![Diamond with mom, Pearl, before Diamond's passing.]()
Diamond with mom, Pearl, before Diamond's passing.
During the past year, your support has helped so much. It feels like we have just shared sad news this past while, and this update also has some very heartbreaking updates, but there is no way we would have gotten through probably the saddest 6 months in our history without you.
We also have some fun things coming up, like WORLD ELEPHANT DAY. Read on to learn how you can get involved.
World Elephant Day - 12th August 2024
Do you like challenges? Do you like Yoga? Do you want to help us raise funds for the EVP elephants?
To celebrate World Elephant Day this year, Mon 12th Aug, we are launching the Yoga4Ele’s Sun Salutation Challenge. We have seen some really hard times these last few months, and years, at EVP and we need your help to get through the low season.
The Challenge
The practice of yoga is a journey of self-discovery, leading to physical strength, mental clarity, and spiritual growth. All things we have needed alot of lately. We are challenging you to gather your friends, gather your yoga buddies at your studio, gather your community together and CHALLENGE yourself to complete as many sun salutations as you can. Do the challenge yourself or make an event out of it and ask everyone to make a donation to help the elephants here at EVP this World Elephant Day.
For full information, see the website and join the challenge https://elephantvalleyproject.org/world-ele-day-2024/
The last remaining elephants of Cambodia need you!
So mark your calendars, get stretching, and get ready to do yoga 4 elephants!
Update April to July 2024
We had originally opened a project on GlobalGiving to get us through the crisis of the covid pandemic. Though many people have moved past the pandemic, we are still feeling its effects and are looking forward to rebuilding and recovery. For this we continue to rely on your support. Unfortunately tourism in Cambodia has yet to recover to pre pandemic levels. Your support allows us to continue our efforts for the elephants, as well as the indigenous community who rely on the forest they share alongside the elephants.
Elephant Conservation Program
- Mobile Vet Team Project
- Due to funding restrictions, and the priority care needs of the resident EVP elephants, our mobile vet team has been staying close to site. We continue to be available for emergencies if anyone in the province should require a need for their elephant. Thankfully, due to the relationships that the mobile vet team have built up over the years, we are confident that local elephant owners feel comfortable to contact us if their elephant is sick or has an injury. In May we were contacted by WCS and the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary rangers, as an adult wild bull elephant was observed with an injured leg. The elephant was observed to be limping, but mobile enough to forage and find water. ELIE was able to donate some medicine that the rangers could hide in some food and hope the elephant would find and eat. The last reports were that the elephant seemed to be doing well, again exemplifying the resiliency of these animals.
- Captive Elephant Care & Rehabilitation @ the Elephant Valley Project
- The last few months of 2023 and the first few months of 2024 were busy, emotional and tough, as we dealt with the passing of three of our elderly, much loved, elephants. While it is never easy to say goodbye, their passing was expected, and we all took comfort in knowing that they enjoyed their retirement years in the forests of EVP. While we processed the death of our old girls, it was then a complete shock to the entire team when our 2-year-old calf, Diamond, unexpectedly passed away in the last days of March. We noticed Diamond was not herself in the morning, just a little out of sorts. By the afternoon she was lethargic, went off her food, and then started to have swelling around her face and body. The mahouts came back from the forest and sent the information to our vet care group. We hoped it was just a wasp sting, or she was feeling unwell. But due to the swelling around the face, we quickly actioned our EEHV (Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus) plan. We rushed out medicines from town, and the mahouts and vet assistants went out to try and administer treatment. However, after a short battle, Diamond succumbed, and passed away very quickly, by 10pm that evening. Due to the rapid onset of symptoms and swelling, our vet team here in Cambodia and International consultants, suspected it was EEHV. Collaborating with government veterinarians, we followed international procedure and underwent a necropsy to find out more information. The results confirmed that it was indeed EEHV. This disease has been found in both the wild and captive populations of both African and Asian elephants. It continues to be a devastating disease for the elephant populations, and we are so thankful for all the various organizations working to find a cure. If you would like to know more about EEHV you can find more info here: https://eehvinfo.org/
- After the passing of Diamond, the team was worried and anxious to see if Pearl, already in a compromised position due to her leg injury, would suffer further from stress or depression. Thus, it was such a relief when Pearl continued to eat and drink as normal, and her leg injury seemed to be improving. Every day we see small progress as she continues gaining weight, walking better, and growing stronger. While we still continue a daily treatment regime of cleaning her leg and applying and administering medications, we are so thankful to see her recovery moving in the right direction. We continue to thank our veterinarian consultant Dr, Trish, and Dr. Martina from Animal Doctors International and IDSARA, who have been extremely generous in their support of Pearl’s recovery. As well as all of our GlobalGiving Supporters that ensure we can continue to provide whatever care is needed for Pearl.
