Myanmar's first elephant hospital underway

YANGON

THE COUNTRY'S first hospital for sick and ageing elephants is being built in Taungoo, Bago Region, but needs more funding, according to U Zaw Min Oo, manager of elephant sector of the Myanmar Timber Enterprise (MTE), under the Forest Department.

"I am looking for funding to finish the hospital. The government has supported us with some funding but more is needed," he said, adding,"We mainly need to upgrade the dirt road to a coal­tar road so it can be used in the rainy season."

The hospital and home for aged elephants which is being coordinated by the Elephant Department of the MTE, Asia Elephant Support, and Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad is 60­70 percent complete.

Most of the shelters for the staff have been built, the grasses for the elephants' food have been planted, a water hole has been dug, and solar energy has been installed for power.

The government chose Taungoo as the site of the hospital because its forests have the biggest population of privately owned elephants.

According to the government, about 3014 elephants are government­ owned and about 2500 are privately owned. A government ban on timber logging in the country for the past year, except by the MTE, has left these 2500 privately owned elephants out of work. The MTE will hire some of the private elephants if they don't have enough for this year's logging.

According to the Elephant Department, the hospital will not only treat sick animals and shelter old ones, but will also be part of conservation efforts, research and public education programs.

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