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Fauna & Flora International (FFI) has been conserving the Asian elephant in Cambodia for many years, thanks to our dedicated Cambodian Elephant Conservation Group (CECG). One member of this team has recently caught the eye of the global conservation community for all the right reasons...
Sereivathana Tuy, known as Vathana or ‘Uncle Elephant’ (pictured right) was born in Cambodia in the same year that the country entered into a period of extreme political upheaval. Vathana’s parents eventually fled to the countryside where Vathana developed a deep love for nature and was particularly fascinated with elephants.
A period abroad equipped him with the skills needed to approach conservation in Cambodia, as the country emerged from the oppressive Pol Pot regime. Vathana built up an unrivalled knowledge of elephant migration patterns and how these were affecting the livelihoods of farmers living along migration routes. He then became manager of our CECG.
Using a variety of innovative techniques, such as chili ropes, fog horns and crop diversification, Vathana has worked with rural communities to lessen the devastation caused by elephants to farmers’ fields and therefore their families’ livelihoods.
Communities learnt that the CECG’s methods could achieve real results. Where previously communities sought revenge on elephants that destroyed crops, Vathana’s solutions have ensured that no elephants have been killed in Cambodia since 2005 as a result of human-wildlife conflict.
His achievements have seen him awarded with the 2010 Goldman Environmental Prize; handed to a select number of outstanding environmentalists drawn from all corners of the globe. If that wasn’t prestigious enough, Vathana became the first non-political Cambodian citizen to meet an American president after Barack Obama was present at the awards ceremony.
Congratulations to Vathana and all members of FFI’s Cambodia team for such remarkable work.
We could not achieve so much without your support. Please consider a gift today so we can continue our crucial work to save threatened wildlife around the world.
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For further information please contact Rob Harris at
rob.harris@fauna-flora.org or call +44 (0)1223 431953
Asian Elephant News
FFI's 'Uncle Elephant' meets President Obama
11/05/2010
FFI’s Tuy Sereivathana has become one of the first Cambodians to meet President Obama
Fauna & Flora International 's ‘Uncle Elephant’ wins prestigious award
19/04/2010
FFI’s Tuy Sereivathana awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize for 2010.
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