Caring for Cambodia's elephants during Covid

GlobalGIving - Caring for Cambodia’s Elephants During Covid

Report - Q4 - Oct - Dec 2021

Elephant Conservation Program

• Mobile Vet Team Project

• Funding from Asian Elephant Support - checking on community owned elephants around the Mondulkiri Province and providing medicine and support.
  
  

• Captive Elephant Care & Rehabilitation @ the Elephant Valley Project

• Funding during this difficult time primarily went to food for the elephants and the wages for the carers. With Cambodia only opening its borders in Nov 2021, all funds now are from fundraising and grants, which is really what is keeping the elephants going through this time.
• Our 11 current elephants continued to receive care and treatment at the EVP sanctuary. With the majority of our elephants over the age of 40 years, most require some kind of medicine or boost feeding to keep them healthy and happy.
• Our weekly food budget for the elephants is close to $1000, so all funds generated this quarter went to paying community suppliers and wages for the staff on site who deliver extra food to the elephants each day.
• Our mahouts and care team continue to work everyday to care for these beautiful animals and funds raised also supported their weekly wages. They are some very committed individuals and have gone without wages for periods during this pandemic when funding was completely cut, however they will not give up on their elephants and continue to show up for them everyday. Which is why we are eternally grateful for all funds raised so we can support these amazing  people who care for the elephants.

• Natural Resource Protection Project 

• Funding for forest rangers - On Hold - No funds
• Community Forest - Rice Compensation for elephant forest
  Support for elephants to graze in the forest - funded by World Animal Protection and WAVE. Continued 30kg of rice support per month per family for 78 indegounus families who own the forest where our elephants reside. This support is crucial particularly in times of difficulty, for example the last two years of the pandemic.

Ecotourism Program

• Elephant Valley Project 

• By funding the care for the elephants and the staff at the EVP, we were able to keep the site open to host 178 guests during this quarter and generate the much needed funds to continue operations. 
• In the small time that volunteers were onsite, they were able to complete a number of tasks which included; planting lemongrass, roselle, butterfly pea and avocado saplings. Maintaining elephant bamboo fields for grazing, as well as the upkeep of all trails and bridges used by visitors when out in the community forest.
• Much needed maintenance to the accommodation at the EVP site was able to be completed in time for the visitors arrival by our dedicated team. With funding used to buy materials such as roofing sheets, nails, rope etc. 
• A small fuel allowance was issued to staff on a weekly basis in order to assist in the commute to the site, whilst there was a delay in the payment of wages. This allowed for the cooks and cleaners especially, to continue their work with the organisation.

Community Support Program

• Health Care Support Project

• On Hold - no funds

• School Support Project

• On Hold - no funds

• Community Development Project

• On Hold - no funds