​Press Release for public distribution

4 September 2024

 

Collaborating partners Work for Wild Life International and Elephant Care International announce the launch of an urgently-needed, professional resource to help save the lives of orphan Asian elephants.

 

Hand-Raising Orphan Asian Elephants, A Practical Guide for Asian Elephant Range Country Care Providers is an open-access online resource that provides vital information for elephant veterinarians, veterinary technicians, care-givers, villagers, mahouts, and others tasked with caring for an orphaned Asian elephant.(https://www.elephantcare.org/raisingorphanelephants)

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To date, there has been no comprehensive resource to provide practical and science-based information on how to care for wild Asian elephant calves that have been orphaned. Until now!

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There are many reasons why young elephants are orphaned. Human-elephant conflict is a major contributor. 

 

Falling into ditches or wells, accidental electrocution, being caught in snares or hit by trains or vehicles, poisoned by agricultural chemicals--as well as natural disasters, such as floods--kill many wild Asian elephants, including mothers. Injured or weak elephant calves may be separated from their herd or abandoned. Unless humans step in to help, survival is unlikely.

 

Caring for elephant calves is extremely challenging even for the most experienced care facilities. Many die within the first few months.

 

Written by an international team of Asian elephant health and welfare experts, the new Hand-Raising Orphan Asian Elephants guide includes veterinary protocols, step-by-step instructions, photos, videos, and a variety of healthcare and welfare tools to ensure young orphan elephants have the opportunity to thrive -- and be returned to the wild!

 

From “First Encounter” to “Release Back to the Wild”—11 chapters in all. This new guide will give orphaned elephants a second chance.