WORKING TO IMPROVE THE WELFARE OF ASIAN ELEPHANTS IN LAO PDR
Elephant Breeding Programme Known as Lane Xang, or the “Land of a Million Elephants”, the Lao PDR historically had large and widely distributed populations of both wild and domesticated elephants.Today the population stands at around 300 wild elephants. Survival of the species in the wild is seriously endangered by loss of natural habitat (expansion of settlements, agriculture, the logging industry and industrial infrastructure i.e. dams and roads) and to a lesser degree by poaching for the ivory trade or for the export of living animals. Competition for space is causing increased conflict between elephants and people, leading to casualties on both sides. Laos has about 420 domesticated elephants. Most of them are engaged in timber harvesting operations by logging companies and therefore causal to the destruction of natural elephant habitat. Traditionally, elephants from wild populations were captured and domesticated. Since capture from the wild was banned by the Lao government, the domesticated population has plummeted. Elephants employed by the logging industry are made to work at a furious pace, they are overworked and exhausted, and as a consequence do not reproduce. Reproduction amongst captive populations is also hampered by the financial implications of breeding, with many mahouts (elephant owners) unable to bear loss of income during pregnancy and the nursing of calves. With a growing demand for captive elephants within the logging industry and tourism sectors, temptation to illegally capture and tame wild elephants is significantly increased. ElefantAsia’s concept, the Elephant Conservation Center, works to alleviate such pressure by combining the conservation of the Asian elephant and ecotourism: thus creating a unique opportunity for elephants and tourists alike. The first of its kind in Laos, the Elephant Conservation Center encompasses an elephant hospital and laboratory, elephant nursery, botanical gardens and ecotourism facilities in 106 hectares of undisturbed natural elephant habitat in Sayaboury province. Economic obstacles currently impeding reproduction within captive populations will be diminished as the Center offers free breeding opportunities with local bull elephants, thus eliminating initial costly breeding fees. The Center will also become a safe haven taking cows of reproductive age out of the logging industry and allowing them a place to interact with other cows during the later stages of pregnancy; give birth and work in an ethical elephant tourist environment, whilst elephant owners will be given a monthly wage, plus any income earned through tourism activities. Introduction of the Conservation Center’s elephant breeding programme will work to promote an increase in numbers within captive populations, whilst free veterinary care available to mothers and babies throughout pregnancy and nursing, as well as other domesticated elephants needing medical attention will ensure the health and wellbeing of elephant populations within the province. Your donation will support the purchase of medicines, food for the mothers and babies, wages for the mahouts amongst a whole host of other items required to effectively run the Center’s elephant breeding programme, and thus promote the survival of the Asian elephant within Laos. For further information in relation to our projects, please see our websites.
www.elefantasia.org www.elephantconservationcenter.com