EAI January 2018 News & Updates
Carol Heading Back to Asia for Foot Trimming Workshops and Corral Inspections!

Elephant Aid International (EAI) Founder and President Carol Buckley is returning to Nepal and Thailand for four weeks beginning February 12. She will conduct foot trimming workshops for mahouts and veterinarians, continue educating owners on captive elephant welfare, meet with government representatives to further EAI's welfare projects and do the second-year assessment of the chain-free corrals. Carol will also travel throughout Chitwan National Park to inspect all 15 hattisars (elephant facilities), some of which are quite remote and take the better part of a day to reach.
 
EAI is committed to the mahouts, their elephants and the long-term sustainability of the project. Because of cultural differences between Asia and the U.S., EAI takes an iterative approach to its work. The challenges are different, which means our approach must be different. We learn what works and what doesn't, honing and refining to reach workable solutions. And it's working - we are making progress.
 
Please show your support for EAI's work in Asia by making a one-time donation or becoming a monthly donor. Your support enables EAI to provide needed tools and equipment; educate mahouts and owners; and make lasting change in elephant culture. We can improve the lives of elephants and their mahouts together! 
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ERNA's Elephant Fence is Funded!

Thanks to your generosity, we have raised the needed funds for the elephant fence at Elephant Refuge North America (ERNA)! Construction of the fence will be finished by the time Carol returns from Asia. 
Next Up: The Barn!

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Now our focus is on funding to build the elephant barn and yes, we need your help once again! Our highly efficient design for the barn focuses on function and sustainability, environmental and otherwise. This is the final hurdle we must cross to be able to accept elephants at ERNA. Please donate today!
ERNA Turned One!

ERNA celebrated its one-year anniversary on December 30, 2017. It's been quite a year! We have come so far together in this short amount of time. We completed the 850-acre perimeter fence plus the 100-acre quarantine corral. The elephant fence is near completion. Tons of debris was cleared from the property and the bridges and dam have been repaired. An elephant-sized thank you to all our volunteers and supporters!
 
To celebrate our one-year milestone, we had a wonderful evening outdoors under the stars, sitting around a bonfire telling stories and swapping information about elephants. Watch for more events like this and subscribe to our events calendar to stay in the know.
Bike The Elephant Trails

Fifty biking ele-lovers joined us for our first Bike the Elephant Trails event at ERNA on January 27! We spent the day biking trails that run through ERNA's 850 acres of pastures and woods, and past lakes and streams. It was a unique opportunity to see the beautiful property up close and understand what makes it so special for the elephant residents to come.

The event was so successful that we have scheduled another! Join us for the next Bike the Elephant Trails event on February 24. We're also adding an option for riders to purchase a stylish "I Biked The Elephant Trails" t-shirt. Register early as we limit the ride to 50 participants and the slots fill fast. 

UNCHAINED Screening February 10th

Join EAI Founder Carol Buckley for a screening of the award-winning documentary UNCHAINED, which follows her work to improve welfare for captive-held elephants in Nepal. The screening will take place February 10 at 7:30 PM at the Kirbo Center at Bainbridge State College. A live Q&A will follow the film.
 
Visit the Facebook event for more information and be sure to tell your friends. We look forward to seeing you there!

In the News

EAI Advisory Council member Peter Stroud explains the psychological, social and physical trauma elephants face in zoos in this article on 31 young, wild elephants captured in Zimbabwe and transferred to China. We remain extremely thankful for Peter's advocacy for captive elephant welfare.
 
EAI Founder Carol Buckley was also recently quoted on the poor design of the elephant enclosure at the Kemaman Zoo in Malaysia.  Read the article. 
As always, we greatly appreciate your interest, commitment and help. You make our work for elephants around the world possible. Thank you!
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