- In June we started to observe Ruby’s right eye deteriorate further from cataracts, to now a painful condition called glaucoma. In the first few days she showed us that she was quite uncomfortable and in pain, frequently rubbing at her eye, scratching her face on trees, and shedding quite a lot of liquid from the eye. Luckily Dr. Trish was on site and was able to assess the condition of the eye quickly to determine the change we were seeing. Sadly we cannot do much for her eye other than offer her pain relief, and eye drops to relieve the pressure. Your continued support allows us to ensure we can obtain the necessary medications to keep Ruby comfortable during this time.
- Our lovely elephant Ning Wan, over the last several years, has required lots of additional supplements as her teeth have become worn down as a symptom of old age. However, in recent weeks we noticed her having some belly discomfort. This indicated to us that she was needing further assistance with her supplements. We have since increased her supplements to include additional cooked rice, and the mahouts now remove the banana peels and cut away the outside of the watermelon. We have also included additional probiotics to aid in her digestion and gut health. Thank you so much for helping us to provide these additional supplements to our aging granny, so she can continue to enjoy her retirement alongside her best friend Gee Chrang.
- Natural Resource Protection Project
- As part of the Ministry of Environment’s “Green Sprouts” program, we were able to take part in their tree distribution and receive 100 Beng seedlings and 145 Kakah seedlings. Both of these species are considered luxury timber trees and thus the reason for them now being considered an endangered tree species. As the land that we utilize for EVP is owned by the community, we have started planting these seedlings with the land owners, so that the forests and all of its inhabitants can benefit. We were very happy to take part in this effort to combat deforestation and to help build a greener Cambodia.
Ecotourism Program - Elephant Valley Project
- April and May historically tend to be quieter months for tourism as they are two of the hottest months in Cambodia. e were thankful for our long term volunteers that were available to help with some projects to keep up our projects around the site during those quieter months.
- In June, we were once again happy to host the students from The School for Field Studies, Elephants of South East Asia Course. 10 students spend the week experiencing the forest, learning the role elephants play in the Bunong culture, conducting behavioral observations of elephant social behavior and foraging, learning about elephant health and welfare, and completing line-transect surveys. They also participated in lectures and completed lab sampling techniques. We are so happy to continue this partnership so that we can continue to educate and inspire Asian elephant conservation
Community Support Program
- Land Compensation – Rice Distribution
- Each month the EVP compensates the community for the elephants to use their forest. We make these payments in rice. Rice is a staple for families, and monthly rice donations help to ensure that families have enough food during times of unexpected food shortages. It’s only with the community’s support that we can also work to protect elephants and their forests. Your donation to EVP not only helps us to care for the retirement of our resident elephants, but you also help to support 78 families that get direct benefits and incentives to protect their community forest for these elephants to live in. Thank you for your support!
- Health Care Support Project
- We continue to offer emergency hospital transport to anyone in the village.
- School Support Project
- Community Development Project
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![Wild elephant with injury - Photo WCS]()
Wild elephant with injury - Photo WCS
![Vet Assistant, Chan, preparing Pearl's treatment]()
Vet Assistant, Chan, preparing Pearl's treatment
![Ning Wan enjoying her supplemental cooked rice]()
Ning Wan enjoying her supplemental cooked rice
![Ruby's glaucoma in her right eye]()
Ruby's glaucoma in her right eye
![Planting endangered tree species]()
Planting endangered tree species
![SFS behavioral observation & research collection]()
SFS behavioral observation & research collection
![Community rice distribution]()
Community rice distribution
Links: