Elephants, like so many of the larger creatures on the planet, are in trouble. Diminishing habitat, illegal hunting, maltreatment by humans, forced captivity, slash and burn farming methods and climate change are all contributing to their demise.
An American based organization has come up with a unique program to help raise awareness about the plight of Asian elephants and work to make the lives of domesticated elephants a little better. The Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project trains elephants to paint and the stunning and evocative results continue to take the art world by storm. The revenue generated from the paintings is used to care for the elephants and provide them with better food, improved shelter, and proper veterinary care. We asked David Ferris, Director of the Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project to tell us a bit more about the program and the plight of Asian elephants.
Please tell us a bit about the Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project.
Description of the Organization: The Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project (AEACP) is a 501(c)3 charity organization dedicated to saving the diminishing number of Asian Elephants left on our planet through our work with domesticated elephants. The AEACP promotes and sells the work of elephant artists as a way to raise funds for, and increase public awareness of, the plight of Asian Elephants.
Mission Statement: The AEACP exists to both improve the welfare of domesticated elephants by facilitating appropriate standards of training, care, food and habitat as well as to help support the efforts of conservation organizations working to sustain and protect wild elephant populations. In addition to working toward conservation and welfare, we also encourage and develop the varied painting techniques of our elephant artists.
The Trunk Show: Elephant Art Fashion Show & Auction: The Trunk Show is a charity fashion show designed to benefit the elephants that took place in Oct. 2008 in New York City. The event featured garments created by top designers from eco-friendly fabric that had been painted on by our beloved elephant artists. The one-of-a-kind painted garments were then auctioned off at the end of the evening with the money raised going toward both the purchase of land for an elephant sanctuary in Thailand and toward an Elephant Rescue and Abandoned Well Closure Project in Sumatra, Indonesia.
Are the elephants 'rescue' animals or breed in captivity?
We work with and provide funding to a variety of different programs throughout Southeast Asia. Each location is unique in its circumstance. The elephants that we work with in Cambodia are elephants that had been rescued from the illegal wildlife trade when they were very young. They now reside at the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center, which is just outside Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The majority of elephants that we work with in Thailand however reside at tourist centers and were indeed bred in captivity.
How many elephants are involved in the program?
We have about 30 different elephant artists throughout Southeast Asia that we currently work with, but since we first brought the idea of training elephants how to paint to Asia back in 1995, the elephant art movement has exploded across Southeast Asia. There are probably 100 – 200 elephants worldwide that can now paint.
How are the animals trained to paint?
To be perfectly clear, we do not force the elephants to paint. As for the training process, it varies depending on the natural talent and general curiosity of the elephant. Whether abstract or figural, the training process is based on a positive reinforcement model. At the beginning, the elephant receives positive reinforcement for mark making. This positive reinforcement can be praise or, more often than not, food and treats.
The entire process of teaching an elephant to paint can vary from three or four days up to three to four weeks. Some elephants pick up painting immediately and continue to hone their skill and individual style over several months, while other elephants simply are not interested in art and would much rather be doing something else (usually eating!). Much like people, some are good artists and some are not, those that are not, or do not have the natural inclination for artmaking, are left alone and our work is focused on those elephants that enjoy the process.
Where do the elephants live?
The circumstances of the elephants living conditions vary from location to location. They largely depend on how much room is available at each location, but none of the elephants that we work with and support live in zoos or in zoo-like conditions. The Rescue Center in Cambodia has a level of open space, so the elephants there have more freedom to roam than do the elephants in Ayutthaya, which is a much more populated area, as such, for the sake of the elephants as well as for human residents, the elephants have to be monitored a bit more than they do at the rescue center. Whatever the case, it is our goal to ensure that these wondrous animals can enjoy the best life possible.
We aim to improve the care they receive, to ensure that they have regular veterinary visits, that they get time to socialize, while also working to better educate the mahouts (elephant caretakers) in training and care practices. We maintain appropriate care contracts with each of the locations that we work with to ensure that proper care and conditions exist.
Do the elephants enjoy the painting?
It is quite evident when an elephant is enjoying itself and many of them do indeed get excited for about the time that they get to paint. The original idea first began in US Zoos as a way to keep the elephants stimulated and active because they are such intelligent animals. As I mentioned before, like people some enjoy drawing more than others. Those that are not creatively inclined are not made to paint. Also, if an elephant is not in the mood one day, then they will be allowed to bath, eat, or do whatever it is that they want. The idea of the painting project is to give the elephants a nice easy way to earn income that can be used to provide for their care.
How many paintings a day does an elephant complete?
The production of an elephant depends upon their particular style. Some work fast and furious, while others are slow and methodical. Generally sessions will last one to two hours a day. Some elephants, like those in Indonesia, only paint once a week, while others in Thailand can paint as much as five days a week.
How much do paintings sell for?
$300 to $3000 USD.
What are the funds raised through the painting used for?
We strive to give as many elephants as we can, a happy, healthy, enriched existence. Money raised by the AEACP is used to provide the elephants with better food, improved shelter, and proper veterinary care. It is also used to fund the further education of mahouts (elephant caretakers) in the humane treatment of elephants.
Where can people get more information/view the paintings?
We maintain a website as both a source of information concerning the plight of the Asian Elephant as well as an online gallery where people can view and purchase original works of elephant art: www.elephantart.com.
Anything you would like to add?
The elephants' natural habitat is disappearing at an alarming rate due to illegal logging, the encroachment of slash and burn farming practices, and climate change. These factors, in addition to continued poaching and human-elephant conflict have led to a sharp decrease in the wild Asian Elephant population. With no more habitat in which to live and an ever-growing human population, the future for the elephant does not look promising.
At the turn of the century, there were approximately 300,000 Asian Elephants within Thailand’s borders. Today, there are 1000 wild elephants and 2000 domesticated elephants remaining in Thailand.
Many animals face similar problems, but Asian Elephants are unique in that such a large number of the remaining population exists in captivity. In an ideal world, the elephants would roam free through lush open forests. Unfortunately, this is becoming less and less of an option. There is just no “wild” left, no untouched forests remain throughout much of Southeast Asia.
We believe the elephants’ survival lies in us giving value back to domesticated elephants as much as it does in protecting the remaining wild population. The reality of the situation drives home the fact that for Asian Elephants to survive, both humans and elephants must find ways to coexist.
Visit: www.elephantart.com
written by Gayle , October 28, 2010
written by Asian elephants , November 16, 2010
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written by Peggy , October 28, 2010