A mobile veterinary unit in Sumatra is delivering lifesaving care to critically endangered Sumatran elephants and other wildlife — providing treatment, rescue operations, rehabilitation, and vital training for the next generation of wildlife veterinarians, according to Earth.Org.
These vulnerable elephants face a barrage of threats: snares, poaching, habitat loss that pushes them into deadly human conflicts, and disease. With only one dedicated wildlife veterinary faculty on the whole island, trained vets and focused wildlife medicine remain desperately scarce, making every new expert invaluable.
To help remedy this crisis, the International Elephant Project and Syiah Kuala University have partnered to run the Wildlife Ambulance. Now, veterinary students can gain hands-on experience by performing elephant health checks, treating injuries, rescuing animals from traps, supporting rehabilitation, diagnosing diseases, and more.
While the ambulance is based in the Aceh province, its veterinarians will fly anywhere in Sumatra where their help is needed.
“The first time students stand beside an elephant, everything changes,” International Elephant Project Founder Leif Cocks said. “Being right there, beside an elephant, students understand the scale of responsibility that comes with caring for these gentle giants. That experience stays with them for life.”
Beyond in-field training, the initiative also offers local lectures, international seminars, and lessons for schoolchildren on elephant behavior and how these animals help sustain the forests their families rely on.
Lady Freethinker is grateful to the International Elephant Project, Syiah Kuala University, and everyone working to protect Sumatra’s remaining elephants and help secure their long-term survival.
