The Vision for the Healthy Elephants Project

The Healthy Elephants Project was born out of the desire of Mr. Heinrich Moritz, a legal consultant, Mr. Michael Schmitz, a pilot for a well-known airline, and Ms. Wipaporn Phattanaphorn, a former nurse and the president of the Thai Romchat Foundation. All three are passionate about elephants and want to ensure that these ancient, large animals, which remain alive today, continue to survive for generations to come. Elephants are a symbol of Thailand and the Chiang Mai province, and they wish for elephants to remain an enduring symbol of Thailand. They also hope that elephant lovers can be involved in helping address the issues that elephants face.

At one point, the three of them traveled to Elephants Park and learned from the local community in Mae Tang District that there are over 30 elephant parks in the area, with around 400 elephants, ranging in age from 2 to 80 years, including elephants with disabilities and those suffering from chronic diseases. When these elephants fall ill and require assistance, there are only two veterinarians in the area to provide care for minor ailments. For more serious cases, the local community contacts the Chiang Mai University veterinary team. If the illness is severe, the elephant must be transported to the Elephants Hospital in Hang Chat District, Lampang Province, which is the only hospital for elephants in the northern region of Thailand. The journey takes about three hours, covering a distance of 123 kilometers, and involves transporting the elephant by truck, which can be very challenging. Sometimes, there is a lack of proper equipment to move these large animals, which weigh between 3,000 to 4,500 kilograms.

While land has been donated for building an elephant hospital for many years, there has been no budget for constructing the building and facilities to care for sick elephants. Later, a donation was made to Chiang Mai University to fund the construction of the elephant hospital on the donated land. Construction is expected to begin in 2025 and be completed within the next three years.

However, there is still a shortage of funds to purchase medical equipment needed to treat elephants. Treating such large animals requires specialized medical equipment that is large enough to accommodate elephants.

The goal is to be part of the fundraising efforts to purchase medical equipment and cover other expenses related to the health care of elephants at the Mae Tang Elephant Hospital.