Latest news with #WildlifeFriendsFoundationThailand
Kuwait Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Kuwait Times
Sunbears to elephants: Life at a Thai wildlife hospital
The patient lay prone on the operating table. An IV line snaking from his left leg, near the wound from the tranquillizer dart that sedated him. Yong, a pig-tailed macaque rescued from a life harvesting coconuts, was being treated at Thailand's only NGO-run wildlife hospital. He is one of dozens of animals treated each month at the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) facility. Patients range from delicate sugar gliders intended as pets, to some of the hefty rescued elephants that roam WFFT's expansive facility in Phetchaburi, southwest of Bangkok. The wide variety can be a challenge, said vet Siriporn Tippol. 'If we can't find the right equipment, we have to DIY use what we already have or modify based on the specifications we need.' She described strapping an extension handle onto a laryngoscope designed for cats and dogs so it could be used during surgery on bears and tigers. A treatment whiteboard gives a sense of an average day: cleaning a wound on one elephant's tail, assessing another's possible cataract and treating a Malayan sunbear's skin condition. Yong was in quarantine after rescue - coconut monkeys often carry tuberculosis or other infectious diseases - and needed a full health check. But first, he had to be sedated, with a tranquillizer dart blown from a white tube into his left haunch. Before long he was slumped over and ready to be carried to hospital. Blood was taken, an IV line placed and then it was X-ray time, to look for signs of broken bones or respiratory illness. Next was a symbolic moment: vets cut off the metal rings around the monkey's neck that once kept him connected to a chain. The operating theatre was the final stop, for a vasectomy to allow Yong to join a mixed troop of rescued monkeys without risk of breeding. "Yong," a six-year-old pigtailed macaque rescued from a life harvesting coconuts, in his enclosure at the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) hospital in Phetchaburi province.--AFP photos "Yong," a six-year-old pigtailed macaque rescued from a life harvesting coconuts, on an x-ray table ahead of a vasectomy surgery. A monitor with an image of "Yong," getting an X-ray before vasectomy surgery. "Yong," getting a vasectomy surgery at the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) hospital. A tiger inside its enclosure as Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) founder Edwin Wiek watches at the WFFT hospital. A general view of the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) hospital. Vets giving medicine to a bear inside an enclosure at the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) hospital. Vets giving medicine to a pig inside an enclosure at the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) hospital. Out-of-hand hobby The light-filled hospital only opened this month, replacing a previous 'tiny' clinic, said WFFT founder Edwin Wiek. 'I've always dreamed about having a proper medical facility,' he told AFP, over the sound of nearby tigers roaring in grassy enclosures. With over 900 animals in WFFT's care and a regular stream of emergency arrivals, 'we needed really a bigger place, more surgery rooms, a treatment room,' he said. Wiek founded WFFT in 2001 with two macaques and a gibbon. It now spans 120 hectares (297 acres) and houses 60 species. 'That hobby got out of hand,' he laughed. He has long advocated for stronger wildlife protections in a country well-known as a wildlife trafficking hub in part because of its location and strong transport links. Wiek once had tendentious relations with Thai authorities, even facing legal action, but more recently has become a government advisor. WFFT is now a force multiplier for the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP). 'In many cases, when wild animals from elephants and tigers to macaques are found injured and displaced, we coordinate with WFFT, who assist in rehabilitation and medical care,' said DNP wildlife conservation director Chalerm Poommai. One of WFFT's current campaigns focuses on the estimated thousands of monkeys like Yong trained to pick coconuts on plantations in southern Thailand. 'The animal welfare issue is horrible,' said Wiek. 'But another very important point is that these animals actually are taken out of the wild illegally. And that, of course, has a huge impact, negative impact on the survival of the species.' WFFT is working with authorities, the coconut industry and exporters to encourage farmers to stop using monkeys, and switch to shorter trees that are easier to harvest. There is also work to do equipping the new hospital. A mobile X-ray unit and specialized blood analysis machine are on Siriporn's wishlist. And Wiek is thinking ahead to his next dream: a forensics lab to trace the origins of the animals confiscated from traffickers. 'The laws are there, we lack the enforcement,' he said. 'But with this tool, we could actually do some real damage to these illegal wildlife traffickers.' — AFP
