ResearchBegins

MyfirstgoalinreturningtoTECCwastodocumentwhichplantswerebeingusedtotreatsickelephants.Howdidtheyusetheseplantsandforwhathealthcomplaints?IsetouttovisitfourKarencommunitiesinnorthernThailand.Iworkedwithaninterpreter.Weexplainedmyinteresttovillageleaders,elephantcampowners,andmahouts.WetoldthemhowIwouldusetheinformationprovided.Theyagreedtohelp.Wesetupinterviewswiththemahoutsandaskedthemtodescribewhatplantstheyusedforelephant medicine.

OneofthegreatestchallengesIfacedwaslanguage.IspeakEnglishandamjuststartingtolearnThai.TheKarenpeoplespeaktheirownlanguage,Pakinyaw.ManyalsospeakThai.Attimes,aquestionhadtobetranslatedtwice!Withpatienceandlotsofrepetition,wemade progress.

Myanmar

Thailand

300 miles

300 kilometers

ThaiElephant
Conservation Center

Karen people

Asia

Thailand

I use a special press to preserve plant specimens.

Thisplantisusedtotreatbrokenbonesinhumansand elephants.

Afterinterviews,Iwouldaskthemostknowledgeablemahoutstobringmeintotheforest.There,Icollectedsamplesofkeyplantsanddriedtheminaplantpress.Theplantswereidentifiedandthentakentoanherbarium,akindoflibraryforplant specimens.

AnalyzingData

Afterseveralmonths,wehadlearnedabout34plantspeciesthatwereusedinmorethan40differenttreatments.Themostcommonusewasasatonic.Thisherbalsupplementkeepstheelephantshealthy.Itincreasesenergyandregulates digestion.

Raworcookedriceisaddedtothetonic,aswellastamarindfruitsandbananas.Afterward,mahoutsmakeballsorpelletsofthisbittersweetmixture.Theyfeedoneormoretotheelephantseachday.Asickelephantisgivenmoredosesofthe tonic.

This plant is used to treat broken bones in humans and elephants.

Iuseaspecialpresstopreserveplant specimens.

Thestemanddriedflowerofthisplantarefedtoelephantstotreat indigestion.

Otherplantswereusedtotreatwounds,eyeproblems,brokenbones,skinproblems,fatigue,andsnakebites.Tohelpelephantmothersproducemoremilk,bananaflowerandgingerrootarefedtoamotherelephant.Foreyeproblems,plantsaregroundupandplacedintheeye.Otherplantsareboiledinwaterforelephantsto drink.