SHORT REPORT: INTERNATIONAL ELEPHANT FOUNDATION 1

Int. Zoo Yb. (2019) 53: 1–9

DOI:10.1111/izy.12232

Conservation philosophy and activities of the

International Elephant Foundation
S. CONLEY
Conservation Coordinator, International Elephant Foundation, PO Box 366, Azle, Texas
76098, USA
E-mail: [email protected]

Founded in 1998, the International Elephant Founda-

tion (IEF) is dedicated to securing a future where ele- maximus (IUCN, 2018). The IEF Board of
phants thrive. Through funding conservation projects Directors includes representatives from
spanning the globe, collaborating with range-country some of the top zoological and elephant-
partners, lending expertise, facilitating idea exchange
and backing innovation, IEF is making a positive
management facilities in the world, which
impact on the future prospects for the Endangered provides a connection between ambassador
Asian elephant Elephas maximus and Vulnerable Afri- animals in zoos and global conservation
can elephant Loxodonta africana. In 2018, IEF sup- efforts in range countries. Each IEF Board
ported 26 projects in 14 countries. member is a volunteer and makes a signifi-
Key-words: community; conservation; elephant cant donation on top of lending their
endotheliotropic herpesvirus; elephants; human– knowledge and guidance. Zoological facili-
elephant conflict; poaching. ties and supporting animal institutions
account for approximately one-third of all
INTRODUCTION donations. Since 1999, IEF has provided
support to well over 150 elephant-conserva-
Conservation is hard work. It is far less tion projects worldwide and over US
glamorous or camera-ready than the often- $5 million in direct financial assistance.
times quixotic stories reported by the Specific to African elephant conservation
media. The International Elephant Founda- efforts, IEF has supported 57 conservation
tion (IEF) aims to do the hard work neces- projects in 18 African Elephant Range
sary to make impactful positive changes in States (Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon,
securing a future where elephants thrive. Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia,
Since its founding in 1998, IEF has com- Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali,
mitted resources, expertise and funds to Namibia, Nigeria, Republic of Guinea,
in situ and ex situ conservation projects that Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zim-
protect elephants from poaching, seek solu- babwe) totalling over US$1
8 million.
tions for human–elephant conflict, equip Specific to Asian elephant conservation
and train community conservationists, efforts, IEF has supported 63 conservation
increase our knowledge and prevent dis- projects in ten of the 13 Asian Elephant
ease, and educate people, all on the quest Range States (Bhutan, Cambodia, India,
for the conservation of elephants. Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Sumatra,
The IEF is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corpo- Thailand and Vietnam) totalling over US
ration of individuals and institutions dedi- $2
1 million. All of the progress and good
cated to the conservation of the Vulnerable work reflects IEF’s tireless commitment to
African elephant Loxodonta africana and prioritizing and maximizing support for
the Endangered Asian elephant Elephas projects, while keeping its own

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2 CONSERVATION OF ELEPHANTS

administration and fundraising costs to an treasures). In April 2017, IEF provided

