November 15th 2024

Annual American Association of Zookeepers (AAZK) National Conference

In September, Asian Elephant Support Secretary, Mary Miller, travelled
to Omaha, Nebraska for the 49th Annual American Association of Zookeepers (AAZK) National Conference. After the first full day of the conference, Mary presented a video at the Conservation Rally, highlighting a few of the many projects that AES funds. The video was
well received, with many zookeepers coming up to her afterward stating just how effective the video was.

AES also had a table at the exhibitors hall to sell merchandise and further reach out to keepers. Mary stated that she met many passionate zookeepers who are interested in hosting future events with their local AAZK chapters for AES.

AES would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to the Omaha AAZK chapter for being an exceptional host and to the entire AAZK organization for supporting AES as a conservation partner!

November 15th 2024

Announcing An Exciting New Partnership with Animals Anonymous

We’re incredibly excited to announce that Animals Anonymous has partnered with Asian Elephant Support to help the conservation of Asian elephants! ! CLICK HERE to shop Animals Anonymous’ wide array of products and 10% of your purchase will go to Asian Elephant Support (with our AES specific link)! You can also visit their page www.animalsanonymousapparel.com and click the button under the Asian Elephant Support logo on the Conservation Partners page.

Animals Anonymous is a clothing company that was founded by a former zookeeper with a mission to protect wildlife and inspire a deeper connection to conservation. To date they have contributed over $200,000 to conservation projects worldwide, helping protect species that need it most.

August 2nd 2024

Remembering a Friend - Richard C. Lair

Richard C. Lair, Advocate for Asian Elephant Conservation and Co-Founder of the Thai Elephant Orchestra, Dies at 81

Obituary was originally written by Dave Sulzer, Janine Brown, John Cavala, Bob Dobias, James Haft & Scarlet Magda

Richard C. Lair, artist, award-winning filmmaker, and a preeminent figure in the field of Asian elephant conservation, passed away peacefully at his home in Lampang, Thailand, on July 19,2024. Richard was born September 25, 1942, in Lompoc, California, to Clarence and Margarita Lair. He is survived by his brothers Jim and Mike and his longtime partner Boonpeng Khantong, known as Noi.

He was among the many children who contracted polio before its eradication in the early 1950s. During his recovery, he became an avid reader, reading a book a day. A pre-med student in Seattle, he entered San Francisco State College as an art major but soon transferred to the film department, where he developed his filmmaking skills. He produced films for the psychedelic scene in San Francisco during the 1967 “Summer of Love.” By 1970, he had self-financed, written, directed, and filmed the 27-minute wildlife documentary addressing endangered species in California “Where Will They Go?” His filmmaking career included cinematography and design for the award-winning World’s Fair Expo multimedia presentation “The Taiwan Experience,” produced by Bing Crosby’s production company, Electrovision, for the Taiwan Pavilion at Expo ‘74 in Spokane, Washington. He was a principal photographer for the 1976 award-winning National Park Service bicentennial multimedia presentation at Union Station,“Welcome to Washington.” His film“Alice Elliott,” a documentary on one of the last Pomo Indian basketmakers, won the CINE Golden Eagle Award in 1975.

Lair’s fascination with elephants was apparent from early childhood, filling countless notebooks with sketches. In 1973, he traveled to India to engage with and photograph Asian elephants. In 1977, he spent a year working with elephants at Marine World/Africa USA in Redwood City,California. In 1979, he made the formative decision to go to Southeast Asia to study elephants in the wild, learning to write and speak Thai fluently. Lair spent several years in the forest counting elephants, the number of which had been unknown. In Thailand, there were roughly 100,000 captive elephants at the beginning of the twentieth century. By the 1980s, when Richard re-surveyed the population, only a few thousand remained. Logging had been the primary source of income for elephants and mahouts (elephant trainers / keepers), but once declared illegal due to the environmental destruction from over-logging, the livelihood of the elephants and mahouts was threatened. Soon thereafter, many out-of-work elephants and their mahouts found their way into the tourist industry, where today, about 3,500 work by providing rides, participating inshows, or just being observed. The care of these “captive” elephants, not “domesticated” as Richard would explain, became a major focus of his life’s work.

Richard learned from Burmese mahouts, considered the most skilled in the world – knowledge he later brought to the creation of the Thai Elephant Conservation Center (TECC),a conservation center and elephant hospital for Asian elephants supported by the Thai government. The TECC, located between Lampang and Chiang Mai, supports over 75 elephants on 300 acres. A skilled writer, Lair wrote the master plan for the TECC in 1991. He played a crucial role in establishing Thailand’s first school for mahouts, bridging traditional wisdom and training skills from Burmese mahouts with modern veterinary and husbandry practices. As an Advisor and International Relations Officer for the TECC for many years, Richard's legacy will ensure that the TECC remains a beacon of hope for elephant conservation, veterinary medicine, and research.

Richard's innovative spirit spawned opportunities to enhance the daily lives of the elephants and mahouts at the TECC, while raising funds for the Center. In 1997, he teamed with Russian-American artists Vitaly Komar and Alex Melamid to start an “Elephant Art Academy” at the TECC, providing opportunities for elephants to paint while increasing awareness of the plight of Asian elephants. Partnering with the World Wildlife Fund and prestigious auction houses like Christie’s, this effort raised funds for elephant conservation efforts.

In a serendipitous collaboration with composer and Columbia University neuroscientist Dave Soldier, Lair co-founded the Thai Elephant Orchestra. Together, they created over twenty elephant-ergonomic instruments tailored to the musical styles of northern Thailand. Between 2000-2006, sixteen elephants were trained to play these instruments, resulting in three CDs of improvised music, recorded with portable studio gear without overdubs or editing in an outdoor clearing at the TECC. The elephants often play spontaneously and use the activity as a social event. Importantly, the orchestra demonstrated that a non-human species can create instrumental music. Several pieces feature elephants improvising with local Thai and visiting musicians, and the orchestra performed a version of Beethoven’s Pastorale Symphony with Lampang’s High School Marching Band for Thai television. Orchestral improvisations by the elephants have been arranged for human musicians, including Steven Beck and the Composer’s Concordance Orchestra. While the Thai Elephant Orchestra no longer performs, it was the subject of a documentary by the British Thai filmmaker Paul Spurrier and profiled by many press outlets, including the BBC, The Economist, the New York Times, and the Bangkok Post. Their recordings have been heard by millions and were observed by thousands of visitors to the TECC.

Lair's life was marked by a profound dedication to the preservation and understanding of Asian elephants and the need for humane treatment and care. His seminal work, “Gone Astray: The Care and Management of the Asian Elephant in Domesticity,” published in 1977, is regarded as the definitive book on elephant care and conservation, carrying the imprimatur of the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization. Richard’s dedication to elephant welfare also led to his conception and co-authorship of the “Elephant Care Manual for Mahouts and Camp Managers,” published in 2005 in Thai and English, is still an essential resource for elephant handlers and managers throughout Thailand. The book is directed to mahouts and camp managers with primary school education, providing information regarding disease, hygiene, and biology. The book is free and has been widely distributed, reaching nearly every mahout and camp manager/owner in Thailand.

