Dr Mink, the new veterinary assistant, fixes a drip onto an elephant
STEF Thailand has recently appointed a much-needed veterinary assistant to Dr Aon. Since July, when the STEF Veterinary Centre began taking patients on site, Dr Aon has been looking after elephants at the hospital as well as running the mobile clinic, so the arrival of Untika Sitthitrai, or “Dr Mink”, as she known, is a welcome boost for the team at Khok Kloi.
Dr Mink (see her biog) arrived in September, a particularly busy time for the local elephant vets, as it is the month when the annual health checks take place for all domesticated elephants in the region. So Dr Mink immediately began travelling around Southern Thailand carrying out check-ups with Dr Aon and teams from other centres. “It was a good opportunity to learn more about the elephants and to make contact with many of the owners”, said Dr Mink. Winning the respect of elephant owners is an important part of being an elephant vet in Thailand, so Dr Mink has made a good start.
“Working here will be a new and exciting chapter in my life” said Dr Mink when she was appointed to her new job. “I’m looking forward to learning more about the treatment and care of elephants, and about elephant conservation”.
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