WORKING TO IMPROVE THE WELFARE OF ASIAN ELEPHANTS IN THE LAO PDR Non-Governmental Organisation, ElefantAsia Operating in the Lao PDR since 2001 in conjunction with the Department of Livestock and Fisheries (DLF) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), ElefantAsia initiates animal welfare programmes, healthcare awareness and promotes humane practices within both tourism and logging sectors throughout areas of Laos populated by captive elephants. In co-operation with the Lao National Animal Health Centre (NAHC), ElefantAsia implements free veterinary treatment for working elephants suffering from illness or injury via the ElefantAsia mobile veterinary clinics. Since 2006 ElefantAsia and the DLF have undertaken rigorous paper registration of the captive population in Laos. To diminish the risk of illegal capture and trade of wild and captive elephants, micro-chipping of captive populations has also been conducted by ElefantAsia and the DLF this forming a national computerised database. Currently the ElefantAsia team has successfully micro-chipped 453 elephants. ElefantAsia in co-operation with the DLF is working to implement a decree on elephant welfare. The “Management of Domesticated Elephants” decree will provide working rights to mahouts and their elephants including designated working and resting periods, holiday entitlement, provision of appropriate logging equipment, implementation of log size restrictions. In addition to this work, ElefantAsia manages the country’s first elephant hospital hosted at the Elephant Conservation Center (www.elephantconservationcenter.com) located in Sayaboury, northern Laos. The hospital comes fully equipped with laboratory for pathology and disease diagnostics plus quarantine area. Free veterinary care is available to severe cases that cannot be properly treated in the field, while sick and injured elephants from across Laos can recuperate at the Center until fully recovered. ElefantAsia remains the only organisation in Laos committed solely to ensuring the health, wellbeing and perpetuation of endangered elephant populations. Situation The Lao PDR has approximately 470 captive elephants. Most of them are engaged in timber harvesting operations by logging companies and endure terrible hardships. Working within the logging industry is a dangerous occupation for an elephant, made to work at a furious pace many suffer from afflictions such as abscesses and infected calluses caused by work chains, septicaemia, diarrhoea and digestive parasite as well as injuries such as broken legs, foot injuries and on occasions even death. Physical exhaustion and malnutrition are also issues of great concern. In many of the rural communities there is very little understanding of the need for prophylaxis, or the importance of hygiene, resulting in captive elephants often kept in unsanitary conditions. The lack of vaccinations for infectious disease control combined with poor sanitary conditions means working elephants are constantly at risk from contracting diseases such as tuberculosis, anthrax and other easily transmittable diseases. Often nomadic, working in remote areas of isolated forest access to veterinary medication and treatment is often impossible with many captive elephants suffering from horrific, yet preventable conditions. Abscesses and infected calluses are commonplace. Elephant suffers severed tail working within logging industry. Effects of life threatening tetanus contracted through open sores. Lao Captive Elephant Care & Management Programme
Fundraising_ElefantAsia_Welfare
Mar 22, 2016
ElefantAsia fundraising proposal_Animal Welfare based
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WORKING TO IMPROVE THEWELFARE OF ASIAN ELEPHANTSIN THE LAO PDR
Non-Governmental Organisation, ElefantAsiaOperating in the Lao PDR since 2001 in conjunction with the Department of Livestock and Fisheries (DLF) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), ElefantAsia initiates animal welfare programmes, healthcare awareness and promotes humane practices within both tourism and logging sectors throughout areas of Laos populated by captive elephants.
In co-operation with the Lao National Animal Health Centre (NAHC), ElefantAsia implements free veterinary treatment for working elephants suffering from illness or injury via the ElefantAsia mobile veterinary clinics. Since 2006 ElefantAsia and the DLF have undertaken rigorous paper registration of the captive population in Laos. To diminish the risk of illegal capture and trade of wild and captive elephants, micro-chipping of captive populations has also been conducted by ElefantAsia and the DLF this forming a national computerised database. Currently the ElefantAsia team has successfully micro-chipped 453 elephants.
ElefantAsia in co-operation with the DLF is working to implement a decree on elephant welfare. The “Management of Domesticated Elephants” decree will provide working rights to mahouts and their elephants including designated working and resting periods, holiday entitlement, provision of appropriate logging equipment, implementation of log size restrictions.
In addition to this work, ElefantAsia manages the country’s first elephant hospital hosted at the Elephant Conservation Center (www.elephantconservationcenter.com) located in Sayaboury, northern Laos. The hospital comes fully equipped with laboratory for pathology and disease diagnostics plus quarantine area. Free veterinary care is available to severe cases that cannot be properly treated in the field, while sick and injured elephants from across Laos can recuperate at the Center until fully recovered.
