TB infected elephants: Who did it?

8 seized elephants have TB that humans can catch, 15 of 18 seized elephants in poor health, govt & animal parks accuse each other of negligence.

Photo above of a circus elephant in the US infected with TB (See article)

Click button to listen to Elephant Tuberculosis to download

WILDLIFE

Accusations fly over poor health of seized elephants

28/03/2012
Apinya Wipatayotin

Blame for the death of one elephant and the poor health of 15 others confiscated from an elephant park is being passed between the park operators and state officials.

Operators of the Saiyok Elephant Park in Kanchanaburi's Sai Yok district insist the animals were healthy when they were seized by authorities, while state vet Sittidet Mahasawangkul says they fell ill at the park.

The elephants were seized on Feb 29 by National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department officials, who suspected the animals had been obtained illegally.

One of the elephants, a female called Sri Thong, died on March 20 and health checks on the other 18 conducted by Department of Livestock officials found 15 of them to be in poor health.

Mr Sittidet, chief of the state-run Elephant Hospital at the National Elephant Institute (NEI) in Lampang, said eight of them have tuberculosis, while the others had blood infections and other ailments.

"I want to make it clear to the public that those elephants developed their diseases when they lived in the [Sai Yok] elephant park," Mr Sittidet said.

We are doing our best to save their lives but I am afraid that more might die as three are in critical condition with tetanus, digestion problems and respiratory disease, respectively.

But Duanpen Sandee from the Sai Yok Elephant Park insisted the confiscated elephants were healthy when they were taken. Any illnesses they now have must have been picked up since their confiscation, she said.

She also alleged the elephants were being kept in poor conditions and were badly treated by state officials.

Ms Sandee also cast doubt on the authenticity of post-mortem tissue samples collected from Sri Thong, as she has not received official notification of the elephant's death from authorities.

The state vet team determined Sri Thong had died from a tetanus infection.

The vet team called the media to the Forest Industry Organisation (FIO) headquarters in Bangkok yesterday to refute Ms Duanpen's allegations. The FIO said the elephants were being well cared for by vets and mahouts and were being housed in a disease surveillance area.

NEI director Worrawit Rothjanaphaithoon said the elephants might have contracted TB from tourists visiting the Lampang facility, although he conceded this was unlikely as they only spend a short time in communicable distance from visitors. Vets and mahouts at the NEI undergo twice-yearly health checks, including for TB. [Elephants did not undergo health checks for TB?]

Taweepoke Angkawanish, a vet at the Elephant Hospital, said many elephant parks are failing to take sufficient care of their animals. He said many elephants live in crowded conditions and juvenile elephants are often forced to perform in shows when they should be spending time with their mothers.

(Source: Bangkok Post, WILDLIFE, Accusations fly over poor health of seized elephants, 28/03/2012, Apinya Wipatayotin, link) 

Wildlife Rescue Vocabulary

wildlife - animals living far away from humans in the jungle (See Wikipedia)
seize - take away something froma person by force
seized elephants - elephants that were taken away from their owners by force

elephant -  ช้าง (See Wikipedia)
asian elephant - the species of elephant found living in Southeast Asia (See Wikipedia)
mahout - elephant keeper and driver (See Wikipedia and pronunciation #1 and #2 - ma - h - out)

Thai Elephant Conservation Center (TECC) - provides services available to elephant owners including  a hospital, a mobile clinic and an elephant rescue unit (See website)

National Elephant Institute (NEI) - "a sort of 'think tank' based at the TECC, which is the site you actually visit. The NEI's purpose is primarily to extend the TECC's vast expertise and experience to support other government agencies and private organizations working to help Thailand's elephants. The NEI's great knowledge ranges through all levels of elephant care from sophisticated modern veterinary medicine to timeless traditional knowledge, including classic mahout skills, herbal medicine, and more" (See Wikipedia and website)

tuberculosis (TB) - an infection of the lungs with bacteria that if left untreated often leads to death (See Wikipedia)
elephant tuberculosis - up to 13% of elephants in captivity may be infected with tuberculosis and humans can contract TB from elephants (See FAQ and article about circus workers catching TB from elephants in US)

infection - the invasion of the body by microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses that reproduce and multiply and cause disease by local cellular injury, secretion of a toxin, or antigen-antibody (immune) reactions (See Wikipedia and definition)
tetanus - bacterial infection from wound contamination after a cut or deep puncture wound. "As the infection progresses, muscle spasms develop in the jaw (thus the name "lockjaw") and elsewhere in the body. Infection can be prevented by proper immunization and by post-exposure prophylaxis" (See Wikipedia)
tetanus infection
blood infection

accusations - bad things that others say that you have done (but not yet proven)
accusations fly - when people make quick accusations of wrongdoing (like they are throwing things at each that are "fly" through the air)
accusations fly over poor health of seized elephants

confiscate (verb) - take away, officially take away something from someone for legal reasons or as a punishment ยึดทรัีพย์ ยึด ริบทรัพย์ หรือสินค้า
confiscation (noun) 
elephants confiscated from an elephant park
park operators - the people who own and run the elephant park
operators - businesses doing some business
state - government รัฐ
state officials - high-level government workers, who can make decisions, issue orders and speak for the government 
insist - to keep saying very firmly that something is true ยืนกราน ยืนยัน
authorities - government officials; the police or people in official organisations who have the legal power to make people obey laws or rules เจ้าหน้าที่ (ตำรวจ หรือผู้มีอำนาจ)
vet - veterinarian
veterinarian - an animal doctor (See Wikipedia)

