Thanks to the generosity of an individual donor, the completion of the office/laboratory for the veterinary clinic at Bon Tan Sae has taken a step closer with the installation of nine solar panels on the roof. The wiring from the panels leads to an inverter and batteries, which are housed inside the building. Much work has also been going on to the structure of the building, with the walls going up, and discussions taking place on the details of the internal layout.
STEF has been taking advice on the design and construction of the clinic from a Thai specialist elephant veterinarian and former Director of the Krabi Elephant Veterinary Hospital. This hospital is currently the closest available treatment centre for elephants in Southern Thailand, but for most elephant owners in the Phang Nga region it is a four-hour drive away, which is why STEF’s community development project to provide a local elephant veterinary centre is so important (see Our Strategy).

This year has seen great progress in the development of the new centre, which has required major landscaping and tree planting, the construction of an access road, planning and construction of the office/laboratory building and laying the foundations for the elephant barn. Our supporters have been very generous, and we are indebted to the 2Rs Charitable Trust, the Alborada Trust, the Ofenheim Trust, the Beryl Evetts & Robert Luff Animal Welfare Trust, and the Animal Defence Trust as well enthusiastic and generous individuals. Without them this work would not have been possible.

The new solar panels will provide enough power to support the clinic building initially, but it is likely that we shall have to add more panels in the future. Once the elephant barn is constructed and the education centre has been built, we shall probably need a wind turbine as well – particularly in the rainy season. We are working hard to find the necessary funds to complete all the work. If you feel you can help, please get in touch (Contact Us) or you can Donate here.