Sponsor an elephant @ The Elephant Valley Project

Hello dear Sponsors,

We want to start by sharing that we have also matched the funding for Darling! The best news we can share! She is now safe and will now spend the rest of her life with her friend Doe at EVP. The final stretch went well and thanks to a big donation from a family that came to visit, we made it!

This time of year always comes with challenges, not just for local communities, but also for the wildlife that shares the land. As the dry season settled in over the past months, the landscape around us changed significantly. Water sources began to shrink, vegetation became sparse in exposed areas, and nearby land clearing increased in preparation for the rainy season. There are wild elephants hanging around EVP more regularly. 

To ensure our 7 elephants continue to have access to sufficient food and water, we relocated them deeper into the forest where conditions were better. These areas still offer shade, natural water sources, fresh wet mud, and a wider variety of forage.
Such seasonal movements are essential, but they require careful planning and constant monitoring. Our team and mahouts work closely together every day, observing behavior, diet, and overall health to make sure each elephant continues to do well despite the harsher conditions.

Another highlight of this period was the return visit of Steve Koyle from elephant care unchained, a highly respected elephant foot care specialist. He continued on training the elephants and our team (especially Norm) with target training and foot desensitization. These methods allow elephants to actively participate in their own care, reducing stress and improving welfare outcomes. His calm, patient approach left a lasting impression on both staff and elephants, and his guidance continues to shape how we manage daily care routines.

We had a week of rain in March and toward the end of April we had some more rain. This is really good for the forest. There’s more fresh forage around compared to last year and the elephants didn't drop as much weight as last year. They always drop a little bit in the dry season, which is very natural. 

Elephant Updates

Gee Pael (Pearl)
Pearl has made excellent progress over the past few months. The wounds on her backside are continuing to improve. The wounds haven’t reopened recently so we have been able to stop medication for now. We have to keep an eye on things to make sure it stays this way. She remains calm and cooperative during daily care, showing trust in her caretakers.

In February Pearl had a little adventure by herself. The Mahouts were surprised not to see her at her nightspot and soon we found out she was visiting Hen. She must have smelled him and decided it was time to flirt. They were friendly together and luckily nothing happened.
She enjoys long hours of foraging and is particularly fond of her mud baths. She is seen sometimes rolling in the mud and she never skips a day to do her skincare. 

Nung Bra (Ruby)
Ruby continues to show quiet resilience. Her glaucoma is being carefully managed with daily treatments, helping to keep her comfortable. Every now and then she has a small cut on her head from bumping into a branch. She also loves taking a good mud bath regularly and that's always a joy to watch.
Unfortunately she had another few days in February where she had a small blockage. The team acted quickly, providing intensive care until she fully recovered with minimum help. She is stable again and navigating the forest confidently, relying on her other senses and memory. 

Hen
Hen is in very good condition and remains one of our more relaxed elephants. His facial abscess all of a sudden were more swollen towards his eye, and soon there was another opening. We are now back to flushing the abscess again daily and the swelling has gone down and not much debris is coming out. Hen also developed a large swelling on his penis. We thought it was a snake bite, but we couldn't see any puncture wounds. We gave him medicine and brought the swelling down with ice.
He was moved to a different part of the forest when we noticed a wild bull moving closer to his area. He liked being near the river and having a bath. His old hip injury remains stable, and his active movement is a positive indicator of his overall well-being.

Ning Wan
Ning Wan worked with Steve and Norm on her Foot training and she finally got it! Where in the beginning she did not understand what we wanted from her, she now puts her front feet up. However, she still tries to go around the fence to see if she can get a snack without putting her feet up!
Ning Wan continues to embrace her later years with character and strength. While her teeth have deteriorated, requiring softer and specially prepared food, she maintains a strong appetite and enthusiasm for feeding time. She shares a close and constant bond with Gee Chreng, and the two are rarely far apart. Despite her age, Ning Wan remains surprisingly energetic and continues to move well through the forest.

Gee Chreng
Gee Chreng is thriving both physically and socially. She remains in excellent health and continues to grow in confidence within the herd. Her bond with Ning Wan is particularly strong, offering companionship and reassurance. During Steve’s visit, Gee Chreng began target training and made impressive progress. She cooperates well and we can now trim her nails if needed. While she does not currently require medical treatment, this training is an important step in preparing her for any future care needs in a calm and cooperative way.

Doe & Darling
Doe and Darling remain very good friends and are always near each other. Following increased wild elephant activity, they were relocated to a new valley with abundant vegetation and space to explore. They also did training with Steve and Norm and we are working on the hind legs. The front feet they understand very well already.

They both were showing some discomfort and when we did a fecal we found they had worms. After deworming they are doing much better and are back to their normal selves.
Darling is showing early signs of dental wear, which we are monitoring closely, while Doe remains highly engaged in foraging. She loves pulling down vines or pushing over a tree. They love sharing a mud bath together, something they do daily, mostly accompanied by trumpetting from Darling as she enjoys the opportunity to mud with her best friend!

Thank You

Your support makes all of this possible. Every treatment, every relocation, every carefully prepared meal, and every peaceful day in the forest is a direct result of your generosity.

Because of you, these elephants are not just being cared for but they are given the opportunity to live freely, form bonds, and heal from their pasts.

From all of us at the Elephant Valley Project, and from the elephants themselves, thank you for standing with us and helping us provide them with the life they deserve.

The EVP team.