A passionate translator, Lair also brought important cultural works to the English-speaking world, including Nikom Rayawa's, “High Banks, Heavy Logs,” a poignant tale of cultural change involving elephants, and “Sihanouk Reminisces,” along with many Thailand travel guides. Known affectionately throughout Thailand as "Professor Chang," he was celebrated for his fluency in classical Thai and deep integration into Thai culture. This unique position allowed him to contribute numerous articles on elephants to Thai newspapers, often under assumed Thai names, ensuring the information reached the local population. In his later years, Richard became an important resource and liaison for media working in Thailand, particularly on elephants. He was interviewed across a variety of platforms, including CNN, PBS, National Geographic, Walt Disney Entertainment Channel, NBC Evening News, WTN, Channel 4, BBC, The New York Times, Sawasdee, Asian Wall Street Journal, Smithsonian Magazine, Der Spiegel, Sunday Morning Post, and Thai media.

He consulted and worked with elephants on several film projects, including the 1994 Walt Disney Studio feature-film, “Operation Dumbo Drop.” During the production of the 1984 film, “The Killing Fields,” Richard crossed paths with the storyteller Spalding Gray. The encounter was memorialized by Gray in his book and film, “Swimming to Cambodia.” “I was so bored that I began talking to the driver – an extra. He was an expatriate from San Francisco, an elephant expert, who was spending his time counting elephants in the Thai jungle because he thought, ‘America is going crazy. Going nuts, going to the dogs. Going to the wow-wows.’ He went to Thailand to get his sanity back, and in Thailand he only trusted elephants. So they were all he was interested in. He slept in the bush at night and in the morning he got up, grabbed his elephant counter and just counted elephants. He had a limp, a game leg – and he knew that if you frighten elephants at night hey will charge. They sleep standing up and he was sure, he confided in me, that he was going to be killed within the following two months by a stampeding elephant.” Richard joined with members of the science community to pursue several elephant-centric scientific investigations. For example, the “running index” describes the mechanics of running, and while it was known that elephants could be extraordinarily fast, their manner of locomotion was unknown. In a 2003 paper in Nature, Lair and coauthor John Hutchinson found that for short periods of time, their speed reached 15.5 miles per hour, and they exhibited a gait that qualified as running. Joshua Plotnik, a student of psychology at the City University of New York at the time, collaborated with Richard and TECC mahouts on a study published in 2010 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences n the first experimental study of elephant cooperation, finding that elephants not only understand how cooperation works, but that partner contributes to its success. Lair also recorded libraries of elephant vocalizations and, until recently, worked on new methods to identify individual elephants in the wild. in 2016, Veterinarians International president Scarlett Magda bestowed upon Richard a Lifetime Achievement Award in acknowledgment of his commitment to enhancing our understanding of Asian elephants and their welfare. Richard’s final and unfinished project is “EyeD,” a deep learning software application that would allow individual elephants to be identified by photos of the distinctive wrinkle patterns around their eyes: if and when completed, using his voluminous photos of elephant eyes for training, it will provide a fitting completion to the circle of his life’s passion.

Richard C. Lair leaves behind a legacy of unwavering dedication to the Asian elephant and a wealth of knowledge that will continue to inspire conservation efforts worldwide. He will be deeply missed by the global conservation community and all who had the privilege of knowing him.

July 18th 2024

AES Annual Board Meeting in Topeka, Kansas

The first weekend of June, Asian Elephant Support (AES) board of directors travelled from all over the U.S. to meet in Topeka, Kansas for their annual board meeting. Typical AES Board monthly meetings consist of a review of grant requests and ways for us to communicate needs and raise funds for new and ongoing projects. Annual Board meetings however, allow us to take a deep dive into planning and renewing our focus on our mission to care and conserve Asian elephants in range countries.

The Board spend our first night in Topeka enjoying dinner together and catching up on life. The following day was spend getting down to business by discussing upcoming projects, fundraisers, and our vote to welcome newcomer Justin Marren to the board. Unfortunately Justin was unable to travel to Topeka, but did meet with us over Zoom. The second day was split between being hard at work and visiting our friends at Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center. We ended the visit sharing a meal with the Topeka Zoo crew.

Trunks up to the Topeka Zoo for supporting AES throughout the years! We also send out a huge thank you to the elephant team who graciously hosted us and introduced Cora and Tembo, their lovely elephant residents to us. Getting down to business is easy to do when you have good friends and amazing animals to look forward to!

July 18th 2024

Join Us in welcoming, Justin Marren, to the AES Board of Directors!

Asian Elephant Support (AES) is excited to welcome new director, Justin Marren. He has actively supported and helped fundraise for AES since he started his career at the Little Rock Zoo in 2016. He works as a Large Hoofstock keeper at the Little Rock Zoo taking care of elephants and rhinos. His passion for elephants started a very young age and working with elephants at the Little Rock Zoo is a dream come true. Justin is also passionate about conservation efforts for elephants and hopes that elephants will continue to be around and inspire future generations!

Trunks up, Justin !

We’re glad to have you with us!

June 26th 2024

Another Year! Another Amazing Pizza for Pachyderms!!

So many of you guys came out to join us this year for another fabulous Pizza for Pachyderms Event!!

This year was a record year for partnerships with pizzerias! We had more participation with new restaurants than ever before! We look forward to bringing Pizza for Pachyderms to a pizzeria near you again next year! Thank you to all our partners!!

May 16, 2024

Trunks Up Mindy! Thank you for all your passion!

Thank you and best wishes to AES Board member, Mindy Ussrey!

Mindry Ussrey joined the Asian Elephant Support Board in November 2019. However she had already been finding financial support for AES for several years prior, including inviting President Linda Reifschneider up to give a talk to the Buffalo Zoo staff and volunteers.

Mindy brought to the board her experience of several years as an elephant keeper at various zoos, a deep understanding of Asian elephants and their care while living with us, and the difficult future the wild population is facing. She handled all the work a voluntary board needs to do efficiently and soon was also our corporate secretary. She did unique and very successful fundraisers for AES and also kept the incoming reports from our Chiang Mai University’s mobile vet clinic (funded by AES) current to our newsletter readers.

Life’s path is full of all sorts of intersections and choices, and while Mindy’s is now heading in a new direction, she will still be involved with conservation and environmental issues, just closer to home than our range country elephants.

Thank you, Mindy! Keep in touch! And we’ll be delighted to hear about next year’s Painting with a Twist! (Painting for Pachyderms) fundraiser.

May 16, 2024

Trunks Up Tina! Thank You for all your service!

Thank You and best wishes to AES Board member, Tina Torres!

Tina was our website master and a wiz at creating fun graphics for our newsletter and website during her three years on the board. She was instrumental in the recent update and redesigned look for the Asian Elephant Support website last year as well as our updated informational pamphlet.

Tina brought a thoughtful manner to our board meetings and was great company at our annual-in-person board meetings.

After several years with AES, life has pulled Tina in a different direction, but we are so grateful for her insight, talent, and service. We all wish Tina the very best in her future endeavors and President Linda Reifschneider extends sincere thanks for her very thoughtful comments on Linda’s 80th birthday video!

January 1st 2024

Thank You and Trunks up, Liz Beem!

