Cambodian Elephants
Objectives of the Elephant Project
Treatment of Domestic Elephants.
The project will endeavour to encourage those working with domestic elephants to understand that it is imperative that elephants have access to a good supply of food and water for an appropriate period of time, on a daily basis.
The project will not condone any conduct or action that at any point may cause any physical harm to a domestic elephant. Especially applies to any conduct or action that may cause undue fear or stress to a domestic elephant, hindering its welfare.
The project will advise those owning or working alongside domestic elephant that at no time should the elephants be encouraged to undertake any activity that might exceed the capacity of the individual elephant with relevance to its age, physical strength, and/or medical condition.
The project will at no point approve of the involvement of domestic elephants of Mondulkiri Province in activities which may be considered illegal by Cambodian laws and legislation eg. Illegal logging, illegal hunting or the shipment of illegal goods.
The project will address the issue of harvesting of elephants hair, and advise and educate those who work with elephants as to the legal status of trading in elephant products.
The project will at no point encourage the use of elephants for any activity if there is not a sufficient supply of food, water and shelter for the elephant present.
Livelihood of people.
The project will acknowledge that the use of domestic elephants is an integral part of the traditional life of the Phnong people, however the NGO will discourage further domestication of wild elephants.
The project aims to assist the elephant owning Phnong people through increasing the worth of existing domesticated elephants to the Mahouts and their co-dependents by supplementing the Mahouts' wage through increased suitable employment as part-time employees of the project.
Habitat of Domestic Elephant.
The project will support efforts that preserve forest adjacent to villages that are inhabited by people who own, rely on or use domestic elephants.
The project intends to promote the development of a new legal classification of forest - "Elephant Forest" Forest that is primarily for the use of a village’s domestic elephant(s).
These managed forests will be of a suitable area, contain enough foodstuffs, forest cover and sufficient water to cope with the needs of a village's domestic elephant population and give a domestic elephant daily time away from human activity.
Domestic Elephant population.
The project will not promote, support, encourage or participate in the capture of wild elephants in order to maintain the numbers of domestic elephant in Mondulkiri Province.
The project will not promote, support, encourage or participate in the sale of elephants.
The project will in the event of any sale of domestic elephants in Mondulkiri Province, attempt to document the sale, and gain information on the new owner in order to alert the relevant government authorities, NGO's to such a transaction.
The project will encourage local government departments to comply with the Cambodian government's acceptance of the CITES treaty.
The project will comply with all existing and new FA legislation and bylaws.
The project will discourage the transfer of ownership of domestic elephants from Phnong to any persons outside of their tribal communities.
The project acknowledges that with the population of domestic elephants in Mondulkiri Province likely to decrease over the next few years and as a result some Phnong or Khmer may wish to breed elephants to maintain their way of life.
The project will not offer any financial incentive to promote breeding. However, should any elephants breed successfully and the owner approach for assistance, the NGO will offer veterinary support through the gestation period.
The project will also assist with the registration of a newborn elephant to ensure that accurate and relevant documentation of the elephant is available.
The project will at all times operate in such a way that is compatible with and sensitive to Phnong culture and taboos about the breeding of elephants.
The project will offer full support and cooperation to any established domestic elephant based NGO which may, in the future, start operating in Mondulkiri Province in order to continue working in the best interests of the domestic elephant population of Mondulkiri
The Plight of Elephants in Cambodia
Quite simply the Asian Elephants' main threat is Humans. Historically we have hunted them for 'luxurious' Ivory items, and consistently we encroach upon their traditional home grounds and cutting down their home forests for wood products, agriculture, and livestock grazing.
The Domestic Elephant population of Mondulkiri province, is in general quite mature, with many of the Domestic Elephants being in their 50's and 60's. At this age, simply working too hard, not getting enough rest, or unsatisfactory access to nutritious food and water poses a threat to the individual's health.
Further to this activities such as hunting and logging (legal or otherwise) may threaten the health and well-being of elephants as these activities can lead to serious injury.
The Asian elephant is declining throughout its range and nearing extinction in the wild in many of the thirteen countries where it occurs.
The threat of poaching, habitat loss and increasing cases of human/elephant conflict requires extensive investment into anti-poaching programs, government liaison, community education and the establishment of good practices to protect the second largest land animal from extinction.
Elephant camps
Asia has a thriving tourism industry. Unfortunately this has been exploited by people wishing to make money by using elephants as ‘entertainment’ and every day hundreds of animals are suffering at the hands of humans purely to make a profit for their owners. They are forced to perform degrading and unnatural tricks, often being beaten with spike hammers. Kept on chains 24 hours a day, these animals lose their dignity and freedom and merely exist as moneymaking commodities. The elephants are worked hard, often with out shade, and denied the much needed time for eating, drinking and bathing.
Habitat Destruction
One of the biggest threats to Cambodia's elephant population is habitat destruction. In the past, elephants occurred all over Cambodia but with the spread of the human population and the subsequent destruction of forest, the wild elephant population is now concentrated in only a few areas of the country.
Rough estimates put the number of elephants in Cambodia as about 10,000 in 1969, 2,000 in 1983 and 250-600 at present (these figures quoted are no more than guesses as no systematic survey has been carried out).
The traditional forests inhabited by elephants are being turned into other land uses such as slash and burn agriculture. The project aims to protect areas of "elephant forest" to provide managed forests of a suitable area, containing enough foodstuffs, forest cover and sufficient water to cope with the needs of a village's domestic elephant population and give a domestic elephant daily time away from human activity.
Projects at the Centre
The project has three projects: Domestic Elephant Research Project (DERP); Domestic Elephant Veterinarian Project (DEVP); Domestic Elephant Eco-Tourism Project (DEETP).
2006 saw the start of DERP, the project's aim was to locate the domestic elephants in Mondulkiri and document the owners, mahouts and biometric data. The task was taken up by Thear Chan Torn, a resident of Mondulkiri for three years, and saw him searching the far reaches of the province in order to survey a total of 58 domestic elephants. Mondulkiri only has one primary road which is useable all year round, the majority of travel is on small dirt footpaths and tracks, so this presented no mean feat.
Volunteers from England, America, and Finland have joined Thear Chan Torn on this project.
Future goals include domestic elephant origin mapping, domestic elephant transportation use mapping, and coordination with local NGO's about related Phnong cultural beliefs.
2006 saw the start of DEVP in the village of Putang, Mondulkiri. With no funding for a qualified veterinarian the staff members of ELIE worked in conjunction with the owners and mahouts of the 6 resident elephants, and a further 4 transient domestic elephants to provide low-tech, basic medical care such as cleaning wounds and applying non-prescription Metaline and Povidine.
No other organisation or Government department works in the field of domestic elephant welfare (in Mondulkiri) and currently 18 elephants across the province in need of professional veterinarian care. The project has a trainee veterinarian focusing his remaining studies and thesis on elephant care with the objective of employing and supporting him after his academic studies have finished.
2007 also saw the start of DEETP “Elephant Valley”, which hopefully will benefit from the completed development of the rest and recuperation centre. A place where mahouts and owners can gain alternative employment while their elephants receive food and medical treatment, and equally importantly a break from their typically heavy workload.
The Elephant Valley Project is community based we actively encourage the involvement of local farmers and villagers. We have already seen that the alternative income generated benefits the tribal community as well as the elephants on site.