Hospital and Mobile Veterinary Care: Southern Thailand Elephant Foundation joins Species360

STEF recently appointed Dr. Pattarawan Phumpanna – known as Dr Aon – as the veterinary officer at its new elephant veterinary centre in Phang Nga Province, Southern Thailand, which is due to open later this year.

There is an urgent need for medical care and welfare for the more than 1,000 domestic elephants living in the region of Phuket, Phang Nga, and nearby provinces.

To serve this need, new Species360 member Southern Thailand Elephant Foundation (STEF) is building the first dedicated elephant hospital in Phang Nga province — and expecting to open by end of year. Meanwhile, STEF is beginning to provide mobile veterinary care in the region.

“The Species360 membership ensures that all members of our veterinary team can easily and securely access information from any of their physical locations in Southern Thailand. ZIMS for Husbandry and ZIMS for Medical provide a great platform for keeping records of each elephant that we provide treatment for, including reference of test results.” – Pattarawan Phumpanna, Veterinarian, Southern Thailand Elephant Foundation

As a member of nonprofit Species360, STEF veterinary and care teams will use the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS) to access medical resources and record data on elephants in their care.

Earlier this year, crews added the tile roof to the barn where sick or injured elephants will be treated at the first welfare healthcare center in Phang Nga Province. For those unable to travel to the centre by truck, there will also be a mobile veterinary clinic available. Read more about this community project to provide free medical care to all elephants in the region.

Southern Thailand Elephant Foundation feeds wild elephant herds, and ensured that feed supplies continued to remain available throughout the COVID-19 crisis.

The Southern Thailand Elephant Foundation provides veterinary, food, and other services needed to sustain the health and welfare of domestic elephants and herds of wild elephants in Thailand.

“On behalf of everyone at Southern Thailand Elephant Foundation, I would like to personally thank Mazuri for their very generous sponsorship of our Species360 membership. Without this financial support, membership would have been difficult for our small conservation center,” said Pattarawan Phumpanna, Veterinarian, Southern Thailand Elephant Foundation.

Species360 would like to extend our thanks to Tan Kit Sun, Senior Conservation Officer at Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden, Hong Kong, for helping to connect STEF with the Species360 community, and to Mazuri Animal Nutrition for sponsoring the membership of Southern Thailand Elephant Foundation.