Foundation News

Asian Elephant Support held its first California Pizza Kitchen (Pizza for Pachyderms) fundraiser in April, 2011. It was one full day (11 a.m. until 9:30 p.m.) at one location: Chesterfield, MO, and netted AES $204! The following year, we reached out to our audience asking for volunteers to host an event. Liz Beem was the first to respond. She did a great CPK fundraiser that year and every year thereafter. In December 2019 she joined the AES board, and for nearly four years was a driving force behind much of what AES would accomplish. Liz dedicated so much of her talent to helping AES grow and expand even during a time when the entire world was shuttered in due to a global pandemic. Her knowledge, adaptability, and creativity have been instrumental over the last four years. Liz helped to keep the AES board organized. She inspired new board members to jump into action following her lead. She made nearly every form of communication from AES to our donors and partners more engaging, fun, and colorful. But, above all, Liz’s passion for Asian elephants and their conservation has been a shining example of the amazing human being she is.

(Left to Right) Fin times with AES annual board meeting in Alburquerque, New Mexico with fellow board members, Mindy Ussery and Tina Torres.

AES Board members - Mary Miller, Liz Beem, Mindy Ussery, Tina Torres and Lindsey Eagan with elephants Irene and Alice

Liz educating the public with two of her favorites, Little Mac and Suzi

 Back in October of 2023, Liz stepped down from her role as Vice President and bid farewell to the AES board in order to focus her energies more on work and life balances. We absolutely miss having Liz present with us in our monthly board meetings, but we are determined to continue our mission to help elephants and the communities who live with them while making Liz proud. We are eternally grateful to Liz for over a decade of support, her years of effort and guidance, and her passion for conservation. Thank you, Liz! We love you! And we’ll see you in April for another successful Pizza for Pachyderms event, right?!

November 18th 2023

AES Attends the 19th International Elephant Conservation and Research Symposium

Foundation News

Quite possibly the biggest elephant event since the beginning of the pandemic, the 19th International Elephant Conservation and Research Symposium, was held at the Empress Convention Center, Chiang Mai, Thailand November 14th-17th, 2023. This massive convention hosted by the Center of Elephant and Wildlife Health Chiang Mai University in collaboration with the International Elephant Foundation, Kasetsart University, and the National Elephant Institute was also supported in part by Asian Elephant Support. 

More than 205 participants representing over 20 different countries from around the world traveled to Chiang Mai to attend the symposium. Nearly 113 oral presentation titles were presented speaking on a variety of studies and research associated with both African and Asian elephant conservation. There were a number of topics consisting of the Care for elephants, Elephant Behavior, Management of Elephants in Human Care, Elephant Genetics, EEHV, Wild Elephant Populations, Habitat and Human Development, Elephant Protection Initiatives, Human-Elephant Conflict, Elephant Nutrition, and Elephant Physiology and Veterinary Management.

AES’s own president, Linda Reifschneider, and director, Lindsey Eagan, traveled to Chiang Mai to present on the diversity of projects supported over the last few years and to express our gratitude to the elephant community at large for their efforts in the field, in the laboratory, and in conservation. We were proud to be able to sponsor the travel of several attendees in order to present their own papers and to have the opportunity to make connections with other global elephant professionals. Sponsored travel was made possible for Dr. Bhupen Sarma (India), Rengasamy Marimuthu (India), Lauren Howard (USA), Dr. Firdaus (Sumatra), Dr. Zaw Min Oo (Myanmar), Dr. B. Vijitha Perera (Sri Lanka), and Chandima Fernando (Sri Lanka).

Pictured above with AES (Left to Right): Dr. Bhupen Sarma (India), Ashok Kumar Ram (Nepal) with Rengasamy Marimuthu (India), Lauren Howard (USA), and Dr. Sayuti with Dr. Stremme & Dr. Firdaus (Sumatra)

Pictured above with AES (Left to Right): Dr. Zaw Min Oo (Myanmar), Dr. B. Vijitha Perera (Sri Lanka) and Chinthaka Weerasinghe with Ravi Corea & Chandmia Fernando (Sri Lanka)

And, of course, the symposium offered the opportunity for AES to connect with other project partners and friends from near and far. We were thrilled to share a week full of greetings, new and old connections, stories, laughter, smiles, hugs, and even a few tears with such a wonderful global community! Thank you to the International Elephant Foundation for another lovely event! 

Pictured above with AES (from Left to Right): Gilles Mauer (Lao PDR), Lisa Abegglen- Maura Davis- Lauren Howard- Natalie Rourke- Lindsey Eagan- Rachel Emory- Christine Holter- Linda Reifschneider- Amber Alink (USA),
Sabie Iwin (Myanmar)

Pictured below with AES (from Left to Right): Ekkaxay Inthalacsa (Lao PDR), Dr. Janine Brown & Dr. Sharon Glaeser with Amber Alink (USA) and A.I. (bull-TECC), and Khounboline (Lao PDR) with Dr. Prajna Paramita Panda (IUCN, India)

November 13th 2023

AES Attends the 5th Asian EEHV Working Group Meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Foundation News, EEHV

The 5th Asian EEHV Working Group Meeting 2023, was held at Chiang Mai University on November 13th. This event gathered around 70 people from many countries around the world. Sixteen presenters were country representatives who updated attendees about the EEHV situation in each region with the number of cases, the availability of laboratory spaces and equipment, and the gaps and needs of their regions efforts to combat EEHV. Some of them still need a budget to set up their laboratories. However, this event was a great opportunity for connection and collaboration among EEHV researchers and practitioners. In addition, there were interesting presentations from subject matter experts updating on diagnosis and treatment, updates on immune response, and advancements in vaccine development (which many participants were eager to hear about!) In addition to the individual presentations there was a group session for brainstorming on the topics of diagnosis, treatment and research in order to exchange knowledge and share discoveries!

AES is grateful that the elephant community had such a wonderful opportunity for participants to meet with each other to collaborate against EEHV, a devastating obstacle in the way of elephant conservation.

October 19, 2023

AES Building Relationships at AAZK 2023

Foundation News

Recently, two of our board members made the trek to Akron, Ohio for the American Association of Zookeepers (AAZK) Conference. This year we joined the AAZK as an official Conservation Partner. Many attendees to the conference stopped by the AES exhibitor table to chat and purchase some merchandise.  

At the conference our board members met with the AAZK board to discuss opportunities and additional ways to collaborate. We are  excited to grow our relationship with AAZK! 

A huge trunks-up to the AAZK board of directors and the Akron AAZK Chapter for their great hospitality and a successful conference! 
 

AES Directors, Mary and Mindy, making connections at Asian Elephant Support's conference table

A huge trunks-up to the AAZK board of directors and the Akron AAZK Chapter for their great hospitality and a successful conference! 

October 6th 2023

Tales from the Road With AES President, Linda Reifschneider - EMA 2023

Foundation News

September 28th Linda and AES volunteer Cynthia Christianson headed to Little Rock Zoo where our friends in the elephant barn have arranged a surprise birthday cake for Cynthia.  Yes, she was surprised, and, yes, the cake was great!  Our friendship with crew members Kristin, Justin, Johnny, Will, and Chris, makes a stop here always special.  Time with Zina, Sophie, and Babe (the elephants) along with Andazi and her son, Kevin, (the rhinos) adds to such memories.  Zina, outdid herself and gave us some lovely trunk prints for the AAZK and EMA conferences.  She sold out at both!  Thank you, Zina and her painting team!  Dinner at a local Mexican restaurant ended a short, but very good, visit.