eNCA
3 days ago
- Health
- eNCA
Sunbears to elephants: Life at a Thai wildlife hospital
BANGKOK - The patient lay prone on the operating table. An IV line snaking from his left leg, near the wound from the tranquilliser dart that sedated him. Yong, a pig-tailed macaque rescued from a life harvesting coconuts, was being treated at Thailand's only NGO-run wildlife hospital. He is one of dozens of animals treated each month at the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) facility. Patients range from delicate sugar gliders intended as pets, to some of the hefty rescued elephants that roam WFFT's expansive facility in Phetchaburi, southwest of Bangkok. The wide variety can be a challenge, said vet Siriporn Tippol. "If we can't find the right equipment, we have to DIY use what we already have or modify based on the specifications we need." She described strapping an extension handle onto a laryngoscope designed for cats and dogs so it could be used during surgery on bears and tigers. AFP | MANAN VATSYAYANA A treatment whiteboard gives a sense of an average day: cleaning a wound on one elephant's tail, assessing another's possible cataract and treating a Malayan sunbear's skin condition. Yong was in quarantine after rescue -- coconut monkeys often carry tuberculosis or other infectious diseases -- and needed a full health check. But first, he had to be sedated, with a tranquilliser dart blown from a white tube into his left haunch. Before long he was slumped over and ready to be carried to hospital. Blood was taken, an IV line placed and then it was X-ray time, to look for signs of broken bones or respiratory illness. Next was a symbolic moment: vets cut off the metal rings around the monkey's neck that once kept him connected to a chain. The operating theatre was the final stop, for a vasectomy to allow Yong to join a mixed troop of rescued monkeys without risk of breeding. - Out-of-hand hobby - The light-filled hospital only opened this month, replacing a previous "tiny" clinic, said WFFT founder Edwin Wiek. "I've always dreamed about having a proper medical facility," he told AFP, over the sound of nearby tigers roaring in grassy enclosures. AFP | MANAN VATSYAYANA With over 900 animals in WFFT's care and a regular stream of emergency arrivals, "we needed really a bigger place, more surgery rooms, a treatment room," he said. Wiek founded WFFT in 2001 with two macaques and a gibbon. It now spans 120 hectares (297 acres) and houses 60 species. "That hobby got out of hand," he laughed. He has long advocated for stronger wildlife protections in a country well-known as a wildlife trafficking hub in part because of its location and strong transport links. Wiek once had tendentious relations with Thai authorities, even facing legal action, but more recently has become a government advisor. WFFT is now a force multiplier for the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP). "In many cases, when wild animals from elephants and tigers to macaques are found injured and displaced, we coordinate with WFFT, who assist in rehabilitation and medical care," said DNP wildlife conservation director Chalerm Poommai. AFP | MANAN VATSYAYANA One of WFFT's current campaigns focuses on the estimated thousands of monkeys like Yong trained to pick coconuts on plantations in southern Thailand. "The animal welfare issue is horrible," said Wiek. "But another very important point is that these animals actually are taken out of the wild illegally. And that, of course, has a huge impact, negative impact on the survival of the species." WFFT is working with authorities, the coconut industry and exporters to encourage farmers to stop using monkeys, and switch to shorter trees that are easier to harvest. There is also work to do equipping the new hospital. A mobile X-ray unit and specialised blood analysis machine are on Siriporn's wishlist. And Wiek is thinking ahead to his next dream: a forensics lab to trace the origins of the animals confiscated from traffickers. "The laws are there, we lack the enforcement," he said. "But with this tool, we could actually do some real damage to these illegal wildlife traffickers."
