Newsletter April 2001

Elephant Care International
Sumatra Project Update
April 2001
Susan K. Mikota and Hank Hammatt

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

As most of you know, we have moved to Indonesia to initiate an independent project to establish an elephant hospital, lab, library, and conservation center in Sumatra. We are awaiting our shipment of veterinary supplies to improve the healthcare of the 65+ captive elephants at the Sebanga-Duri Center, and books to train Indonesian veterinarians and veterinary students. Under the direction of our sponsor, WWF – Indonesia (www.wwf.or.id), we will be actively participating in efforts to secure protected habitat for the remaining wild elephants. We will keep you updated on our project activity by email. If all goes well we will have a website up by June that will allow us to share more information as well as images.

In February, we attended the First International Workshop on the Domesticated Asian Elephant. Representatives from the 13 Asian elephant range countries attended this meeting in Bangkok that was hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the Japan Wildlife Research Center. Country reports revealed startling statistics that documented the dwindling of both wild and captive elephant populations in nearly all range countries. Vietnam provides a most poignant example. Wild elephants numbered 1500 – 2000 two decades ago. Today only 72 – 92 individuals remain.

After the FAO meeting we spent time with Richard Lair, an ex-pat elephant champion who has lived in Thailand for 20 years. We raided Richard's wonderful library and copied about 20 pounds of books, manuals, literature and rare elephant articles. At the Thailand Elephant Conservation Center (TECC) in Chiang Mai, Richard has created the Thai Elephant Orchestra, which was featured in People Magazine earlier this year. The elephants play native instruments such as bamboo xylophone and thunder sheet. The sounds are eclectic and surprisingly pleasant. Look for the Thai Elephant Orchestra on CD. Proceeds benefit TECC.

When Thailand banned logging in 1989 hundreds of mahouts and elephants became unemployed. Centers that previously trained elephants for logging have since evolved into tourist operations and many new camps have sprung up along the rivers. Performances vary from realistic demonstrations of logging skills to “performances” with elephants playing soccer. Busloads of visitors amble amidst bull elephants giving rides to tourists perched on wooden howdahs (carriers) - some even equipped with seat belts. Most operations also offer bamboo rafting and hill tribe visits. Elephants may be the only endangered species that must earn a living.  More Thailand elephant-related tourism images here.

Despite the logging ban, illegal logging persists unabated in northern Thailand and elephants are the unfortunate victims. Elephants must travel great distances to collect and haul the large teak logs that remain in the Vanishing Forest. Poorly cared for and often abused, they are commonly given amphetamines so they can be worked all night. Villagers sometimes pour gasoline on the elephants and then light it to make them move faster. We saw elephants scarred from this mistreatment and others shot with homemade metal slugs.

This Thai elephant was burned with gasoline to make her move faster

Elephants are also victims of land mines. Dr. Preecha, Thailand's best-known elephant veterinarian, said that along the Thailand-Burma border about 20 die per year after stepping on land mines. “Motala”, the elephant that made international news about 18 months ago when she stepped on a land mine, is still under treatment. After fighting massive infections and enduring several surgeries, including an amputation of her left front foot, Motala uncomfortably awaits a prosthesis. Her prognosis is guarded. The elephant hospital is funded by Friends of the Asian Elephant (www.elephant.tnet.co.th).

After spending a month in Thailand, we flew to Singapore and then on to Sumatra to begin our work.  The Sebanga-Duri Elephant Training Center (where we will focus our efforts) is in a protected area, but it has experienced severe encroachment from illegal logging and settlements. Our first visit this trip was disturbing as we saw that much more forest has been cut since last August. The dominant bull at Sebanga, “Seng Arun,” was in musth that day and we witnessed him charge his pawang (elephant handler) who barely escaped injury.

The camp manager is establishing a satellite camp at Minas Tahura – a production forest near Rumbai and Pekanbaru. Sixteen elephants and their mahouts were moved here. With access to a better food supply, the elephants are in pretty good condition. The mahouts, however, are living in makeshift pitch tents near a very small stream of questionable quality. Finding a better water source was essential. The camp manager insisted we conduct our search on elephant-back because dung piles and damaged vegetation indicated wild elephants were in the area. We found a river that was much more suitable to the needs of the elephants and the mahouts. The camp was moved to this new site.

On Friday night, March 23, eight wild elephants destroyed the camp. The mahouts ran into the forest and were badly shaken, but luckily not injured. Only their torn clothing, smashed utensils, and a trampled guitar remained of the camp. We speculate that they pitched their tents on the wild elephants’ path to water.  We are now looking at an alternate site that is on higher ground. It has good access to the stream but wild elephants may continue to be a problem.

On March 28-29 we attended the Riau Province Human-Elephant Conflict Workshop. Over 300 “stake-holders” participated - village leaders, oil palm and timber plantation owners, NGO’s, and forestry department officials. The focus of this WWF-sponsored workshop was to gain consensus to secure Tesso Nilo (a 120,000 hectare area) as a managed elephant range. The outcome of the meeting was favorable. Local authorities in three of four involved districts have already made commitments to the project. Plans are underway to begin to address the complex issues (economic alternatives for local villagers, law enforcement to thwart illegal logging, assurances of technical and financial support) that will be a part of this effort. If the Tesso Nilo project is successful, the Sebanga elephants may be moved there to be utilized in eco-tourism, park patrol, and possibly logging in acacia plantations. Under the direction of WWF-Indonesia, we look forward to participating in this exciting project.

Regards,

Susan and Hank

We are working in Indonesia as unpaid consultants to World Wildlife Fund – Indonesia.  The Oregon Zoo manages tax-deductible donations for our project.  Checks should be payable to “Sumatran Elephant Project / Oregon Zoo Foundation.”  Send to: Oregon Zoo, Sumatran Elephant Project, Attn: Mike Keele, 4001 Canyon Road, Portland Oregon, USA,  97221.

Project Newsletters from Sumatra
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April 2001
June 2001
December 2001
November 2002
March 2003

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