Blame for the death of one elephant and the poor health of 15 others confiscated from an elephant park is being passed between the park operators and state officials. Operators of the Saiyok Elephant Park in Kanchanaburi's Sai Yok district insist the animals were healthy when they were seized by authorities, while state vet Sittidet Mahasawangkul says they fell ill at the park.

suspected - thought to be something or to have done something เป็นที่สงสัย
obtained illegally - they got or bought it illegally (example: buying and selling restricted wildlife living in the wilds)
female - of a woman สำหรับผู้หญิง

The elephants were seized on Feb 29 by National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department officials, who suspected the animals had been obtained illegally. One of the elephants, a female called Sri Thong, died on March 20 and health checks on the other 18 conducted by Department of Livestock officials found 15 of them to be in poor health.

ailment - an illness, disease; usually not serious
clear - easy to understand
make it clear to the public - make it easy for the public to understand

Mr Sittidet, chief of the state-run Elephant Hospital at the National Elephant Institute (NEI) in Lampang, said eight of them have tuberculosis, while the others had blood infections and other ailments. "I want to make it clear to the public that those elephants developed their diseases when they lived in the [Sai Yok] elephant park," Mr Sittidet said.

critical condition - very seriously ill or injured and might die อย่างรุนแรง อย่างวิกฤต
respiratory - involving breathing  in and out of the lungs  เกี่ยวกับการหายใจ ระบบทางเดินหายใจ
insisted - say firmly that something must happen or is true, and will not change mind
alleged - claimed to be true although not yet proven ที่ถูกกล่าวหา

We are doing our best to save their lives but I am afraid that more might die as three are in critical condition with tetanus, digestion problems and respiratory disease, respectively. But Duanpen Sandee from the Sai Yok Elephant Park insisted the confiscated elephants were healthy when they were taken. Any illnesses they now have must have been picked up since their confiscation, she said. She also alleged the elephants were being kept in poor conditions and were badly treated by state officials.

authenticity - being real and not fake
doubt - not know for sure if something is true or false, uncertain
cast doubt on - something that makes you believe something is not true
cast doubt on authenticity
tissue - the substance that animal and plant cells are made of เนื้อเยื้อ
tissue samples - pieces of tissue from the animals body that can be used to check for disease
post-mortem - after death
post-mortem tissue samples
official - approved by the government or some authority ที่เป็นทางการ
notification - telling people that something has happened
official notification - when the government tells people that something has happened (has legal and official importance or status)
determined - found out; discovered ระบุชี้ชัด

Ms Sandee also cast doubt on the authenticity of post-mortem tissue samples collected from Sri Thong, as she has not received official notification of the elephant's death from authorities. The state vet team determined Sri Thong had died from a tetanus infection.

media - radio, television, newspaper, the Internet, considered as a group สื่อ
headquarters - the place where an organisation or company has its main offices กองบัญชาการ สำนักงานใหญ่
allegations - accusations; saying or accusing someone of wrongdoing ข้อกล่าวหา
refute allegations - say that a claim of wrongdoing is not true 
surveillance - the process of carefully watching a person or place การเฝ้าตรวจตราอย่างเข้มงวด

The vet team called the media to the Forest Industry Organisation (FIO) headquarters in Bangkok yesterday to refute Ms Duanpen's allegations. The FIO said the elephants were being well cared for by vets and mahouts and were being housed in a disease surveillance area.

contracted - became smaller, shrunk
contracted TB from tourists - to get the disease TB from tourists (passed from tourists to elephants)
facility - a building used for a particular purpose
the Lampang facility
conceded - admitted unwillingly that something is true ยอมรับ
communicable disease a disease that can pass from one human or animal to another human or animal
communicable distance - the distance or nearness needed for a disease to pass from one person or animal to another
spend a short time in communicable distance from visitors
undergo - to experience something (usually lasting a long time) ประสบ (เหตุการณ์ในด้านลบ)
undergo twice-yearly health checks

NEI director Worrawit Rothjanaphaithoon said the elephants might have contracted TB from tourists visiting the Lampang facility, although he conceded this was unlikely as they only spend a short time in communicable distance from visitors. Vets and mahouts at the NEI undergo twice-yearly health checks, including for TB. [Elephants did not undergo health checks for TB?]

sufficient - enough พอเพียง
take sufficient care of the animals
juvenile - child
juvenile elephants - child elephants

Taweepoke Angkawanish, a vet at the Elephant Hospital, said many elephant parks are failing to take sufficient care of their animals. He said many elephants live in crowded conditions and juvenile elephants are often forced to perform in shows when they should be spending time with their mothers.