absolute minimum, typically around 10%. logistical assistance to the historic Asian
In 2018 alone, IEF supported 26 projects Elephant Range States Meeting (AsERSM)
in 14 countries. Many of these projects in Jakarta, Indonesia (IUCN/SSC Asian
were selected through our annual Conserva- Elephant Specialist Group, 2017). Only the
tion and Research Project Grant Program. second meeting of its kind (Dublin et al.,
Annual grant submissions are separated into 2006), all 13 Asian countries with extant
three categories – In-Situ African elephant elephant populations were represented. It
projects, In-Situ Asian elephant projects and was a true global effort, hosted by the Min-
Ex-Situ research projects – and distributed istry of Environment and Forestry, Republic
to a group of reviewers. Reviewer com- of Indonesia, and facilitated by the Interna-
ments are used by the IEF Board of Direc- tional Union for Conservation of Nature
tors when making final funding decisions (IUCN) Species Survival Commission
during the annual Board of Directors meet- (SSC) Asian Elephant Specialist Group,
ing in December. Projects that perform supported by the Asian Elephant Conserva-
exceptionally well, coupled with conserva- tion Fund of the United States Fish and
tion need and likelihood of successful out- Wildlife Service (USFWS), the IEF, Regain
comes, may be invited to submit multi-year Foundation and the European Union
proposals or identified as projects for long- Indonesia Office. All parties committed to
term commitment. Annual Conservation implementing a strategic action plan for
Grants and our longer-term projects account Asian elephants, envisioned by the ‘The
for c. 90% of all funds administered. Jakarta Declaration for Asian Elephant
Although IEF’s mission and mandate is Conservation’ (IUCN/SSC Asian Elephant
elephant conservation through protection, Specialist Group, 2017) signed and pre-
research and education, its projects impact sented at the AsERSM. Since its adoption,
other less-visible wildlife. As architects of the ‘Jakarta Declaration’ has served as a
the environment – helping in seed dispersal, guiding force for future conservation work
landscaping, forest migration, enriching soil including being used as the rubric upon
and more – elephants play a vital role in which grant decisions are made from some
habitat health and maintenance, which in of the world’s leading conservation funding
turn makes them vital to the survival of any organizations.
number of species of fauna and flora in the
ecosystem. Hence, elephants are considered
COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE
keystone species. Many keystone species
are selected as umbrella species for conser- While conservationists focus on securing
vation-related decisions because protecting positive outcomes for wildlife, what about
them will indirectly protect many other spe- the perspective of the people directly
cies in their ecological communities. There- impacted by those conservation activities?
fore, IEF’s projects directly and indirectly It is the people who live with wildlife in
support the protection and conservation of, their back yard who ultimately will decide
for example, lions, tigers, giraffe, pangolin, the fate of elephants. A Ruaha villager
rhinoceros of Africa and Asia, zebra, multi- named Argentina perfectly summed up that
ple antelope species, hornbills, pheasants, idea by expressing that ‘together we can
monitor lizards, gharials and tapir. stop poachers from poaching elephants’.
The IEF has made significant advances IEF believes in a community approach to
by focusing on asking what range countries conservation that addresses each region,
and their human communities impacted by habitat or population based on its own
elephants need in order to protect their needs. Successful projects that create lasting
livelihoods, and their wildlife and wild solutions nearly always incorporate those
places (which should be considered national who live alongside and share their

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SHORT REPORT: INTERNATIONAL ELEPHANT FOUNDATION 3

landscape with elephants; if the community younger generation created a positive

is not on board, then change only lasts as pathway to the wildlife-film and discussion
long as the specific project. With that in nights. A series of conservation and ele-
mind, IEF’s decades of projects have phant-protection films was shown in 16 vil-
sought to build a community consensus for lages, with an interactive discussion
conservation, similar to the effect a good following each screening. Community
zoo has on the region it serves. members were not only amazed to learn
about the animals with whom they share
their land but also focused on discussing
Case-study project
the challenges of living near elephants and
In the Rungwa-Ruaha ecosystem in Tanza- possible conflict-mitigation strategies in
nia, where elephants have declined by as order to enhance the benefits people receive
much as 76% since 2009, it is critical to from protecting elephants. These film nights
facilitate long-term and sustainable coexis- empowered and rallied community mem-
tence of people and elephants. Working bers towards elephant protection, reaching
with Sarah Maisonneuve of the Mountains upwards of 8800 people from 44 separate
and Plains Institute for Lifelong Learning events.
and Service (Fort Collins, CO, USA), IEF To solidify the community investment in
provided funds to the Sustaining Local protecting elephants, a park-visitation pro-
Support for Elephant Conservation near gramme was implemented. Creating novel
Ruaha, Tanzania Project, which fosters sus- and meaningful opportunities for partici-
tainable coexistence by integrating the com- pants to see elephants and wildlife in a pos-
munity with wildlife in a safe manner. itive setting, the project brought multiple
Believing that local people must be gen- groups from 16 different villages into
uinely and continuously engaged as part- nearby Ruaha National Park. To keep it fair
ners in conservation if elephants are to and build local trust, participants were ran-
persist in the wild, this project focuses on domly selected by way of blind drawings,
stopping and reversing the steady erosion giving every villager an equal chance of
of local support for elephant conservation being chosen. Trained park guides helped
that makes the species vulnerable to poach- participants spot and identify wildlife, while
ing and retaliatory killing. While empower- teaching about the animals and introducing
ing communities with strategies to prevent tools to help live with them sustainably.
conflict is important, the action of only Each participant was also given a digital
reducing the number of negative experi- camera to take as many photos as they
ences locals have with elephants is insuffi- would like, later choosing their favourite to
cient to overcome a lifetime of negative be printed out as tangible souvenirs of their
perceptions that may have developed (Pon- visit and to reinforce the positive experi-
nusamy et al., 2016). Offering a compre- ence with wildlife.
hensive conservation-education programme, Combining education and seeing ele-
the objectives of this project are threefold: phants in person has started a paradigm
(1) teacher training, (2) wildlife-film and shift in the region. At the time of writing,
discussion nights, and (3) park-visitation when villagers are engaged in conversations
programme. Delivering a conservation cur- about elephant poaching during park visits
riculum in local schools, this project has or film nights, people are emboldened
trained and supported 22 teachers over the enough to publicly name and shame known
last 2 years, reaching over 1200 students poachers in the community, individuals
across 13 villages. Lessons included speci- who are sometimes even sitting in the same
fic units on elephant ecology, general herbi- safari truck or in the audience at the same
vore ecology, carnivore ecology and film night. There is a growing social taboo
climate change. Connecting with the associated with poaching and social

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4 CONSERVATION OF ELEPHANTS

pressure to protect the elephants instead of displaced elephants and an increase in

the poachers. Villagers are invested in the human–elephant conflict. Prior to the year
programme, as one 49 year-old female par- 2000, the government reaction was to cap-
ticipant stated: ‘If all people from the vil- ture habitual ‘problem’ elephants involved
lage get the chance to visit the park, they in human–elephant conflict and put them in
won’t be able to poach wild animals elephant training centres. Low budgets,
because they will understand the benefits of overcrowding, high capture-related mortal-
keeping them’. The villagers also learned ity rates, and inadequate veterinary and hus-
the value of their natural heritage as articu- bandry care, created a new crisis in the
lated by another participant: ‘I learned that elephant training centres (Hedges et al.,
our country is made rich by the animals we 2005).
have in our park’. A personal experience of Working with in-country partners Komu-
seeing elephants inspired this individual to nitas untuk Hutan Sumatera and the Indone-
profess her intention to change, enhancing sian government’s nature conservation
the effectiveness and sustainability of con- agency Balai Konservasi Sumber Daya
servation messaging. This testimonial sug- Alam, the CRU concept was developed to
gests that in Ruaha, as in numerous other increase the welfare of captive elephants
areas of the world, seeing wildlife in a while also preserving the remaining and
meaningful way begins to teach people rapidly disappearing habitat for wild popu-
about the intrinsic value of wild animals lations. Elephants that were formerly at
and to care about their survival (Rosa & training centres now live at CRU camps,
Collado, 2019). experiencing a higher standard of care and
participating in conservation activities
(Azmi et al., 2006). Besides the regular
PROTECTION
duties of habitat patrol, consulting and
International Elephant Foundation’s com- implementing community-watch pro-
munity approach extends to every category grammes, and herding wild elephants away
of project from habitat protection and anti- from human settlements (Riddle, 2007), the
poaching strategies to research. CRUs in Way Kambas ushered in three
new Sumatran elephants born in 2017 at
CRU Tegal Yoso and CRU Bungur. At the
Case-study projects
request of the local communities, and to
Conservation response units (CRUs) One secure the remaining unprotected segment
of IEF’s signature Asian elephant conserva- of the border of Way Kambas National
tion projects, the Conservation Response Park, in 2018 IEF supported the construc-
Units (CRUs) in Sumatra, has been instru- tion of a fourth CRU unit at Braja Har-
mental in protecting and securing habitat, josari. The CRU model is so successful that
and changing community attitudes towards it has been used as a guide for the Emer-
elephants (Azmi & Gunaryadi, 2011; Rid- gency Elephant Response Units in Myan-
dle & Oo, 2016), thereby having positive mar (Riddle & Oo, 2016), which in the first
effects on the preservation of the Critically 4 months of 2018 were instrumental in
Endangered Sumatran elephant Elephas catching five poachers.
maximus sumatranus (IUCN, 2018), which
has an estimated population of only 1800 Law-enforcement operations and ranger
individuals. As Sumatra’s lowland and activities A continent away, in Africa, the
highland forests ‘have been and continue to same approach applies. Located at the
be lost to development schemes and illegal northern end of the Albertine Rift Valley in
conversion of protected areas to agriculture’ north-western Uganda, Murchison Falls
(Hedges et al., 2006), suitable habitat has National Park was once one of the most
declined at an alarming rate resulting in popular wildlife tourism destinations in East

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SHORT REPORT: INTERNATIONAL ELEPHANT FOUNDATION 5

Africa. Queen Elizabeth Protected Area, as elephants. This direct community

south of Murchison Falls National Park, is engagement is supporting the recovery of
part of an extensive transboundary ecosys- not only the Park and the Protected Area
tem and is the cornerstone protecting the but also the tourism industry, which will
vast majority of wildlife found in this bring jobs and a better standard of living to
aggregation of protected areas. Decades of the community. In essence, IEF is building
civil unrest collapsed the tourism industry a community investment one ranger post at
in Uganda, and left the parks in the hands a time.
of armed insurgents and poachers until the
early 2000s. The escalation in poaching of
COMMUNITY
elephants and other megafauna resulted in
plummeting populations, which then signifi- Capacity building and engagement within
cantly changed the vegetation of the habitat the communities who live in close proxim-
impacting herbivores and the carnivores ity to elephants can take many forms; for
that preyed on them. example, school education and wildlife
Ranger patrols are at the heart of Murchi- clubs, working with government representa-
son Falls National Park and Queen Eliza- tives and infrastructure officials, and creat-
beth Protected Area’s law-enforcement ing conservation corridors, to name a few.
operations, and strengthening ranger-opera-
tion infrastructure and capabilities has been
Case-study projects
a high priority for the recovery programme
for the Park. Since 2006, the IEF has been Conservation education In Uganda, IEF
supporting the construction and outfitting of has also supported important community
ranger posts in Queen Elizabeth Protected outreach and education programmes that
Area and Murchison Falls National Park in mirror the zoo camps that many Western
partnership with the Uganda Conservation zoos have implemented. The Kibale Forest
Foundation and Uganda Wildlife Authority. Schools Program (http://www.kasiisiproject.
With IEF backing, one inland and four org) works within 15 local schools to pro-
marine ranger posts have been constructed vide conservation education to students,
in Queen Elizabeth Protected Area, and encourage and form wildlife clubs, and pro-
from 2012 to 2018 IEF supported the con- vide a tangible positive experience with
struction and outfitting of nine marine and wildlife through trips into Kibale National
inland ranger posts in Murchison Falls Park for teachers and students. Building a
National Park. As extensive waterways conservation-minded community from the
transect both parks, marine and inland ran- ground up, this project relies on community
ger posts are of equal importance. Marine education and the inspirational nature of
rangers are able to intercept and discourage individuals seeing animals for themselves.
poachers using the waterways because mar- Together, these methods have started to
ine craft make it relatively inexpensive and change attitudes towards wildlife from
rapid to reach communities, especially those adversarial to admiration, and are expected
in previously inaccessible areas. Once to have long-reaching positive effects
located, the boats and fishing nets of those (Damerell et al., 2013). Previous students
engaged in poaching and/or illegal fishing who have gone through this curriculum dis-
activities can be confiscated. While law-en- played increased knowledge about ele-
forcement efforts are not typical community phants, a positive attitude towards elephants
programmes, ex-poachers and community and conservation, and have even started
members were recruited onto the ranger- their own Wildlife Clubs in order to reach
post construction teams, investing them in out to their community. In 2016, a series
the goal of protecting all wildlife, such as of surveys of participants documented
lions, hippopotamuses and giraffes, as well an increase in parental engagement in

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6 CONSERVATION OF ELEPHANTS

children’s conservation activities. Separate are also coming together to create safe
interviews of children (n = 105) and their passage for wildlife in the conservation cor-
parents (n = 105) showed that not only ridor between India and Nepal. Bardia
were 65% of parents well informed about National Park is an important habitat
school Wildlife Clubs [i.e. they knew the because it is home to a number of threat-
names of the patrons (leaders) of the Wild- ened species, including Asian elephants,
life Clubs, how long the children had been Gharial Gavialis gangeticus, Tiger Pan-
members and what the Wildlife Clubs did] thera tigris and Indian rhinoceros Rhino-
but also there was 75% agreement between ceros unicornis. IEF partnered with the
parents and children on conservation activi- National Trust for Nature Conservation to
ties (numbers and type) performed in their support the Strengthening Community
villages and communities (E. Otali, pers. Based Anti-Poaching Units for Asian Ele-
comm., unpubl. data). A questionnaire sur- phant Conservation in the Corridor between
vey was also sent to 500 parents from 13 India and Nepal Project, which utilized the
government-funded primary schools located Endangered status of elephants to benefit
within 5 km of Kibale National Park species that otherwise would not draw large
boundary. Of the 398 responses received conservation focus. Through a collaborative
(c. 80% response rate) > 93% of the par- approach with local people, eight Commu-
ents stated that they think it is important to nity Based Anti-Poaching Units have been
protect elephants and they want their mobilized with participation from over 320
children to learn how to conserve them village youth members. Together they
(E. Otali, pers. comm., unpubl. data). remove poacher’s traps and snares, work to
combat human–elephant conflict and protect
Infrastructure challenges Human–elephant this vital habitat. Through their patrolling,
conflict is a challenge everywhere there are information sharing and outreach efforts
elephants. As economies grow and human they have projected a 75% reduction in
settlements expand so do encounters with human–wildlife conflict in the region and
elephants, including accidents involving an 80% decrease in illegal extraction of
transportation. The Siliguri–Alipur Duar resources. At the time of writing, work in
railway line in India is close to and crosses the region seeks to expand the Community
elephant migratory routes, often with Based Anti-Poaching Units to solidify gains
deadly results. Speeding trains through already made and build upon them. The
rangelands hit and kill elephants. Building multi-species protection provided by the
on the work of a study – ‘A Survey of Ele- Community Based Anti-Poaching Units is a
phant Corridors/Traditional Elephant Move- testament to the importance to the habitat
ment Paths Across Railway Tracks in as a whole of maintaining a healthy ele-
Northern West Bengal, India, to Address phant population.
the Conservation Issue of Avoidable Ele-
phant Deaths in Train Accidents’ (Roy &
Sukumar, 2017), which was funded by IEF RESEARCH
– in 2018 IEF worked with the Asian Nat- Elephant conservation does not start and
ure Conservation Foundation to support a stop in the field. Veterinary work in zoos
workshop for stakeholders including gov- and research centres, and international
ernment representatives and railway offi- meetings to bring scientists, researchers,
cials so they may work together to discuss elephant experts, zoo personnel and con-
issues and find solutions to collisions servationists together to discuss any
between trains and wildlife. advances or challenges they face, are
Conservation corridors and anti-poaching essential to increase our knowledge and
units Conservationists and communities skills.