The following day we drove to Dallas, checking out some museum info in Texarkana along the way.  We spent two nights with Linda’s son, Eric, to visit and watch one of his ballgames. After lunch with Eric on October 1st, we packed and headed to the Hyatt in Ft. Worth to check in for the EMA conference.  Then back to Dallas for a 6:30 p.m. baseball game where Eric would be starting pitcher.   The two games we saw were two different teams and Eric’s team won both games.  Maybe Linda can convince Eric she’s a good luck charm and needs to be there for more games….as long as she doesn’t cheer when he’s at bat!

The EMA Conference this year was a shared event with both Dallas and Ft. Worth zoos co-hosting.  Attendees who stayed at the same hotel the entire time were bussed between the two zoos each day, and enjoyed a hospitality room at the hotel each evening. The first day we had papers at the Dallas Zoo in the morning and the afternoon was a great time with special events set up for us on the zoo grounds. The remainder of the papers was presented at the Ft. Worth Zoo, and, yes, we had another great zoo day in Ft. Worth. 

Vice President, Liz Beem, presented an update on Asian Elephant Support’s work and activities since the 2022 EMA conference and our thanks to all attendees who visited our information and merchandise table.  And a huge thank you to the Elephant Managers Association for allowing us the opportunity to always have a table at their annual gathering.  We truly appreciate that kindness!

After a great post trip to Fossil Rim, Cynthia and Linda headed to Fredericksburg, TX for some good German food and to spend a day with our very special friends at The Preserve.  If you love German food and elephants…. (or just elephants!) ....this is a great road trip.  The Preserve offered an educational day about elephants served up with joy, fun, and lots of love!
On October 8th, we left Fredericksburg for Tulsa, OK.  We were excited to see the elephant area that is under construction.  The area will be called the Lost Kingdom and, having been to Angkor Wat, Cambodia, twice, their design people did an amazing job recreating the Ta Prohm site at one of the most important archeological sites in Southeast Asia.  It will be wonderful to see this new area when completed. 

(On the left): Fun at The Preserve in Fredericksburg, TX (On the right): Visiting the future of Tulsa Zoo’s elephant program

An aside, earlier this year Cynthia and Linda had the opportunity to drop in on Cecil, Val, and the elephant crew at Cincinnati Zoo. Cecil gave us a great tour of their new and greatly expanded elephant habitat.  We truly appreciated this opportunity and are delighted to see both institutions’ commitment to the future of Asian elephants in the United States!

In Springfield, MO, on October 10th, we had the delightful opportunity to meet Ben White and the elephant team at Dickerson Park Zoo.  It had been a decade since we had visited and it was great to see their elephants again, including the young Hugo who arrived recently from, of course, Hugo, OK!  And then to our last stop and great long-standing friends at the Topeka Zoo, including a morning tour with Cora and Tembo. They treated us to a great lunch with a number of the keepers.  Always the best sort of lunch!  

And then we “pedaled” some 315 miles to home. Well… not exactly.  Rather, we headed back to our Saint Louis Zoo for the donors’ Boo at the Zoo evening. Cynthia even picked up the dinner tab as that day was my birthday.  Thus, we made a 2400-mile road trip including: a 4-day EMA conference, a couple of good baseball games, lots of good friends (two and four-footed!), and celebrated birthdays on both the first and last days of this 15-day outing.  With thanks to our vice president, Liz Beem, for her effort on behalf of AES and to Cynthia, for always being ready to pack her trunk (ahem, suitcase) and head off to help AES help Asian elephants!  

Sharing a meal with the teams at the Little Rock Zoo, Dickerson Park Zoo, and Topeka Zoo. And chatting with a friend, Katie Pilgram-Kloppe at EMA 2023

……….and please do remember that we are a totally voluntary nonprofit.  No salaries, no perks; we cover our own travel and other expenses, as well as, an annual financial gift to AES.  Thus, all merchandise sales and donations go to projects that will be beneficial for Asian elephants and the communities who care for or must learn how to co-exist safely with them. 

October 6th 2023

AES Attends the Elephant Managers Association Conference

Foundation News

This year, the 2023 Elephant Managers Association (EMA) Conference saw hosting duties split between both Dallas and Fort Worth Zoo. Attendees enjoyed 4 days of presentations, special events and zoo visits at both Fort Worth Zoo and Dallas Zoos. Each morning participants were bussed to the day’s presentations at the scheduled zoo location and at night, the conference hotel functioned as the hub for post-presentation activities where participants could meet, network, and enjoy the hospitality room.

Dallas Zoo had the honor of hosting the first day complete with the event icebreaker. Presentations took place in the morning with several special events set up for attendees on the zoo grounds throughout the afternoon.

The remainder of the papers were presented the following days at the Fort Worth Zoo. Conference attendees were treated to a second fun zoo day, as well as, the banquet in Fort Worth. Vice President, Liz Beem, presented an update on Asian Elephant Support’s work and activities since the 2022 EMA conference.

A huge thank you to the Elephant Managers Association for allowing us the opportunity to always have a table at their annual gathering as well as all attendees who visited our information and merchandise table. We truly appreciate that kindness!

June 16, 2023

IUCN SSC AsESG Meeting

India, Education, Foundation News

The Asian Elephant Specialist Group is one component of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature – Species Survival Commission.  Thus you can see the need for the acronym IUCN SSC AsESG. 
 
With that resolved, Asian Elephant Support, represented by President Linda Reifschneider, made its first attendance at the 11th AeSG meeting - this one in Delhi, India.  The IUCN SSC AsESG is a global network of 110 specialists from 21 countries across the globe and the AsESG hosts the meeting of its members and range country officials at regular intervals to deliberate on various issues related to conservation of elephants in Asia. 

Like all good meetings, the evening of the delegates’ arrival featured a welcoming icebreaker and dinner - offering the opportunity to greet many known-friends, as well as meet new ones.  AES Advisor, Heidi Riddle has been an active member of this group for many years and, while she and Linda live less than 400 miles apart, they seem to meet more frequently at elephant focused gatherings.

The first day of the meeting consisted of many presentations by members on the issues they are facing involving elephants in their part of Asia – where work to support the wild populations is needed or updates on projects in process can be given.  Speakers included both government representatives of most range countries as well as conservationists, veterinarians, and researchers.
 
The second day, attendees broke into groups representing their areas of expertise for discussions of their particular issues, what is being done and needs to be done.  Asian Elephant Support was added to the Conservation Committee, and will have further committee meetings before the next full AeSG meeting is called to order.

The third and fourth day, the meeting moved from Delhi to the Corbett Tiger Reserve.   Due to the size of our meeting, delegates were divided between two lodging accommodations near each other.  And while they continued to work, they also were able to manage two game drives in the reserve, with one vehicle seeing a tiger!  While that wasn’t Linda’s, there was plenty of wildlife visible and watching an active pack of dhole (Asian wild dog) was a very special treat.  Of course, everyone saw the subject of our efforts - wild Asian elephants.

A lovely cultural program was a highlight of the farewell dinner and the evening, as was the return bus ride to Delhi for the departure home - which allowed time for the vital, in-person networking that is so important for people who are committed to the effort of helping the Asian elephant’s survival.  Attendees’ personal homes are spread far and wide on this planet, so in-person events truly are important for collaboration and working with each other for the common goal: the care and conservation of the Asian elephant.

May 24, 2023

The Trunk was Packed…with Thanks!

