June 2023:
Successful Fundraising Campaign to Secure Mains Electricity
The STEF Veterinary Centre was in desperate need of mains electricity to enable the vets to continue accepting patients and to work overnight. It was also an unsafe work environment, so this was a top priority for us. After a successful fundraising campaign across social media and email, as well as some generous donations from our grant supporters, we were able to raise the money needed. Work began on bringing electricity to the Veterinary Centre in June 2023.
July 2022:
The Launch of our Veterinary Volunteer Programme
The STEF Veterinary Centre is now the location of a new Veterinary Volunteer Programme, run by our sister Charity STEF Thailand. You can find out more about this fantastic opportunity here - https://southernthailandelephants.org/vet-volunteer-programme/
Our First Patients Arrive
We were delighted that the STEF Veterinary Centre welcomed its first patients in 2022, which keeps our vets busy! We now operate the inpatient centre alongside our mobile clinic.
September 2021
Progress made on Diagnosis of Deadly Elephant Virus.
STEF was able to secure a vital piece of technology called a qPCR machine, which allowed our vets to make progress in the diagnosis of a deadly elephant virus. This acquisition was the first of its kind in Southern Thailand. You can read more about the EEHV virus and the testing we are undertaking here - https://southernthailandelephants.org/first-eehv-analyser/
November 2020
The Launch of the Mobile Clinic
Dr Aon, our head Vet, began heading out into the surrounding villages of Phang Nga as STEF began funding the mobile vet clinic. This enabled Dr Aon to bring her expertise and veterinary care to the local elephant communities, free of charge. The mahouts (elephant owners) would not normally pay for veterinary care due to often living below subsistence levels. The launch of the mobile clinic was therefore a huge step for STEF in our mission to provide a better future for the endangered elephants of Southern Thailand.
You can view our full timeline here - https://southernthailandelephants.org/who-we-are/our-history/