Yes, the poaching is horrendous and pointless. On top of that, pollution from humanity over time has caused reproductive problems in elephants throughout Asia. Not sure if it's the same in Africa. The elephant hospital vets at the TECC are trying to reverse the effects and is slowly succeeding. I got to become friends with many mahouts and vets there over the years and some of the stories are inspiring. If you get to make it to Lampang one day, I'm confident the locals will welcome you with open arms. Hope you have a terrific weekend.

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Wishing you the best- @adsactly & @stewsak