This fall, The Elephant Sanctuary welcomed two elephant caregivers, Brent and Florian (Eyan), from Lok Kawi Wildlife Park in Sabah, Malaysia, for a one-month internship as part of our ongoing partnership with Wild Welfare-US.
This collaboration supported by our Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Sabah Wildlife Department and Wild Welfare aims to enhance the welfare of Bornean elephants affected by human-elephant conflict. In 2022, The Sanctuary first hosted two wildlife rangers from Lok Kawi. Their commitment led the Director of the Sabah Wildlife Department to pledge to manage all their elephants using protected contact methods and to undertake renovations at Lok Kawi Wildlife Park.
Brent and Florian worked closely with The Sanctuary’s Care Staff, gaining invaluable experience observing the elephants, including the management of bulls and training techniques. Their work focused on essential elephant care management skills such as trunk washes, blood collection, and foot care. The insights they acquired will be instrumental in advancing care practices at Lok Kawi and contributing to our collective goal of supporting Lok Kawi in becoming a leading example of exemplary elephant care in Southeast Asia. Learn more about our international partnerships and the incredible work they do for elephant welfare and conservation around the globe.