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Malay Mail
Thailand's only NGO-run wildlife hospital opens, treats victims of animal exploitation
BANGKOK, July 20 — The patient lay prone on the operating table. An IV line snaking from his left leg, near the wound from the tranquilliser dart that sedated him. Yong, a pig-tailed macaque rescued from a life harvesting coconuts, was being treated at Thailand's only NGO-run wildlife hospital. He is one of dozens of animals treated each month at the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) facility. Patients range from delicate sugar gliders intended as pets, to some of the hefty rescued elephants that roam WFFT's expansive facility in Phetchaburi, southwest of Bangkok. The wide variety can be a challenge, said vet Siriporn Tippol. 'If we can't find the right equipment, we have to DIY use what we already have or modify based on the specifications we need.' 'Yong,' a six-year-old pigtailed macaque rescued from a life harvesting coconuts, is seen in his enclosure at the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) hospital in Phetchaburi province July 9, 2025. — AFP pic She described strapping an extension handle onto a laryngoscope designed for cats and dogs so it could be used during surgery on bears and tigers. A treatment whiteboard gives a sense of an average day: cleaning a wound on one elephant's tail, assessing another's possible cataract and treating a Malayan sunbear's skin condition. Yong was in quarantine after rescue — coconut monkeys often carry tuberculosis or other infectious diseases — and needed a full health check. But first, he had to be sedated, with a tranquilliser dart blown from a white tube into his left haunch. A tiger roams inside its enclosure as Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) founder Edwin Wiek watches at the WFFT hospital in Phetchaburi province July 9, 2025. — AFP pic Before long he was slumped over and ready to be carried to hospital. Blood was taken, an IV line placed and then it was X-ray time, to look for signs of broken bones or respiratory illness. Next was a symbolic moment: vets cut off the metal rings around the monkey's neck that once kept him connected to a chain. The operating theatre was the final stop, for a vasectomy to allow Yong to join a mixed troop of rescued monkeys without risk of breeding. Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) founder Edwin Wiek speaks with AFP at the WFFT hospital in Phetchaburi province July 9, 2025. — AFP pic Out-of-hand hobby The light-filled hospital only opened this month, replacing a previous 'tiny' clinic, said WFFT founder Edwin Wiek. 'I've always dreamed about having a proper medical facility,' he told AFP, over the sound of nearby tigers roaring in grassy enclosures. With over 900 animals in WFFT's care and a regular stream of emergency arrivals, 'we needed really a bigger place, more surgery rooms, a treatment room,' he said. Wiek founded WFFT in 2001 with two macaques and a gibbon. It now spans 120 hectares (297 acres) and houses 60 species. 'That hobby got out of hand,' he laughed. A food cart outside enclosures for rescued animals at the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) hospital in Phetchaburi province July 9, 2025. — AFP pic He has long advocated for stronger wildlife protections in a country well-known as a wildlife trafficking hub in part because of its location and strong transport links. Wiek once had tendentious relations with Thai authorities, even facing legal action, but more recently has become a government advisor. WFFT is now a force multiplier for the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP). 'In many cases, when wild animals from elephants and tigers to macaques are found injured and displaced, we coordinate with WFFT, who assist in rehabilitation and medical care,' said DNP wildlife conservation director Chalerm Poommai. Vets give medicine to a bear inside an enclosure at the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) hospital in Phetchaburi province July 9, 2025. — AFP pic One of WFFT's current campaigns focuses on the estimated thousands of monkeys like Yong trained to pick coconuts on plantations in southern Thailand. 'The animal welfare issue is horrible,' said Wiek. 'But another very important point is that these animals actually are taken out of the wild illegally. And that, of course, has a huge impact, negative impact on the survival of the species.' WFFT is working with authorities, the coconut industry and exporters to encourage farmers to stop using monkeys, and switch to shorter trees that are easier to harvest. Vets give medicine to a pig inside an enclosure at the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) hospital in Phetchaburi province July 9, 2025. — AFP pic There is also work to do equipping the new hospital. A mobile X-ray unit and specialised blood analysis machine are on Siriporn's wishlist. And Wiek is thinking ahead to his next dream: a forensics lab to trace the origins of the animals confiscated from traffickers. 'The laws are there, we lack the enforcement,' he said. 'But with this tool, we could actually do some real damage to these illegal wildlife traffickers.' — AFP