Foundation News

This past January, AES President Linda Reifschneider, along with AES Volunteer Cynthia Christison, pointed Linda’s CRV southeast and began another road trip to say hello and thanks to some of AES’s wonderful supporters.
 
Their first stop was January 24th at ZooTampa at Lowry Park. It was great to say hello and thanks in person to Christi Reiter and Mike Burns. Linda first met Christi some years ago in St. Louis, and she has hosted a California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) fundraiser for AES ever since relocating to Tampa. Mike has been at Tampa ‘forever’ and stays amazingly slender (all that good elephant barn work?) in spite of the annual pizza pig out! Thank you Christi and Mike and all at ZooTampa who support AES every April with Pizza for Pachyderms!

(L-R) Elephant Enthusiast, Chris Wiberg,with AES Volunteer, Cynthia Christison, AES President, Linda Reifschneider and ZooTampa's Associate Curator of Elephants, Christi Reiter

On the 25th, Linda and Cynthia stopped by Dr. Mark Wilson’s Florida International Teaching Zoo. Always good to see what is new and going on there. His two very personable spotted hyenas, Charlie and Babe, are definitely Linda’s favorites. Then they all headed up to Two Tails Ranch for a visit and lunch in Williston with Dr. Mark and Two Tails owner Patricia Zerbini, who does an excellent elephant educational program for both school groups and the general public.
 

Jacksonville Zoo Team (L-R) Sabrina B., Shelby G., Amber G., Katie C., Corey N., Charley S., Zoey W., and Nicholas H.  

The 26th found Linda and Cynthia at the Jacksonville Zoo where they shared lots of hugs and smiles with so many friends who have had AES’s back annually hosting great CPK events. They had time to talk, a visit with the Zoo’s elephants and then spent the rest of the afternoon visiting the Asian area of their zoo and a most enjoyable train ride – a great way to end a most enjoyable day! Thanks to all at Jacksonville!

Linda (center) with Jacksonville Elephant Keeper, Susan H. & Sheena

 
Thanks to Nick Newby for a great visit and overview of the White Oak Conservation Center in Yulee, Florida on the 27th. After years of planning and construction, it was good to see how all the effort is coming together for the Asian elephants that have ‘unpacked their trunks’ at their new home. The remainder of the day was spent on the road with an evening destination in Macon, Georgia.
 

Cynthia (center) with Debbie & Nick from White Oak Conservation Center in Yulee, FL

The 28th was a full day at Zoo Atlanta and Linda and Cynthia could not have had a better host than Kelly Garner. It is always appreciated when AES is asked to give a presentation about how we came to be and the work we do. At Zoo Atlanta they had a great audience and a wonderful zoo visit, including a neat meet and greet with a charming lady-hippo!
 
Last day – January 29th – found Linda and Cynthia having lunch with Jennifer Wu at a lovely Indian restaurant. A good warm-up for Linda’s upcoming trip to Delhi, India, for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Asian Elephant Specialist Group (thankfully usually written: IUCN AeSG!) meeting. Linda met Jennifer when the Nashville Zoo hosted the Elephant Managers Association Conference in 2015. She stepped up at that gathering and offered to be a host for our CPK event and hasn’t missed a year since, even though her career path has changed and her family has grown. Ahem, most recently by giving a forever home to a lucky Rizzy, a pooch in need that she offered to foster temporarily! One lucky pooch!

Linda with Jennifer Wu, a long-time supporter and host for Pizza for Pachyderms

 
The 30th they pointed the CRV toward St. Louis and another wonderful AES road trip will join the many before it and hopefully many still to come. Asian Elephant Support is so fortunate to have supporters all across the country. We could not be us without YOU! Thank you most sincerely for your dedication to the Today and Tomorrow of Asian elephants, of all elephants! And, thanks again, to Cynthia Christison for always being ready to pack a suitcase and keep Linda company as they rack up more miles saying hello and thank you to so many wonderful friends!

May 24, 2023

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

Foundation News, EEHV

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

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

Young elephant enthusiasts enjoy pizza at CPK Tampa

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

Friends & docents at CPK St. Louis

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

Click here to donate!

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

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

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

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

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

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

April 21, 2023

AES Welcomes New Director, Mary Miller

Foundation News

Asian Elephant Support is pleased to introduce Mary Miller as our newest member of our Board of Directors. Mary has been in the field of animal care for seven years, with a focus on elephant care in more recent years as a Keeper and Trainer at Grant’s Farm, Memphis Zoo and now at Pittsburgh Zoo’s International Conservation Center.

AES's newest Director, Mary Miller, has been a long-time supporter of AES efforts to care for & conserve Asian elephants

Along with her work, Mary is a member of the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK) and the Elephant Managers Association, where she is also a member of their Enrichment Committee. 

Prior to Mary joining the AES Board in March, she has been an active supporter of our projects and has worked diligently to raise money and awareness about our mission for many years. Mary was instrumental in coordinating successful fundraisers along with the Memphis AAZK Chapter, including a local Pizza for Pachyderms event and art auction to benefit EEHV (Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus) research and treatments.

Mary accepted the nomination to the AES Board in order to be able to help elephants in any way possible and encourage a new generation to get involved in elephant conservation through AES.

Welcome to Asian Elephant Support, Mary! The entire Board of AES is eager to work with you as you bring your enthusiasm and energy to the table to help Asian elephants in range countries.

March 16 2023

AES Becomes a Conservation Partner with AAZK

Foundation News

Asian Elephant Support is pleased to announce that we were recently awarded Conservation Partnership status by the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK). AAZK is an organization dedicated to the development of animal care professionals, providing resources and opportunities for members to enhance their skills and knowledge in the field of zoo keeping. The organization is also a tremendous supporter of conservation projects around the globe, running successful programs like Bowling for Rhinos – which focuses on the conservation of the five species of rhinoceros found in both Africa and Asia, and Trees for You and Me which promotes carbon emissions reductions through various efforts including education and reforestation projects.

First, AES Founder and President, Linda Reifschneider met Vice President, Liz Beem in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to attend the first, in-person Elephant Managers Association (EMA) Conference in the two plus years since COVID-19 began. While the EMA held excellent virtual conferences in 2020 and 2021, there is nothing quite like gathering when you can sit down and share elephant stories (and maybe a drink or two - after all it is Milwaukee).

There were a number of newer attendees, many of them presenting quality papers on elephant care and research. Linda and Liz were privileged to present AES latest work and upcoming projects to the audience and, as an added bonus, share a special, surprise tribute video to Linda on the occasion of her 80th birthday.

We would like to thank the staff from the Milwaukee County Zoo for welcoming everyone and being incredible hosts after a lot of planning and a pandemic. Our appreciation also goes to the Board and Committee Members from the Elephant Managers Association for once again providing an excellent opportunity to get together and work on improving the care of elephants across the globe and the skills and knowledge of caregivers.

Immediately following the close of the EMA Conference, Liz made her way to Buffalo, New York where she met up with AES Board Secretary, Mindy Ussrey. From here the two crossed the border into Toronto, Canada to attend this event and to say they were impressed is an understatement. While only there for a small bit of the Conference, Mindy and Liz participated in AAZK’s Conservation Rally on Friday night, informative paper sessions on Saturday and an incredible day enjoying the sites of the Toronto Zoo on Sunday

We’ve appreciated the passion and dedication of the AAZK Members for a while, given their participations in many of our fundraising efforts over the years, and Mindy and Liz were thrilled to meet up with some of the AES supporters who were in attendance. IT was also terrific to make new connections for future partnerships.

