Caring for Cambodia's elephants during Covid

GlobalGiving - Caring for Cambodia’s Elephants During Covid & Help the elephants of Cambodia & EVP post pandemic 

January - March 2026 

What's happening at ELIE & The Elephant Valley

We wanna start with the best news! We have secured the funds for Doe & Darling! It is such a relief to know that these elephants are safe now and  so they will live the rest of their lives with us in the forest! We are so so happy with this and we were crying from happiness when this happened. It was a big fundraiser as we had to raise 70.000 USD but we did it!

We also are excited to share a picture of the beautiful mural we have now on our kitchen wall. Artist Tamara van der Ven made this for us and we are so proud of it.

The beginning of the year was windy but now we are in the dry season and it is getting hot out here. The food in the forest is getting less and the rivers are drying, but there are still nice green patches of leaves around. This is thanks to the week of rain we had in March which watered the forest well.
We had to move the elephants around more to make sure there was enough food as some parts of the forest were drying out or had a fire.  

The 2 wild male elephants are still around so we have to move our elephants every now and then when they are coming too close to our ladies. They are seen around the farms now regularly which is a little concern as well. Where they used to migrate, they now seem to hang around in this area and made this their new home. 

Elephant Conservation Program:  

Mobile Vet Team Project 

We went back to see the elephant with eye problems and it was going a bit better. We would like to visit more often but unfortunately that is not so easy as it sounds. 

We are glad that we have built the trust with the owners that they allow us to visit again. We hope we can sustain this relationship and keep providing the care needed on a regular basis. 

As there are only 17 Elephants in Mondulkiri left, and 4 in Ratanakiri, this is not a fulltime job. 

Captive Elephant Care & Rehabilitation @ the Elephant Valley Project. 

 January  

January was a steady month, with the elephants enjoying their usual routines in the forest. We had a lot of guests as we were in the middle of the high season. 

Ruby was found on Touen ricefield, enjoying the fresh crops and some banana trees. It is important that we maintain a relationship with the community members when our elephants go on their farms and eat the crops, so we always make sure we are compensating for the damage being caused. Otherwise Ruby  remains very much herself, often seen carrying a branch in her trunk to swat away flies, which seem particularly drawn to her during this time of year. With the increase in horseflies, this has become an essential part of her daily routineShe has more lumps on her belly but the mahouts are monitoring it closely. She loves her papaya treats, although she can be quite suspicious if she senses medication hidden inside. Thankfully, the mahouts have become very skilled in hiding it.
 

February

February was a significant and uplifting month for the project. We successfully raised the matching funds for Doe and Darling, meaning both elephants are now fully secured and will spend the rest of their lives with us in the forest. They didn't even notice all the stress we had to raise their funds but we think they know they will be safe now. They love their forest adventures and wandering around to find some fresh bamboo. These two elephants are always a pleasure to follow around to share adventures with.

Pearl had a little adventure on her own. She broke her night chain and went for a visit to Hen. They were found together in the morning. We totally get it that she likes this handsome guy but unfortunately we can not keep them together, as we don’t want them to breed. Pearl continues to embrace her role as the diva of the forest. She takes great pleasure in her daily mud baths, which sometimes can last up to 50 minutes, before heading off on relaxed strolls through her surroundings. Her bum still requires regular treatment but it looks steady.

March

In March Hen experienced another facial swelling, which seemed to be connected to his old one. We are flushing the opening regularly again but no puss seem to come out which is a good sign. Shortly after, he developed a significant swelling on his penis, possibly the result of a snake bite, an unusual but not impossible occurrence in the forest. Despite these setbacks, Hen remains in good condition and continues to enjoy his time roaming freely, even if he has not had much luck with the females recently.

Ning Wan and Gee Chreng continue to share a close bond, spending most of their time together in the forest. Ning Wan usually takes the lead, confidently guiding their walks, while Gee Chreng follows closely behind. Where Ning Wan dropped a bit in the dry season last year, she seem to do much better this year. She keep enjoying her rice and her enthusiasm is always a joy to watch, especially when her impatience leads her to attempt opening the food box herself. Gee Chreng is doing well and growing in confidence, though she still looks to Ning Wan regularly for reassurance. She particularly enjoys her daily banana tree snacks, which remain a favorite.

Natural Resource Protection Project

In 2025, we propagated approximately 1,200 tree saplings, including Beng, T’nong, Chreh, Bring, Sabok, Chour Tuk, Riang, and Po’pel. In addition, 150 bamboo root cuttings were successfully established in the nursery.

During the same period, between 300 and 400 Beng trees were planted out in the forest, alongside the direct transplantation of approximately 80 young bamboo plants into both the Elephant Valley Project forest and surrounding community forest areas.

Plants currently in the nursery are developing well, and with the anticipated arrival of the rainy season in the coming months, we aim to begin further outplanting efforts. A significant number of bamboo plants have been propagated and are being prepared for future planting. We also continue to prioritize endangered tree species such as Beng and T’nong, known for their ecological importance and value within the forest ecosystem.

Ecotourism & Education Program – Elephant Valley Project

Now we just finished our high season (Jan-Mar) and we had a good number of visitors coming to us. But unfortunately the conflict in the middle east is affecting our numbers.
There was a school visiting from Phnom Penh with Khmer and International students, we hosted over 75 students in total. They enjoyed learning about elephant welfare and seeing them in a natural setting.
We were lucky enough to host an amazing group focussing on Ethical animal tourism. They helped us to propagate bamboo and they learned a lot about elephant welfare and sustainable tourism. It was the first time they were visiting us and we hope many groups will follow. 

Rice for Forest Protection

Each month, 78 Bunong families receive rice in exchange for allowing elephants to roam freely across their ancestral forest lands. As elephant movement makes farming in these areas difficult, this support helps ensure household food security while reducing pressure to clear forest for agriculture. This initiative represents a mutually beneficial partnership that supports both local communities and forest conservation. 

Emergency Healthcare Support

We welcomed 2 new babies in our community! This is always a great pleasure. After the cold luckily we didn't have too many people getting sick, which is a good sign. Luckily we didn't have any malaria or dengue cases and we hope it will stay that way. We are always ready to help with an emergency and that is something we are very proud of. 

Thank You

We want to end this report by saying a huge thank you to you all. We can not do this without your support and we are happy to have you in our herd! 

With warm regards,

The EVP Team