NEW GUIDELINES FOR HAND-RAISING ORPHAN ASIAN ELEPHANTS
Elephant Care International and Work for Wild Life International announce the launch of an urgently-needed, professional resource to help save the lives of orphan Asian elephants.
Hand-Raising Orphan Asian Elephants, A Practical Guide for Asian Elephant Range Country Care Providers is an open-access online resource that provides vital information for elephant veterinarians, veterinary technicians, care-givers, villagers, mahouts, and others tasked with caring for an orphaned Asian elephant.
LINK TO GUIDE: https://www.elephantcare.org/raisingorphanelephants
Topics Covered in the Guide:
Chapter 1: First Encounter
Chapter 2: Physical Examination & Preventative Healthcare
Chapter 3: The Nursery Area
Chapter 4: Feeding Milk
Chapter 5: Digestive Physiology/Gut Flora
Chapter 6: Feeding/Introducing Solid Foods
Chapter 7: Growth & Behavioral Development
Chapter 8: Medical Problems & Treatment
Chapter 9: Medical Procedures
Chapter 10: Training for Veterinary Procedures
Chapter 11: Guidelines for Release of Orphan Elephants to the Wild
Appendix
Why did our Team Create This Guide?
Hand-raising orphan elephants is challenging, especially if they have been injured. Even facilities with experience are not always successful. Many orphan elephants die.
To date, there has been no comprehensive resource to provide practical and science-based information on how to care for wild Asian elephant calves that have been orphaned. Until now!
Written by an international team of Asian elephant health and welfare experts –with decades of hands-on experience in Asia—this new resource provides veterinary protocols, step-by-step instructions, photos, videos, and a variety of healthcare and welfare tools and options (and much more!) to ensure young orphan elephants have the opportunity to thrive. And be returned to the wild!
Our International Team:
Dr. Susan Mikota, Veterinarian Elephant Care International (US)
Hollis Burbank-Hammarlund, Work for Wild Life International (US)
Dr. Vijitha Perera, Veterinarian, Elephant Transit Home (Sri Lanka)
Dr. Willem Schaftenaar, Veterinarian, Advisor to the Elephant Taxon Advisory Group (Europe)
Dr. Khyne U. Mar, Veterinarian (Myanmar and the UK)
Dr. Ellen Dierenfeld, Nutritionist, Research Advisor (US)
Dr. Bhaskar Choudhury, Veterinarian, Wildlife Trust of India (India)
Funding for this project was provided by the Coville-Triest Family Foundation. Thank you!