I returned to TECC. My first goal was to note which plants were being used to treat sick elephants. How did they use these plants? What did they cure? I set out to visit the Karen in northern Thailand. I worked with an interpreter. We explained my interest to village leaders, camp owners, and mahouts. They agreed to help. We asked them to describe what plants they used for elephant medicine.

Language was a big challenge. I speak English and am just starting to learn Thai. The Karen people speak their own language, Pakinyaw. Many also speak Thai. Some questions had to be translated twice. With patience and repetition, we made progress.

Next, I asked the mahouts to bring me into the forest. There, I collected samples of key plants. I dried them in a plant press. I identified each one. Then I took them to a library for plant specimens, an herbarium.

After several months, we had learned about 34 plants. They were used in more than 40 different treatments. The most common use was as a tonic. It keeps elephants healthy.

Raw or cooked rice is added to the tonic. Tamarind fruits and bananas are added, too. Then, mahouts make balls or pellets of this mixture. They feed one or more to the elephants each day.

Other plants were used to treat wounds, eye problems, broken bones, skin problems, and snakebites. Banana flower and ginger root are fed to mother elephants. Some plants are ground up. Others are boiled in water for elephants to drink.

Number of plants used for medical treatments of elephants:

These plant parts are the most commonly used for elephant medicine: