An Elephant Healthcare and Welfare Workshop
Blending Veterinary Care and Positive Reinforcement Training
September 23-29, 2018
Green Hill Valley-Myanmar
Beautiful. Inspiring. The Perfect Place for our Special Workshop!
Are you responsible for the health and wellbeing of Asian elephants living in a sanctuary, refuge, rescue center, or other facility?
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Are you interested in learning practical new skills to enhance and enrich their lives?
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Whether you are a seasoned, new, or aspiring elephant veterinarian, a manager or elephant keeper of a sanctuary or rescue center, or otherwise involved with caring for elephants, ElephantCare ASIA is sure to be a life-changing experience for both you and the elephants of Asia.
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Our Team of veterinarians and elephant welfare specialists is partnering with Dr. Khyne U. Mar, Myanmar's leading elephant welfare expert, to offer this exciting, new training program.
Our week-long program is specially designed for people whose professional careers or charitable work includes caring for Asian elephants living in captivity.
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By combining healthcare information with positive reinforcement training (PRT)--and hands-on practice--our workshop will give you the skills to better care for your elephants in a non-stressful way. Elephants managed with PRT choose to participate in their care.
Pack Your Passion & Your Sense of Purpose
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Over the course of our workshop you'll learn a wide variety of skills and gain pertinent knowledge from our elephant welfare experts, including veterinarians Dr. Susan Mikota, Dr. Willem Schaftenaar, and Dr. Khyne U. Mar, and elephant behavior specialist Erin Ivory.
Our all-volunteer team of experts will work in partnership with the founders, veterinarian, and resident elephants of Green Hill Valley, (GHV). GHV is Myanmar's premiere elephant sanctuary where elephant welfare and habitat reforestation are seamlessly integrated into elephant-friendly ecotourism in a beautiful setting.
You'll also learn and practice hands-on techniques for a holistic approach to caring for elephants, including the use of positive reinforcement training, behavioral enrichment, and ways to provide opportunities for the elephants to have more choice and control and to express normal elephant behavior in captive or semi-wild settings.
Together, our instructional team offers decades of combined practical experience in captive elephant healthcare and management to help you better understand and care for your elephants in ways that support their physical, emotional, and social wellbeing.
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As an ElephantCare ASIA participant, you'll travel, live, and work with our instructional team and Project Manager Hollis Burbank-Hammarlund. There will be plenty of opportunities to absorb knowledge, practice learned skills, secure advice for situations and conditions affecting your elephants, and develop close bonds and friendships with like-minded colleagues from all around the globe.
Please join us on our very special workshop adventure!
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(Scroll through the images below)
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Dr. Khyne U. Mar, in Myanmar.
Workshop Itinerary Overview
This itinerary is subject to change. A more detailed itinerary will be developed and shared with participants closer to the workshop date.
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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23:
ARRIVE IN MYANMAR
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Workshop Participants Arrive Mandalay Airport: Overnight in hotel (TBD) check in; 'meet and greet' and dinner.
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
WORKSHOP OFFICIALLY BEGINS
See workshop topics in list >>>>
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Transfer to Kalaw Heritage Hotel and Green Hill Valley
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Half-Day Workshop
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Accommodations: Kalaw Heritage Hotel
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 - FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
FIELD CLINIC / WORKSHOP AT GREEN HILL VALLEY & KALAW
See workshop topics in list >>>>
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Full-Day Workshops
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Accommodations: Kalaw Heritage Hotel
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SATURDAY , SEPTEMBER 29
WORKSHOP & TRANSFER BACK TO MANDALAY
See workshop topics in list >>>>
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Half-Day Workshop
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Transfer to Mandalay
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Accommodations: Overnight in hotel (TBD). End of program.
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(Click on images below for links to websites)
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Click on image
for photos and stories
from our 2018 workshop!
Workshop Training Topics
Veterinary Healthcare & Wellness
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Wellness examinations and body condition assessments
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Preventative health care (e.g., parasites, de-worming, vaccination, blood/urine analysis)
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Infectious diseases (e.g., TB and Herpes virus)
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Common disorders (e.g., colic, eye problems, and dental problems)
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Wound treatment
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Foot care and joint health
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Basic elephant pharmacy, important drugs and dosages, medications for pain
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Stereotypical behaviour and special welfare concerns for captive elephants
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Anaesthesia and safe restraint
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Nutrition
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Post-mortem examination
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Positive Reinforcement Training
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Positive Reinforcement Training (PRT) techniques
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The benefits PRT can provide when managing care
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The importance of trust-based relationships with elephants and how that can be achieved
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How to include vets in the training process to improve veterinary care, access, and safety
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How to reduce aggression and stereotypic behaviors
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Managing elephants in herd structures
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How to improve staff, volunteer, and elephant safety
Things you need to know
Dates: September 23 - 29, 2018
Location: Our workshop will begin and end in Mandalay, Myanmar, with lectures and field clinic training at Green Hill Valley and elsewhere in Kalaw.
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Minimum Age: Our program is open to adults ages 18+ who are actively involved with elephant healthcare and welfare work whether professional or charitable. To ensure our training program meets the needs of our participants and supports team interaction and learning we require the completion of an application form and approval process.
Click here to apply.
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Program Capacity: Our program is limited to a maximum of 12 persons and a minimum of 6.
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What ElephantCare ASIA Is and Is Not:
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It's not a 'gap year' or ecotourism program. It is a professional training program.
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It is a unique opportunity to enhance your professional elephant care and management skills and knowledge.
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It's an opportunity to invest your time, energy and passion to advance your career or passion and help elephants in meaningful and lasting ways.
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It will connect you to a growing global network of elephant care providers with whom you can exchange information and advice both before and after the program.
Accommodations & Meals: While in Kalaw, our team of instructors and participants will stay at the Kalaw Heritage Hotel. Participants should be prepared to share rooms. Three meals a day will be served and will include traditional local foods. Vegetarian options are available.
Our Elephant Experts: Our team of instructors and workshop organizers (and our Green Hill Valley hosts) bring decades of combined experience in elephant biology, physiology, behavior, veterinary care, wild elephant conservation, research and science, captive elephant welfare and management, and working with rural communities throughout Asia. They are experienced educators and practitioners and are donating their time, energy, and professional resources to this program.
Language: All workshops will be taught in English.
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Workshop Fee: $1,485*: Includes all lectures, presentations, field clinics, field trainings, evening group discussions, workshop materials, private consultations on issues facing your elephants, and other 'take aways' to help you sustain your learning.
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Lodging, Food, Ground Transport Cost: $465* includes all in-country meals, lodging, ground transportation, and a team t-shirt or hat.
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(Note: You will be billed for both the above Workshop Fee and Lodging, Food, Ground Transport Cost prior to the start of the workshop. Details will be forwarded to applicants.)
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​Scholarship Funding: To help make this program affordable to eligible participants living and working in range countries in Asia, we hope to raise funds from sponsors and foundations to help reduce the Workshop Fee. Please request a scholarship on our application form if you or your employer do not have the means to pay the full fee amount or if you are unable to raise it through grants or crowdfunding. We will try our best to ensure all interested persons who wish to attend our workshop can afford to. Selection of scholarship recipients will be made by our Team.
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*International airfare, visa, vaccinations, evacuation and repatriation insurance, travel insurance, pre-program ground transportation, excursions outside of this program, snacks and personal needs are not included in the program fee.
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