April 15

Today members of Dr. Susan Mikota’s  Elephant Care International team met with representatives from  the Center for Molecular Dynamics – Nepal to discuss their collaborative work on elephant DNA. This is seriously promising work that will provide yet another diagnosis tool for elephant diseases. The full extent of the application of this study is yet to be realized but without a doubt this is important work for captive elephant welfare.

The rooftop view from the CMDN lab was staggeringly impressive, equal only to the depth of brilliance, enthusiasm and dedication exhibited by CMDN’s International Director Dibesh(Da-besh) Karmacharya and Country Director Sameer (Sue-mar) Dixit.  Although full underwriting has yet to be secured for the current DNA project, the benefits of this research will be immeasurable.  As evidence of their dedication to elephant welfare, CMDN has agreed to move forward on the project, which involves hours of lab work, processing hundreds of samples collected by Dr. Mikota’s team.

From my perch on the roof top a scene familiar to city dwellers caught my eye. Down below, casually ambling along a busy city street, were several cows, a sacred and revered animal in Nepal. While cars and motorcycles gave the animals a wide berth to ensure their safety, the cows meandered along, seemingly undisturbed by the hustle and bustle of the city—their destination known to only them.