India: Elephant Healthcare Project

Health Assessment of Captive Asian Elephants in India with Special Reference to Tuberculosis

Asian Nature Conservation Foundation, Bangalore, India, has now completed a major project for providing preventive healthcare to over 500 captive elephants in India. Apart from evaluation of general health status of individual elephants, the project screened the captive elephant population for major infectious diseases with special reference to tuberculosis.

The field work was done by an all-India team of veterinary professionals (Prof. Dr. Jacob V. Cheeran and Dr. David Abraham) and conducted under the auspices of Prof. R. Sukumar Ph.D. and the Asian Elephant Research and Conservation Centre (a division of Asian Nature Conservation Foundation). 

The support and participation of many other institutions in India made this important project possible.  These included Project Elephant (Government of India, New Delhi), National Tuberculosis Institute (Bangalore), Elephant Welfare Association (Thrissur), and Elephant Study Centre (College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur).

Dr. Susan Mikota of Elephant Care International and other associates provided technical advice.

This project was funded by Elephant Care International.  Additional financial support was provided by Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) of Bangalore, India with support from World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA).

The Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund generously provided grant
funds of $10,000 towards the completion of this important project.

See also:
Tuberculosis in Elephants: Frequently Asked Questions
Comprehensive reference list on TB in elephants
ECI Elephant TB Initiative - a PDF Brochure
Elephant Care International: TB Initiative Presented at the 2007 meeting of Zoos and Aquariums Committed to Conservation
TB: Implications for Elephant Management in Asia Presented at the 2006 meeting of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians