Support CSU vet students volunteering to help these survivors
Elephants at the Thailand Elephant National Park have been rescued from physically and mentally abusive situations but currently have no veterinary care. A group of Colorado State University veterinary students is volunteering to help treat and care for these survivors this summer. To help these animals these vet students need to raise approximately $27,000 by April 3, 2012.
A third year Michigan State University vet student, began this program two years ago when she discovered the problems related to the treatment of labor elephants particularly in Thailand's illegal logging industry. This year she has combined efforts with International Student Volunteers so that students from vet schools across the United States can join her in helping these elephants as well as training locals in humane training techniques like clicker training.
These elephants have encountered land mines, abusive training techniques that include beating and throwing arrows until an elephant submits (blinding many), physically forced breeding (broken backs in females), etc. While the Elephant National Park does an incredible job raising money to purchase these elephants from abusive owners and house them appropriately, they do not have veterinary resources to help treat these amazing survivors. A group of CSU veterinary students are volunteering their time for two weeks this summer to tend to these elephants, teach locals in humane training methods as well as help locals with farm and pet animals.
This effort will cost ~$4500 per student (x6 students from CSU = $27,000). This money must be raised by April 3 2012 for this summer’s effort. Donations are easy to make. Just go online to the International Student Volunteers website at www.isvolunteers.org/
Contact: MICHELLE DE FORD
Cell phone: 719.359.6400
eMail: cLupus@rams.colostate.edu