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SHORT REPORT: INTERNATIONAL ELEPHANT FOUNDATION 7

elephants, and causes a devastating haemor-

Case-study projects
rhagic disease that kills one in four Asian
Symposia The IEF’s International Ele- elephants under the age of 8 years in North
phant Conservation and Research Symposia America. Cases of EEHV-HD have been
provide a forum for scientists, researchers, found in most of the elephant range states
elephant experts, zoo personnel and conser- of Africa and Asia, as well as North Amer-
vationists to interact and exchange ideas. ica and Europe. Most elephant calves –
Each can share their efforts through oral or both in the wild and in human care – are
poster presentations, form lasting partner- naturally exposed to EEHV, survive infec-
ships, increase knowledge and work collab- tion and remain healthy, but certain young
oratively to enhance the effectiveness of elephants develop a systemic EEHV infec-
existing solutions while finding new ones. tion and die quickly from severe haemor-
In an effort to increase the value while lim- rhagic disease, usually within 72 hours of
iting the expenditure to the participants, the first clinical symptoms. Asian elephants
IEF will sometimes invite a co-hosting tend to be the hardest hit, making this dis-
organization that concentrates on a different ease a serious risk to species survival.
species but with similar issues and where Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus
oftentimes the symposia participants work was first identified in elephants at the
with both. For example, in 2016 the 15th Smithsonian National Zoo (Washington,
International Elephant and Rhino Conserva- DC, USA). Since the discovery of EEHV,
tion and Research Symposium, hosted by the IEF has made the investigation of this
the Singapore Zoo, brought together veteran haemorrhagic disease a high funding prior-
and up-and-coming conservationists and ity. The IEF has organized national and
researchers who work with elephants and/or international meetings for medical and vet-
rhinoceros. There were presentations from erinary experts to discuss the most pressing
some of the world’s leading experts on ele- considerations for the management and
phant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV), treatment, and identify critical research
veterinarians developing groundbreaking themes. This has resulted in significant
procedures to test elephants for tuberculosis advancements in our knowledge of EEHV
and other diseases, scientists making the leading to improved management and treat-
case for the African forest elephant Lox- ment of the captive and wild elephants that
odonta cyclotis to be an officially recog- are most susceptible to becoming ill from
nized species (although hybridization with EEHV; for example, sequencing and deci-
L. africana makes their conservation status phering the complete genomes of two
uncertain at this time), researchers with the strains (EEHV1A and EEHV4) and large
latest innovations for human–elephant coex- segments of most of the others (Zong et al.,
istence, discussions on the impact of poach- 2014). None of this could have been
ing and declining population numbers, accomplished without collaboration. Ele-
natural behaviour and habitat use. The 16th phant populations based in North America
International Elephant Conservation and contribute regular samples to major labora-
Research Symposium will take place in tories at Smithsonian National Zoo, Johns
October 2019 in Limpopo, South Africa, Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD, USA)
and will feature the first ever EEHV work- and Baylor College of Medicine (Houston,
shop to be held in Africa. TX, USA) to perform diagnostics, work on
extensive genetic analysis and lay the foun-
EEHV-haemorrhagic disease (EEHV-HD) dational groundwork for a first-generation
International Elephant Foundation also EEHV vaccine, respectively. Advancements
believes in using a community approach in in understanding and treatment of EEHV
research. EEHV is an ancient virus that were possible because of the financial com-
evolved along with African and Asian mitment of IEF Board Member institutions,

