Research Begins
First, I meet with the Karen in their villages. I want to make a list of which plants are used to treat sick elephants. I would like to know how the plants are used. What did they cure?
To make my plant list, I have to ask a lot of questions. The Karen and I do not speak the same language. So, an interpreter helps me. It is hard work, but I learn a lot.
Myanmar
Thailand
300 miles
300 kilometers
Thai Elephant
Conservation Center
Karen people
Asia
Thailand
I use a special press to preserve plant samples.
Next, we go into the forest. We collect samples of key plants. I dry them in a plant press. I label each one. They are kept in a library for plant samples. It's called an herbarium.
Analyzing Data
The Karen and I work together for months. We find 34 plants used in elephant medicine. The most common treatment is used to keep elephants healthy. The mahouts mix the plants with rice and fruits to make a tasty pellet.
This plant is used to treat broken bones in humans and elephants.
The stem and flower of this plant are fed to elephants to treat indigestion.
Other plants are used to treat wounds, eye problems, or broken bones. Some plants are ground up. Others are boiled in water for elephants to drink.
Recording Data
Number of plants used for medical treatments of elephants:
1
Skin
1
Fatigue
2
Snakebites
2
Milk production
2
Broken bones
3
Indigestion
5
Eye problems
5
Internal injuries
8
Wounds
13
Health tonic
These plant parts are the most used for elephant medicine:
Bark 32%
Stems 18%
Roots 15%
Whole plants 15%
Fruits 15%
Leaves 12%
Flowers 3%
Seeds 3%
Here are some of the data I collected.
