A Symposium on Health and Reproduction of Asian Elephant May 31st June 2nd, 2010, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Providing veterinary care to domesticated elephants of Laos (ElefantAsia Mobile Elephant Clinic)
Bertrand Bouchard DVM, MSca Vathsana Chanthavonga
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ElefantAsia, National Animal Health Center, PO BOX 3804, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR

Keywords: Laos, veterinary, elephant SUMMARY In order to decrease mortality rates and to improve the welfare of working elephants in Laos, a mobile elephant clinic (MEC) was created in 2007 by ElefantAsia. The MECs staff is composed of veterinarians from the NGO and by officials from the Livestock Department. In each district, missions serve the purpose of training the mahouts and the owners on elephant health and reproduction. Each elephant is also registered and receives free veterinary care if needed. Our data so far show that the general sanitary condition of elephants is satisfying, but many injuries and diseases are due to the hard working conditions prevailing in the logging industry. The most frequent diseases observed are skin abscesses and wounds, subcutaneous parasites, eyes infections, digestive problems and foot disorders. The MECs treatment capacity is particularly limited by the conditions that prevail on the field and by the drugs available in the country. A particular effort should therefore be made to improve the availability of veterinary medicines in every district of the country, and to continue training mahouts and livestock officials on elephant care and management. INTRODUCTION The Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus indicus) used to be commonly found in most provinces of Laos a hundred years ago, but both domestic and wild populations have been steadily decreasing during the past decades. Although the wild population has not yet been precisely estimated throughout the country, it is likely that it remains less than 800 wild elephants today. In 2000, there were 864 domesticated elephants officially registered in Laos, 82% of which were located in the province of Sayabury (Norachack, 2002). This number is still declining and it is now estimated that there are only around 600 domesticated elephants left in 2010 (S. Duffillot & G. Maurer, unpublished observations). In Laos, elephants are mainly used to drag heavy logs in the forests of mountainous regions. A few of them are also working for elephant tourist camps. One of the main reasons why the domestic elephant population is dramatically disappearing lays in the high mortality rates. This is due to the hard working conditions occurring in the logging camps and to the lack of access to modern veterinary services. MATERIALS AND METHODS To help reverse this situation, the Non-Governmental Organization ElefantAsia established a Mobile Elephant Clinic (MEC) in 2006, in cooperation with the Livestock Department of the

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A Symposium on Health and Reproduction of Asian Elephant May 31st June 2nd, 2010, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The MEC was implemented in close partnership with the team of the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang, Thailand. The permanent MEC team consists of a provincial livestock official, an animal health officer and a full-time foreign veterinarian. A local livestock official also joins the team in every district to contact elephant owners. Monthly missions are organized in different districts were the team can reach the remote places where elephants and mahouts are working. In each district, short trainings are provided to the mahouts and the owners on reproduction, basic veterinary care and on the use of locally available drugs. First aid kits containing basic equipment and booklets are also given to every elephant owner. This booklet is written in Lao language and is based on the Elephant care manual for mahouts and camp managers written by Phuangkum et al. (2005). It provides further information about elephant health and physiology, management and nutrition. During the MEC missions, each elephant receives free veterinary care when needed. The elephants are also identified with microchips and registered using a standardized registration form. Information is entered in a national database on domesticated elephants. This database is used for population analysis, medical records and it enables the provision of reliable up-todate information to policy makers and livestock management officers. Emergency missions are moreover organized in case of accidents or uncontrolled musth. RESULTS In 3 years of activity, 420 domesticated elephants have been registered and checked by the MEC. An assessment of the global health condition of these elephants shows that despite the satisfying general sanitary condition of elephants, many injuries and diseases happen and are due to the hard working conditions prevailing in the logging industry. Severe wounds, abscesses and other skin problems are caused by harnesses and are sometimes lethal if not treated quickly. Heavy workloads and dangerous terrains can induce musculoskeletal problems like limping, nail cracking and bone fracturing. Skin parasites, gastro-intestinal disorders and conjunctivitis are also frequently observed. Difficult cases can be hard to manage because of the field conditions in remote areas and because of the limited access to veterinary drugs in the country. DISCUSSION Access to veterinary care still proves to be challenging for the domesticated elephants in Laos. Because the MEC is only visiting most of them once a year, training the mahouts as well as the local livestock officers on basic care and medicines is crucial. Important efforts should also be done in order to improve the availability of veterinary medicines in every district of the country. ElefantAsias next projects include a conservation sanctuary that will be implemented in the province of Sayabury. The forested area surrounding the compound will be able to host pregnant females during their late pregnancy and the early lactation periods, all under the supervision of veterinarians. Within this unique sanctuary, an elephant care center will be built and will become the new headquarters of the MEC. It will allow the treatment of any difficult cases or chronic diseases and will also be a training center for animal health officers. Educational and tourist activities will also be organized in order to raise awareness on Lao elephants condition and to support conservation projects undertaken by ElefantAsia. Improving access to veterinary care, medicine and training for local animal health workers is of major importance for domesticated elephant conservation in Laos. Indeed, this will have to

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A Symposium on Health and Reproduction of Asian Elephant May 31st June 2nd, 2010, Chiang Mai, Thailand

be done in combination with working on increase the dramatically low birth rates and with fighting poaching and illegal exports. REFERENCES Norachack, B. 2002. The care and management of domesticated Asian elephants in Lao PDR. In: Giants on our hands: Proceedings of the international workshop on the domesticated Asian elephant. I. Baker and M. Kashio (ed.). Bangkok: RAP Publication. 173-182 Phuangkum, P., Lair, R.C., Angkawanith, T. 2005. Elephant care manual for mahouts and camp managers. Bangkok: FAO/RAP. 152 pg

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