kiri & seila

15th June 2012

EARS has pledged responsibility to care for two elephants named Kiri, a bull elephant who is blind in one eye, and Seila an adorable sweet female, at Teuk Chhou Zoo in Kampot, Cambodia.

Louise Rogerson, Founder of EARS, is now based in Phnom Penh and during her time caring for Sombo, she heard about 2 elephants in desperate need of help and spent the last few months researching this zoo. These elephants are sadly unable to be rescued but instead we can certainly better their lives.

Kiri and Seila have spent the last decade surviving on 2 wheelbarrows of grass a day, living a life near starvation. The zoo lacks funds to feed all their animals and recently a local NGO in Cambodia stepped in to help. There are sufficient funds for one more month of food. It costs USD 6,000 every month to feed the entire zoo which includes a leopard, tigers, lions, gibbons, macaques, a bear, a camel, an orangutan, birds of prey, crocodiles, ostrich and deer.

The running costs for the elephants are USD 300/month for their food and USD 300/month for their keepers salary to ensure they are fed everyday.

We needed USD 24,200 to build a new enclosure for Kiri and Seila and launched an appeal via our fundraising event in Hong Kong on 24th May. We were absolutely overwhelmed by an anonymous donor based in Hong Kong who donated USD 20,000 and due to this lump sum, building began on 10th June. Not only are we renovating their new enclosure, we’ve had permission to increase the size of this enclosure by over 200m2.

EARS is working in conjunction with a local NGO to transform this run down zoo into a state of the art Wildlife Education Park. These animals living in captivity will be ambassadors for their species. Both local and international visitors to the park will learn through education the necessity to protect wildlife, their habitat, and the importance of conservation.

Please donate today to help Kiri and Seila.

If you wish for further information on this zoo or to donate to help the other animals please contact Louise on [email protected]

EARS is funding the renovation of this run down elephant enclosure

In their ‘holding pen’ whilst construction is underway for their new enclosure

March 2011

March 2011 - photo: Alma Robinson

June 2012

Due to a decade without sufficient food and water Kiri and Seila’s growth is stunted. They are however, slowly gaining weight as you can see in the June 2012 photos.

We need funds urgently to provide these elephants with plenty of grasses, sugarcane and bamboo.

On Louise’s trips to the zoo she takes fruit treats such a bananas, pineapples and sweet potato which they absolutely adore.

Please help us enrich the lives of Kiri and Seila. Please donate today.

photo: Diane Lamboley / EARS

20th July 2012

The contractors are making headway with the renovation of Kiri and Seila’s elephant enclosure despite heavy rains we are having here in Cambodia.

The old rusty railings have been removed and foundations are being set with cement for the new H bar posts. Louise is currently in discussions to increase the size of this enclosure even more, if approved it will see this old run down elephant enclosure increased to 3 times it’s size. A vast improvement from the conditions these poor elephants have had to endure for over a decade.

EARS is working in conjunction with a local NGO to transform this run down zoo into a state of the art Wildlife Education Park. We currently need funds to feed the elephants and for their keepers salaries. Please donate today to help Kiri and Seila.

If you wish for further information on this zoo or to donate to help the other animals please contact Louise on [email protected]

Louise, Founder of EARS, with Kiri and Seila at the zoo

23rd August 2012

Not long to go now!! Kiri and Seila’s new enclosure is near completion.

We need funds to buy trucks of earth and sand so they can have earth between their toes and sand and mud to throw all over themselves - like real elephants should!

Each truck of sand is USD 50 - a donation of any amount is greatly appreciated.

Please donate today

Setting cement posts for their huge new area

Left side fenced area complete

Their new area extends right to the green shelter

Wall to be removed and earth and sand needed to fill the area

Kiri and Seila waiting patiently in their holding pen (with pineapples in their trunks!)

5th September 2012

Yehhh!! Kiri and Seila are in their new home.

On Monday we opened the gate and Kiri and Seila stepped out into their new enclosure. Kiri, the bull, was slightly hesitate but Seila confidently explored her way around the entire field (three times larger than their old area) with Kiri following in her footsteps... and what fun they had!! They didn't know what to do first... sand... mud... fruit buffet... trees... pool... grass... but it wasn't long before they soon got the hang of things. Seila gently rumbled throughout the entire day - a very happy elephant indeed.

EARS improves the lives for elephants in captivity and we have pledged to fund their food, enrichment and any additional costs. Funds are needed to help these precious elephants so please DONATE today. Without your support none of this would be possible.

For more photos of Kiri & Seila on their first day you can also visit our EARS Facebook page for daily updates.

November 2012

We’ve lots of news from Kampot!

On Sunday 28th October, EARS celebrated the official opening of Kiri and Seila's new elephant enclosure at Teuk Chhou Wildlife Education Park. Local guesthouse owners and the media visited throughout the weekend and there was much relief from everyone living in Kampot knowing that help had finally come for these poor animals.

We also welcome Kathia Vandentillaart, our Volunteer Animal care and Enrichment Coordinator, who has flown in from Canada to oversee the care of Kiri and Seila as well as assisting with all aspects of managing the park.

We have a very special thank you to make to our donors Fiona Hardie in Hong Kong, and Beijing Infinity Construction Company in China for pledging the entire funds of nearly USD 30,000 to build this wonderful new enclosure. Without their kindness and generosity we could not have moved so quickly.

Kiri and Seila are blossoming into very cheeky elephants in their spacious new home. Kiri particularly is always up to mischief! Both are in and out of the pool, playing with their tyres, throwing sand over themselves or spend their days foraging and enjoying an abundance of grasses, branches, leaves... and a few special banana treats! Whilst EARS is absolutely against zoos, the conditions for these animals were so appalling that we took up this unique opportunity to help better the lives for these elephants that have lived for a decade near starvation. This new elephant enclosure has brought about two much happier elephants.

If you wish for further information on Teuk Chhou Zoo please contact Louise direct on [email protected]

Kiri playing with his tyre in the pool

Seila enjoying a dip - look what she found! Kiri’s tyre - sshh don’t tell him!

The keepers cleaning out the filthy pool so the elephants can finally enjoy bath time again

Silly boy Kiri sat right onto of his new sand hill!!

We knew the blue barrels wouldn’t last very long but they had fun!

Louise officially opening the elephant enclosure. Special thanks to Fiona Hardie, Hong Kong, and Beijing Infinity in China for generously funding this entire project

Kiri LOVES his tyre and always tries to put it on his head...

Or sit on it!!

March 2011

June 2013

Here’s an array of photos of Kiri and Seila over the past few months. Life is so much fun for these adorable two thanks to our supporters throughout the world who have kindly donated to improve their lives.

If you happen to be on Facebook, there is an album full of photos “The Playful Antics of Kiri & Seila”

Kiri & Seila say thank you everyone!