Many thanks to Elephant Family for awarding partial funding to Elephant Care International to conduct a workshop “ Pathology Training for Elephant Veterinarians in Myanmar.” Dr. Susan Mikota and Dr. Khyne U Mar will co-manage the project and will team-teach together with Dr. Dalen Agnew, a board certified veterinary pathologist from Michigan State University.
Understanding and documenting why elephants die is critical to management, policy decisions, and conservation of living elephants. However, veterinarians in range countries often do not receive adequate pathology training. Two six-day workshops will train a total of 20 elephant veterinarians. Participants will receive a laminated postmortem protocol and a thumb drive containing videos of all lecture presentations; laboratory and practical demonstrations; and other references for sharing with colleagues. Elephant Pathology Backpacks containing equipment, instruments, and supplies for sample collection will be provided to veterinarians representing the seven elephant logging regions. The workshop is scheduled for the end of 2018 or early 2019 to give us time to develop materials and raise the additional funds that we need. This project may not sound quite as exciting as rescuing baby elephants but it is important! Please support our work in Myanmar. Donate here!
Our ElephantCare ASIA Workshop,” took place from September 23-29, 2018 at Green Hill Valley in Myanmar.
Working with a global team of elephant experts, this 7-day workshop blended high quality veterinary care knowledge and skill-building with positive reinforcement training to ensure the health and well being of captive elephants living throughout Asia.
Read the final report
ECI’s role is focused on building the capacity of Myanmar’s elephant veterinarians through workshops and one-on-one training. The first workshop “Professional Strategies to Improve Asian Elephant Management in Myanmar” was held in November 2012. During this field visit Dr. Mikota helped set up a small laboratory at one of the remote elephant camps and donated a freezer to store serum.
In 2014 we conducted health assessments of white elephants in Yangon, zoo elephants in Nay Pyi Taw, and government-owned elephants residing at several logging camps.
As an instructor in the “Capacity Building for Zoo and MTE Veterinarians” Workshop held at the Nay Pyi Taw Zoological Gardens during March 2015, Dr. Mikota gave four presentations focused on topics to enhance the ability of zoo and elephant veterinarians to better understand clinical pathology and its application to the diagnosis and treatment of medical problems. She also led a laboratory session on urinalysis. Her other scheduled lab sessions were kindly led by Dr. Tint Naing after Dr. Mikota fell ill with the flu! Working internationally does have its hazards.
Dr. Mikota returned to Myanmar in October 2015 for an additional 14 weeks of field work. This trip began with Dr. Mikota presenting at the Asian Society of Conservation Medicine meeting in Yangon. Visits were made to the Nat Pauk tourist camp to continue TB surveillance and to the nursing camp to check mothers and babies (always a delight!).
Dr. Mikota also participated in a Positive Reinforcement Training Workshop aimed at teaching oozies (mahouts) more gentle methods.
Please support our work in Myanmar. Donate here!