Many thanks go to the Toronto Zoo for their hospitality and to the AAZK for putting together an incredible event providing tools and knowledge to Zoo Keepers and setting conservation action as a standard in this profession. We look forward to participating in these events again in 2023!

To learn more about the Elephant Managers Association, click here

To learn more about the American Association of Zoo Keepers, click here

September 21, 2022

A Trip Full of Thanks & Appreciation

Foundation News

With a serious itch to get on the road again, and a lot of good friends to say hello to, and to thank for their wonderful supports to AES, President Linda and friend and AES volunteer, Cynthia Christison, headed out on July 4th for what would end up being an 8-day 2600+ mile trip visiting 6 institutions with Asian and African elephants !

An early start on July 4th allowed for a great visit with friends at Little Rock Zoo, both two and four-footed featuring baby black rhino, Kevin, whose antics we could have spent the full week watching. And it is always good to be able to say thanks to the Little Rock Zoo for their consistent support over the years. Dinner and some good conversation with AES Advisor, Heidi Riddle, made this a very special 4th of July…and no burned fingers from fireworks!

July 5th was simply a drive day, although considering the temperatures during this trip, a day of enjoying the scenic miles in air-conditioning wasn’t all that bad. Our destination was Houston, TX, where on July 6th, we had a great visit with the Houston Zoo elephant barn crew, again two and four-legged. Here, too, we could have put down roots for the week watching their three youngest elephants playing in the pool. Lunch with the keepers and a chance to say thanks for their California Pizza Kitchen support this year made a lovely day. The evening of the 6th ended with a very good visit with Linda’s cousin, George, and his wife, Sue at a great Italian restaurant.

An early start on July 7th got us to San Antonio Zoo with lunch with members of the San Antonio American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK) Chapter who made one wildly successful CPK event for us this year! And after a nice visit with keepers from several areas of the zoo, we joined a tour of the zoo’s hippo barn. A delightful, as well as education experience! Then back on the road to the Fredericksburg, Texas for the evening.

July 8th was a long overdue visit, thanks to a hectic travel schedule before and then the total going ‘nowhere’ of the pandemic, to very special friends at The Preserve in the hill country of Fredericksbrug, Texas. It is so good to watch visitors enjoy while learning to understand and appreciate the wonderful creatures that are Asian elephants. And a late afternoon visit to a new winery, er, Rhinory! (Yep! Check out their website.)

July 9th was a 400 mile drive to Hugo, Oklahoma, where we stayed overnight for a morning tour on the 10th of The Endangered Ark Foundation and visited with elephants and staff. Early afternoon we head to Ft. Worth for the evening.

July 11th was a morning visit at the Ft. Worth Zoo and the last of our longer drives to Topeka, Kansas, where we visited our friends at the Topeka Zoo the morning of the 12th and, after lunch, pointed our noses toward home.

Eight days, 2600+ miles and visits with so many wonderful friends caring for elephants at six different institutions! It might sound exhausting but spending time with those who are dedicated to caring for their elephants 24/7 and then still find the time and energy to help with the care and enthusiasm for the works AES does. And having a great sidekick along is a huge plus on such adventures. Thanks, Cynthia!

August 17, 2022

AES Awards Funds from 2022 EEHV Campaign

EEHV, Foundation News

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

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

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

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

July 1, 2022

AES Board News - Welcome Lindsey Eagen

Foundation News

June has already been an exciting month, for the AES Board. First, we were pleased to welcome, Lindsey Eagan, as our newest Board Director as of June 3rd!

Lindsey has a background in animal care and training and has been working with Asian elephants at the ABQ BioPark Zoo in Albuquerque, New Mexico for almost 16 years. She has been a supporter of AES for years and an integral part in the massive success of our annual Pizza for Pachyderms event, consistently being amongst the top-earning hosts for this fundraiser.

When asked why she decided to accept the nomination to join the AES Board, Lindsay said “After being introduced to Asian Elephant Support, it was clear that there was a whole new avenue of education and conservation I could explore and contribute to even from my hometown…I truly appreciate that AES is need driven and contributes, not just giving for very narrow types of Asian elephant issues.”

Her experience in the care and conservation of Asian elephants as well as her drive to help educate the public about the need to help this species are just the start of the reasons we are excited to have her join the team. With her energy and enthusiasm, Lindsey has jumped right in; joining us for our most recent annual Board Meeting, where we focused on planning and long-term strategies to support elephants and the communities that care for and coexist with them.

Welcome to Asian Elephant Support, Lindsey. We are so very happy to have your dedication and expertise at the table and look forwards to all of your continued contributions to the AES mission!

Then, with our newest Director onboard, the now five-member Board of Asian Elephant Support met during the first weekend of June for our customary, two-day-long Annual Meeting in which we work to renew our focus and commitment to the care and conservation of Asian elephants.

While a whole slew of issues developed at the last minute that made it impossible for us to meet in-person in Albuquerque, New Mexico as had been planned, we still managed to be incredibly productive. With Directors literally in every time zone from East to West coast, the team was able to meet via Zoom and share ideas, plan and some good laughs occasionally as well.

As the Board begins to put into practice, we are excited to share with supporters new projects that YOU have helped to fund with your generosity. We are also eager to share with you new opportunities to help us raise funds for ongoing work with partners in Asia. We hope you’ll stay tuned as well roll these plans out and continue to support the mission of AES - to care for and conserve Asian elephants!

May 17, 2022

You Came, You Ate, You Helped Elephants!

EEHV, Foundation News

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

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

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

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

Alena Lamirator - Littleton, CO

April Yoder - Norfolk/Virginia Beach, VA

Ben Whitebread - Hunty Valley

MD, Brent Atkinson - Atlas Park, NY

Brittany Bishop - Short Hills, NJ

Caitlin Amox - Houston, TX

Carley Shepherd - Jacksonville, FL

Christi Reiter - Tampa, FL

Erin Dowgwillo - Milwaukee, WI

Jennifer Wilcheck - Louisville, KY

Kelly Garner - Atlanta, GA

Laura Garcia - Columbus, OH

Lauren Howard - San Diego Area, CA

Linda Reifschneider - St. Louis Area, MO

Lindsey Eagan - Albuquerque, NM

Liz Beem & Tina Torres - Santa Barbara/Ventura, CA

Marissa Hickel - San Antonio, TX

Maura Davis - Denver, CO

Pat Maluy - Los Angeles Area, CA

Rachel Winkler - Sacramento, CA

Sean Cunningham - Fairfax, VA

Susan Hoss - Orlando, FL

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

THANK YOU!

March 21, 2022

Masterpiece with Painting with a Twist

Foundation News

Our very first Painting with a Purpose fundraiser on February 20th at Painting with a Twist in a Buffalo, NY was a huge success! AES is dedicating current fundraising efforts to Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV) research and the testing and treatment for Asian elephants in range countries. This was the first fundraiser for that mission and it had a sold-out crowd of 26 painters - raising $460! Board Secretary, Mindy Ussrey took the lead on this first (and hopefully annual) creative way to raise money for AES. The support from Buffalonians, and people across New York state, was humbling and we can’t thank them enough for coming out on a windy and cold afternoon to sip wine and paint an elephant! All the attendees had a blast and everyone walked away with a unique painting and knowing they contributing to the care and conservation of elephants in Asia.