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8 CONSERVATION OF ELEPHANTS

the expertise of individual Board Members, specific dosage recommendations to be

the elephant-management excellence of made.
staff at these institutions, and the ability to
acquire the necessary biological samples Relevance of elephants in zoos The IEF
from willing, stress-free, well-managed ele- funded a study by Lance Miller of the Chi-
phants trained in both restricted and free cago Zoological Society (Brookfield, IL,
contact using species-appropriate and USA) that investigated the relevancy of ele-
humane husbandry tools. phant populations in zoos in relation to
The work at Baylor College of Medicine conservation awareness (Miller et al.,
was inspired by research scientists meeting 2018). Ten zoological institutions, along
the elephant herd at nearby Houston Zoo with their staff and elephant herds, partici-
(TX, USA) (C. Feldman, ‘Baylor doctor pated in this study, which concluded that
dedicated to saving young elephants’, having a close-proximity viewing experi-
Houston Chronicle, 10 October 2015, ence of elephants engaged in a variety of
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/life/artic active species-typical behaviours was sig-
le/Baylor-doctor-dedicated-to-saving-young- nificantly correlated with the interest visi-
elephants-6564175.php). This encounter tors expressed in getting involved in
compelled the scientists to focus their elephant conservation (Miller et al., 2018).
research on the development of an EEHV This study also concluded that facilities can
vaccine that would not only help the ele- use enrichment and training, and first-rate
phants at Houston Zoo but also contribute enclosure design, to ensure that visitors
to the survival of elephant species. If suc- have positive emotional experiences that
cessful, this work will have positive reper- elevate their perceptions about animal wel-
cussions for every elephant on the planet. fare (Miller et al., 2018).
Seeing and meeting an elephant face-to-face While some may assert that there is no
had and continues to have a direct impact conservation value in keeping elephants
on conservation. outside of range countries, the research
Elephants in human care have the power advancements in elephant-specific diseases
to teach and inspire in lasting, impactful and the power to inspire the public to care
ways that cannot be simulated in any other clearly show that there is a conservation
medium. Without elephant ambassadors, the role for elephants in zoological facilities.
public would feel less connected and, there-
fore, less invested in elephants and their
CONCLUSION
survival. In the case of EEHV, elephant
ambassadors at multiple zoos are making a Conservation of wildlife and wild places
global footprint in the fight against this takes many different forms and is expressed
virus. in many different ways. Zoos and aquari-
ums across the world have developed, man-
Treatment of tuberculosis The IEF funded aged and supported conservation actions for
pharmacokinetics studies of rectally and decades and have made a significant impact
orally administered levofloxacin for the on hundreds of species of plants and ani-
treatment of tuberculosis in Asian ele- mals. IEF’s supporters, of which zoos are
phants, as investigated by Tulsa Zoo’s major contributors, do some of the most
(OK, USA) Associate Veterinarian Jennifer creative fundraising on behalf of elephants;
J. Kilburn, DVM. This is another example for example, events such as ‘ZooBrew’ at
of zoo elephants making a global contribu- Seneca Park Zoo (Rochester, NY, USA:
tion by participating in studies to determine https://senecaparkzoo.org/event/zoobrew-09-
the pharmacokinetics of levofloxacin after 2018), ‘Elephant Elves’ at Wildlife Safari
either oral or rectal administration. This (Winston, OR, USA: https://wildlifesafari.
work will allow more-accurate, species- net), and ‘Elephant Encounter’ weekends at

Int. Zoo Yb. (2019) 53: 1–9 © 2019 The Zoological Society of London
SHORT REPORT: INTERNATIONAL ELEPHANT FOUNDATION 9

Woburn Safari Park (UK: https://www.wob Malaysia, report. Nairobi: CITES MIKE. Available at
urnsafari.co.uk/discover/vip-experiences/ele http://www.cites.org/sites/default/files/common/prog/
mike/0601AsERSM.pdf
phantencounters). IEF’s individual donors HEDGES, S., TYSON, M. J., SITOMPUL, A. F., KINNAIRD,
hold yoga classes for conservation, birthday M., GUNARYADI, D. & ASLAN, A. (2005): Distribution,
carnivals, with IEF donations instead of status and conservation needs of Asian elephant (Ele-
presents, and school recycling drives. phas maximus) in Lampung Province, Sumatra,
Indonesia. Biological Conservation 124: 35–48.
Besides donor-initiated events, IEF raises HEDGES, S., TYSON, M. J., SITOMPUL, A. F. & HAMMATT,
funds through zoo donations, grant writing, H. (2006): Why inter-country loans will not help
social-media awareness drives, and partner- Sumatra's elephants. Zoo Biology 25: 235–246.
ships with conservation-minded companies IUCN (2018): The IUCN Red List of Threatened Spe-
who pledge a portion of profits of sales. cies. Gland, Switzerland, and Cambridge, UK: Interna-
tional Union for Conservation of Nature. Available at
Over 85% of all donations go directly to http://www.iucnredlist.org
field conservation. IUCN/SSC ASIAN ELEPHANT SPECIALIST GROUP (2017):
Be it patrols and monitoring, human–ele- Asian elephant range states meeting, final report, April
phant conflict mitigation, education, habitat 18–20 2017, Jakarta, Indonesia. Gajah: Regain Foun-
dation, International Elephant Foundation, Forum Kon-
protection, policy advising or scientific servasi. Available at https://elephantconservation.org/
research, an adaptive and responsive iefImages/2018/03/AsERSM-2017_Final-Report.pdf
approach has helped IEF create impactful MILLER, L. J., LUEBKE, J. F. & MATIASEK, J. (2018):
and sustainable change on behalf of ele- Viewing African and Asian elephants at accredited
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Int. Zoo Yb. (2019) 53: 1–9 © 2019 The Zoological Society of London