ElefantAsia remains the only organisation in Laos committed solely to ensuring the health, wellbeing and perpetuation of endangered elephant populations.
Situation The Lao PDR has approximately 470 captive elephants. Most of them are engaged in timber harvesting operations by logging companies and endure terrible hardships. Working within the logging industry is a dangerous occupation for an elephant, made to work at a furious pace many suffer from afflictions such as abscesses and infected calluses caused by work chains, septicaemia, diarrhoea and digestive parasite as well as injuries such as broken legs, foot injuries and on occasions even death. Physical exhaustion and malnutrition are also issues of great concern.
In many of the rural communities there is very little understanding of the need for prophylaxis, or the importance of hygiene, resulting in captive elephants often kept in unsanitary conditions. The lack of vaccinations for infectious disease control combined with poor sanitary conditions means working elephants are constantly at risk from contracting diseases such as tuberculosis, anthrax and other easily transmittable diseases. Often nomadic, working in remote areas of isolated forest access to veterinary medication and treatment is often impossible with many captive elephants suffering from horrific, yet preventable conditions.
Abscesses and infected calluses are commonplace.
Elephant suffers severed tail working within logging industry.
Effects of life threatening tetanus contracted through open sores.
Lao Captive Elephant Care & Management Programme
ActionElefantAsia, in co-operation with the Lao National Animal Health Centre, currently implements onsite veterinary support to the vast majority of Lao’s captive population providing free treatment and medicines to working elephants suffering from illness or injury via the Lao Captive Elephant Care and Management Programme (LECMP).
Vehicles especially adapted for the treatment of elephants in remote areas allow the ElefantAsia team to visit logging sites, tourism centres and villages where elephants are employed. The mobile veterinary clinics carry out approximately twenty national field missions per annum, with up to twenty emergency healthcare missions and musth management undertaken in the same timeframe.
Distribution of elephant first aid kits, containing basic equipment and medical supplies, is currently conducted by the mobile veterinary clinics whilst onsite training is given to mahouts providing advice on basic animal care including preventive measures such as the benefits of maintaining a well-adjusted harness, reducing workloads and implementing regular rest days. The team also offer training on the use of medicines minimising prolonged sufferance when the veterinary staff are not at hand to dispense immediate treatment.
Request for SupportElefantAsia is seeking financial support to continue the implementation of the Lao Captive Elephant Care and Management Programme which is paramount to the health and wellbeing of the working elephants of Laos. The mobile veterinary clinics travel to remote rural areas of the country administrating veterinary care to captive elephants which would otherwise go without vital treatment and medicines. Sustaining a viable captive elephant population in Laos will also work to reduce pressure on wild populations and the risk of accelerated extinction of the species.
The Lao Captive Elephant Care and Management Programme also facilitates direct communication with mahout communities disseminating important information relating to the availability of long term care for sick and injured elephants at the country’s first elephant hospital administered by ElefantAsia. Whilst also promoting alternative employment for these elephants into less physically destructive ventures such as eco-tourism. This flow of information would be lost without the implementation of the mobile veterinary clinics.
The cost of full operation of the LECMP is US$57,000 per annum this includes full-time salaries for five members of staff comprising of one foreign veterinarian and four Lao nationals including technical assistant and administrator; per diem; fuel; vehicle maintenance and provision of medicines. ElefantAsia is looking for dedicated sponsors to co-fund this project and aid elephant conservation efforts in Laos.
Since 2001, ElefantAsia has been the subject of interest for both national and international media. The organisations work has been covered by prominent global media such as BBC, Discovery Channel and France Television, whilst recent publications include Wall Street Journal, Sunday Mail, The Guardian amongst many, many more. As a key component to the ElefantAsia mobile veterinary missions, the ElefantAsia vehicle is often a focal point for filming and photography. Full or partial sponsorship of the project would allow opportunity for donors to display their logo prominently on the vehicle potentially giving worldwide exposure to all organisations supporting the project.
MissionTo improve the welfare and working conditions of Asian elephants in Laos whilst raising awareness regarding elephant welfare issues among mahout communities and training officials and mahouts in better modern healthcare.
ElefantAsia, PO Box 3804Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republicwww.elefantasia.org
Mobile clinic negotiates terrain of rural Laos.
ElefantAsia staff discuss animal welfare issues with mahouts
Administrating treatment on mission.
July 2012