Trunks Up for all who attended and donated to #ColorForTheCure! And thanks to Painting with a Twist for being a terrific organization to work with!

If you are interesting in hosting a Painting with a Purpose fundraiser for Asian Elephant Support at your local Painting with a Twist, please contact Mindy at minday@asianelephantsupport.org for more details!

January 1, 2022

A summary of 2021!

Foundation News

With 2021 now history, it is difficult to not take a moment to be thankful for those who have helped AES, help Asian elephants in both 2020 and 2021

We believe that 2020 was a year of non-events and yet a year that made a permanent mark on our individual and collective lives.

January 1, 2021 was greeted with the hope of returning to a “new normal” -of which everyone probably had a slightly different vision. And now we prepare to greet 2022. And for what do we dare hope or brace ourselves?

Throughout this entire time, AES has been fortunate to have YOU - our individuals and institutions who have supported us as we have done our best to support those veterinarians, mahouts and others working tirelessly under extremely difficult conditions to keep elephants in our healthy and wild elephants safe.

Albuquerque, Cincinnati, Little Rock and Topeka Zoos, your continuing and generous support made it possible for us to help keep the vets and vet supplies, as well as supplemental fodder in drought areas, delivered - where and when needed.

Memphis Zoo AAZK Chapter, not having CPK location nearby, you paired with your local pizzeria to have your own “Pizza for Pachyderms” event - a hugely successful fundraiser for AES and, as we understand it, a great fun event too!

Our Monthly Donor base, as well as those who are repeat annual donors and our new donors - each of you make it possible for us to be able to respond to both emergency situations and longer-term projects benefitting Asian elephants.

Our Annual Report and Donor List are in our January 2022 Newsletter and also under the Projects/Newsletter Archives link. Once again, our heartfelt and most sincere appreciation for each of your contributions. The Asian elephant has been an extremely difficult trek to the next century, but AES is determined to do what we can to see them through and we hope you will continue to be part of our efforts in 2022 and beyond.

Once again, THANK YOU!

December 29, 2021

Las Vegas by Way of Memphis…continued…

Foundation News

In the last month’s newsletter, AES President, Linda Reifschneider and Volunteer-Extraordinaire, Cynthia Christison took you on the road as they visited friends at Memphis, Tulsa and Oklahoma City Zoos. This newsletter, they wrap up that journey seeing old friends and making new ones along the way, while spreading the word about the work AES is doing to care for and conserve Asian elephants. So here we are…on the road again!

ABQ BioPark - Truly great day at the Alburquerque Zoo on October 24th.

Lindsey Eagan met us at 10 a.m. on her day off, so she spent it with us, showing us her zoo. A most special treat was time with Matilda, a wee hippo born in July to a nearly 50-year-old dad. Quite the dad eh? Talk about darling…the baby that is! A little sausage on legs but with very wiggly ears and cute written all over. Dad’s a good looker, too! We had lunch with Lindsey and visited the elephants for an update and opportunity to enjoy watching them being elephants. Later that evening we had dinner with the entire elephant barn crew. This is the group where everyone stepped up to support AES by buying a tee shirt when we had our Chang Vet Aid campaign earlier this year. How humbling is that? They have also participated in our CPK events and as we were meeting some of their staff for the first time, I was again asked to talk about our founding and work. Always a topic I’m glad to share, as well as the opportunity to say thanks in person for their great support.

Another full day’s drive on the 25th, but at least no disastrous detours.

Circus Fans of America Convention - Here we were, the 25th-28th at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas. I believe this audience may well include members who will want to help Asian elephants, even with all our work being in Asia. While at the convention was a smaller group than I expected, everyone was very welcoming and Cynthia and I enjoyed the talks by some of their members who are former circus people. They all confirmed my thoughts: hardworking, artistic, athletic and close-knit. A career more of a lifestyle than a job. Those who left the circus also attributed their further success in life to their circus background. AES was asked and happily agreed to write an article about our founding, the work we do, and how their members can help us. That should in the next edition of White Tops and we look forward to sharing our story with them.

October 29th and 30th had us heading home - and the scenery from Vegas through Utah and across Colorado woke up so many wonderful memories of many trips I was fortunate to make, first with my parents and then with my husband and son. New snow on the peaks made the drive picture perfect and a couple of times we were tempted to make a snowball!

Topeka Zoo - Our last stop and on Halloween! Topeka Zoo has been a generous supporter of AES’ work for several years and it is always a pleasure to visit. There is something special about smaller zoos where everyone tends to know everything about all their residents. Well, at least Wrylie Guffey, their Elephant Manager does! She and I became friends many years ago, so it is always good to say hi, talk zoo and zoo animal stuff, and just have a good day. Visiting Asian elephant Cora and African elephant Tembo is always special, too. People always ask me which is my favorite species, Asian or African, and I’m thankful for my standard reply, “And which is your favorite child?”. They are each elephant, they are different. And we need both in healthy populations in the wild where their successful survival can mean the difference between survival and extinction for so many other species that share the same habitats. It is always a rewarding time spent visiting zoos and the wonderful staffs, who care for these magnificent creatures not 8 hours a day but, without hesitancy, as many hours in a row as necessary- theirs is a lifestyle, not a ‘job’ and when they also step up to help up help Asian elephants in range countries, how thankful and humble I am for their total commitment: for the elephants in their care, those in range countries, and the future of both species everywhere.

Thanks to all of you at each institution we visited for all you do; to Cynthia Christison for always being ready to pack a suitcase and come along and to the Board of AES who decides how best to use the resources and support of those who back us to best help todays and tomorrow’s Asian elephants.

It definitely “takes a village!”

October 21, 2021

Cheers to 10 +1 Years! Asian Elephant Support + California Pizza Kitchen + You!

Foundation News

TRUNKS UP for Pizza for Pachyderms!

We at AES wish to thank everyone who participated in Cheers to 10+1 Years! - our theme for our 11th annual (except for 2020) fundraiser at California Pizza Kitchen - on September 20 - 22. With a shorter time than usual to plan and pull off the event, the permanent closure of some of our historic restaurant locations due to the pandemic and leaning on new folks who hadn’t been a part of this fundraiser n years past, we weren’t sure what to expect. But we should never doubt elephant-lovers and our supporters!

We are so thankful that with your help we raised over $6,200 dollars to care for and conserve elephants in Asia. We wish to share our unending gratitude to our amazing hosts throughout the nation (listed below) that spread the word about Pizza for Pachyderms and collected donations and sold merchandise to benefit AES.

October 21, 2021

AES President Linda Goes to Little Rock, Again!

Foundation News

LITTLE ROCK ZOO has been a regular supporter of Asian Elephant Support for many years now. We have become such good friends that our president, Linda, was honored with an invitation to Kristin Warner, the Elephant Manager’s wedding! Of course, Linda accepted and since she would definitely stop by to see her zoo friends (4 as well as 2-legged ones!) she offered to do a presentation about how AES has handled 2020 and 2021 to date.

Also, making this a perfect trifecta, Syd Tanner, Little Rock Zoo’s curator- Conservation/Green Practices, was retiring thus a last opportunity to say thanks and wish Syd the very best in retirement.

