth Variation among Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus): Applications for Conservation and Management”. Chase LaDue is a Fulbright Scholar Researcher, and not only did AES consider this an important project, so did the International Elephant Foundation (IEF) and National Geographic. This is the first in a series of Field Reports following Chase’s experience in Sri Lanka at Rajarata University in the Faculty of Applied Sciences.

January Update from Chase LaDue:

A special moment: Kevin & Chase : Kevin approaches our vehicle and just watches us for a bit. Wasgamuwa National Park, 21 January 2019. Photo Chase Ladue

We have begun data collection at Wasgamuwa National Park, Sri Lanka, including recording behavior,acoustics, and collecting fecal samples. While not popular among international tourists, Wasgamuwa is full of elephants, especially during the rainy season that lasts for a few more months. During our first ten days in the field, we photographed and catalogued 27 adult male elephants. We distinguish males by using differences in the elephants’ natural appearances, such as depigmentation patterns, ear shapes, and tail hair lengths. Unlike in other countries, we can’t use differences in tusk lengths for this purpose; due to historical poaching of male elephants for their ivory, only five to ten percent of male elephants in Sri Lanka have tusks. As such, Sri Lankan tuskers are highly valued by local people, but these elephants can be subject to poaching themselves. With generous funds from Asian Elephant Support, we have been able to hire a vehicle and park ranger to accompany us in the field, extendingthe time we can collect data among the elephants.

Even though Sri Lanka has the highest concentration of Asian elephants in the world, that also means that incidents of human–elephant conflict (HEC) are common, with expanding farmlands extending to the borders of protected areas. Additionally, the cessation of the recent civil war that displaced many local people has attracted these people back to their agricultural plots, exacerbating the problem of HEC. Indeed, many of the male elephants we follow in Wasgamuwa are riddled with bullet wounds, evidence of frequent crop-raiding events. Males in musth are especially prone to crop-raiding, as they engage in riskier behavior and are attracted to nutritious crops. Our project seeks to better understand social and environmental factors that lead to variation in musth among male elephants; this understanding will inform HEC mitigation strategies as solutions are sought for sustainable human–elephant coexistence.

Thank you, Asian Elephant Support, for enthusiastically backing our work. In a few months, we will leave Wasgamuwa to follow the elephants to other national parks with the transition to the dry season. In the meantime, we will continue documenting the behavioral and physiological dynamics present among the male elephants of Wasgamuwa.

February Update from Chase LaDue:

We’ve had 1,187 elephant sightings over 186 different sighting events in Wasgamuwa National Park. With all of these sightings, we’ve identified 48 different adult male elephants (often called bulls; females are called cows). We’ve seen 24 of these bulls multiple times.

Here is a snippet from his latest blog:

Collecting (elephant) fecal samples in the field, donning a shirt from another of our generous supporters, Asian Elephant Support. Photo: Wendy Kiso.

Over our 17 days this past trip, we’ve observed elephants we haven’t spotted since December, and of course we’ve seen new elephants too. But our sightings have decreased in frequency compared to when we started. During our visit to Nimal’s village, we were told that elephants from the park would soon be crossing the fence to start raiding the paddy fields. And based also on the increased amount firecrackers we’ve been hearing at night, the lack of elephants in the park indicates that this has happened. Nimal says this is temporary, and that this movement happens about the same time every year in the rainy season, and it will only last two weeks. I’m hopeful that our trip back to Wasgamuwa next week will be more fruitful in terms of elephant sightings. With the end of the rainy season looming, the elephants will begin to move out of the forests to find more food, making them easier for us to see. We’re also excited at the prospects of seeing other species, including leopards (I’m convinced I caught a fleeting glimpse of one running through the forest during an early morning drive last week) and sloth bears.

Today (February 4) is National Day in Sri Lanka, the equivalent to Independence Day in the US. It’s pouring outside as I write this update, and I’ll spend the rest of the day answering emails and attending to matters I’ve had the excuse to ignore while in elephant land without WiFi. Tomorrow at the university I’ll begin processing the fecal samples we collected before heading to Colombo on Wednesday.

So, if you’ve ever wondered what a Fulbright scholar studying musth in Sri Lanka actually does, you can read more details on his blog.

Or check AES website for updates regarding Chase’s research & other AES-sponsored projects. There’ll be some catching up to do on our website for Chase’s project but AES wants you to see & be part of the experience that you have helped to support.