Offer accepted and car packed for the 350 mile drive from St. Louis to Little Rock, the presentation took place on October 6th in the Zoo’s conference room with seventeen Little Rock Zoo staff in the audience as well as one Little Rock resident Linda happened to meet the previous week in St. Louis. When introduced to Kevin and told he was Little Rock, Linda invited him to attend the presentation she was giving. He said he’d be there and brought the total in attendance to 18!

Always a good audience, Linda is always glad to visit - and talk! And the entire AES Board appreciates most sincerely, the continuing support Little Rock Zoo and the Little Rock Chapter of the American Association of Zoo Keepers directs our way.

THANK YOU LITTLE ROCK ZOO FOR HELPING AES HELP ASIAN ELEPHANTS!

June 17, 2021

AES Board Holds Annual Meeting in Little Rock

Foundation News

On June 3-6, the Asian Elephant Support Board gathered in Little Rock, Arkansas for our annual in-person Directors meeting. This was the first time since 2019 that Directors have been able to meet face-to-face due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions and the first ever in-person meeting for our newest Directors - Mindy Ussrey, Liz Beem and Tina Torres. The Little Rock Zoo extended their hospitality and offered their conference room and of course a visit with their Asian elephants, Sophie, Babe & Zina.

As travel is just beginning to get back to normal, AES was so happy to have the opportunity to visit a Zoo that has been a long-time supporter of our mission to care for and conserve Asian elephants.

Have missed a year, there was a lot to cover at the meeting, including renewing our focus on what it is what we do at AES, new and improved communication approaches, fundraising opportunities, ways to make the most from the generous support that we receive from donors, and so much more. While a lot of work was conducted during a very short period of time, the Directors had a chance to get acquainted, catch up and share stories about our love for all-things elephant while we were housemates at a lovely little bungalow in the heart of Little Rock for the weekend. And we did not miss the opportunity for some fun as well. After a great visit to the Zoo with behind the sciences visits with the elephants, black rhinos and black-footed penguins, the evening was spent at Riveria Maya where we shared a delightful dinner with the Little Rock Zoo Staff.

Many thanks to everyone at the Little Rock Zoo, including Syd Tanner, Fran Lyon and the Elephant team including Kristin and fiance, Jeff, Johnny, Justin, Will and Chris for welcoming AES.

The AES Board is excited to implement what we learned and worked over the course of the weekend for the betterment of Asian elephants as we continue to work to fulfill our goals.

May 14, 2021

Asian Elephant Support thanks two departing Directors and welcomes a new Director

Foundation News

BARBARA DAVIS joined the AES Board in early 2015. Being a ‘horse woman’ vs us, ‘elephant enthusiasts’, her perspective on so many decisions we had to make over the years truly helped keep us on a better path. Another talent Barbara gave generously of is her ability to develop creative text and graphics for so many of our fundraisers and other articles. AES President, Linda, met Barbara at a Jane Goodall lecture in St. Louis. Their common passion for all wildlife and wild paces soon had Barbara volunteering for AES as well as traveling with Linda to Africa and domestic locations for fundraising events.

While Barbara needs more time for her horses and is leaving the Board effective June 2021, she will remain available to help us when needed and hopefully another trip somewhere, someday.

Barbara, thank you - from Linda and the AES Board, and from every elephant you have helped us over all these years. Our best wishes and Trunks up!

JANET DRAY was familiar with Asian Elephant Support’s work from her annual attendance at the Elephant Managers Association conferences. AES President, Linda got to know Janet from this venue and our shared passion for things elephant and Africa, led to a couple of awesome safaris during which Janet could not escape Linda’s necessary computer and talk and ‘those other elephants’ - the Asian ones.

In January 2019 Janet joined the AES Board, helped with the CMU Mobile Vet Vehicle fundraiser and then traveled to Thailand for its dedication, as well as joining Linda at an EEHV Workshop in Houston. In Guwahati, India, Janet did a great job of covering for Linda, who had to cancel attending that workshop…and this was Janet’s first trip to India! When not traveling on behalf of AES, Janet did magic with our filing system and coordinated three fundraisers in her neck of the woods - Rochester, New York.

Although Janet found the need to leave the Board in January 2021, she continues to help AES as we focus on the care and conservation of Asian elephants in range countries.

Thank you, Janet. The AES Board sincerely appreciates all you have contributed to our best efforts and wishes you all the best and, of course, Trunks Up!

Tina Torres joined us as the newest member of the AES Board in April, and we are so excited to have her and her talents on the team!

After meeting AES Director, Liz, more than a decade ago via mutual friends, Tina became a volunteer with the Elephant Program at the Santa Barbara Zoo. That kicked off a fascination and love for elephants that eventually work and to see elephants in the wild.

Tina’s love for animals and conservation runs deep. Besides her plethora of critters that she cares for at home, she is a regular volunteer for the Ojai Raptor Center which specializes in the rescue, rehabilitation and release of birds of prey and various small mammals, along with public education about how to protect and coexist with wild animals in our backyards.

We look forward to tapping into Tina’s skills as a web/graphic designer, marketing manager, talented writer and skilled mathematician on top of her passion for elephants and elephant conservation.

Welcome, Tina. The AES Board looks forward to all of your contributions!

March 15, 2021

Trunks Up to our Friends at the Topeka Zoo!

Foundation News

February 1st, Asian Elephant Support launched a fundraising campaign - Chang Vet Aid - to help provide the salary AES had committed to in 2020 for the second Chiang Mai University Mobile Vet Clinic veterinarian during the pandemic. Our supporters - YOU! - came through BIG time!

However, a huge TRUNKS UP also goes to our friends at the Topeka Zoo, who unexpectedly and most generous gifted AES with $8,000! Knowing our fundraiser was doing well, FOTZ (Friends of the Topkea Zoo) and the Conservation and Education Department - who know our work and that we are totally volunteer-lead nonprofit - appreciate that their entire gift will help Asian elephants wherever needed. And there will be a lot of needs before Asia is gain able to welcome back visitors and the tourist income which is so important to these countries.

AES has a long relationship with the Topeka Zoo. AES Secretary, Mindy Ussrey started her career caring for elephants there in 2004, and President, Linda Reifschneider has been a guest speaker at the zoo’s Conservation series. The first was May 2015, where Linda was honored to meet Gary Clarke, Topeka’s CEO Emeritus and was presented with a hand-painted canvas by Topeka aritst Charlie Moore.

Linda spoke again at the same series in September 2018 to another enthusiastic gathering of people who care about Asian elephants and love their Topeka Zoo. On these, as well as other visits Linda has made with various friends to Topeka Zoo, she has graciously been offered the opportunity to spend time with the elephants and their keepers, as well as visiting all the Zoo’s other residents.

Our sincere thanks to Dennis Dinwiddie, Director of Conservation and Education, and the Friends of the Topeka Zoo, for their dedication to Asian elephants and their generous gift which helps AES in our efforts to assist Asian elephants on their challenging trek toward the next century.

TRUNKS UP TO OUR FRIENDS AT THE TOPEKA ZOO!

December 16, 2020

Celebrate 2020 with AES!

Foundation News

While 2021 is just around the corner, the world is anxious to see what the New Year will bring. It may seem hard to find the good, and easy to point out the struggles of 2020, but AES wants to shine a light on what accomplishments we achieved together!

We thank each and everyone of you, who contributed to the AES mission this year with your donations and partnerships in the field.