Int'l Business Times
4 days ago
- Health
- Int'l Business Times
Sunbears To Elephants: Life At A Thai Wildlife Hospital
The patient lay prone on the operating table. An IV line snaking from his left leg, near the wound from the tranquilliser dart that sedated him. Yong, a pig-tailed macaque rescued from a life harvesting coconuts, was being treated at Thailand's only NGO-run wildlife hospital. He is one of dozens of animals treated each month at the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) facility. Patients range from delicate sugar gliders intended as pets, to some of the hefty rescued elephants that roam WFFT's expansive facility in Phetchaburi, southwest of Bangkok. The wide variety can be a challenge, said vet Siriporn Tippol. "If we can't find the right equipment, we have to DIY use what we already have or modify based on the specifications we need." She described strapping an extension handle onto a laryngoscope designed for cats and dogs so it could be used during surgery on bears and tigers. A treatment whiteboard gives a sense of an average day: cleaning a wound on one elephant's tail, assessing another's possible cataract and treating a Malayan sunbear's skin condition. Yong was in quarantine after rescue -- coconut monkeys often carry tuberculosis or other infectious diseases -- and needed a full health check. But first, he had to be sedated, with a tranquilliser dart blown from a white tube into his left haunch. Before long he was slumped over and ready to be carried to hospital. Blood was taken, an IV line placed and then it was X-ray time, to look for signs of broken bones or respiratory illness. Next was a symbolic moment: vets cut off the metal rings around the monkey's neck that once kept him connected to a chain. The operating theatre was the final stop, for a vasectomy to allow Yong to join a mixed troop of rescued monkeys without risk of breeding. The light-filled hospital only opened this month, replacing a previous "tiny" clinic, said WFFT founder Edwin Wiek. "I've always dreamed about having a proper medical facility," he told AFP, over the sound of nearby tigers roaring in grassy enclosures. With over 900 animals in WFFT's care and a regular stream of emergency arrivals, "we needed really a bigger place, more surgery rooms, a treatment room," he said. Wiek founded WFFT in 2001 with two macaques and a gibbon. It now spans 120 hectares (297 acres) and houses 60 species. "That hobby got out of hand," he laughed. He has long advocated for stronger wildlife protections in a country well-known as a wildlife trafficking hub in part because of its location and strong transport links. Wiek once had tendentious relations with Thai authorities, even facing legal action, but more recently has become a government advisor. WFFT is now a force multiplier for the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP). "In many cases, when wild animals from elephants and tigers to macaques are found injured and displaced, we coordinate with WFFT, who assist in rehabilitation and medical care," said DNP wildlife conservation director Chalerm Poommai. One of WFFT's current campaigns focuses on the estimated thousands of monkeys like Yong trained to pick coconuts on plantations in southern Thailand. "The animal welfare issue is horrible," said Wiek. "But another very important point is that these animals actually are taken out of the wild illegally. And that, of course, has a huge impact, negative impact on the survival of the species." WFFT is working with authorities, the coconut industry and exporters to encourage farmers to stop using monkeys, and switch to shorter trees that are easier to harvest. There is also work to do equipping the new hospital. A mobile X-ray unit and specialised blood analysis machine are on Siriporn's wishlist. And Wiek is thinking ahead to his next dream: a forensics lab to trace the origins of the animals confiscated from traffickers. "The laws are there, we lack the enforcement," he said. "But with this tool, we could actually do some real damage to these illegal wildlife traffickers." Vet assistants carrying "Yong", a pigtailed macaque rescued from a life harvesting coconuts AFP Thailand is a well-known wildlife trafficking hub AFP Over 900 animals are in WFFT's care with a regular stream of emergency arrivals AFP
The Print
08-06-2025
- Science
- The Print
Largest-ever map of universe is as big as a 13x13 feet mural, with 800,000 galaxies
What is striking about the map is its gigantic size and scale. If the Hubble telescope image of the universe is printed on a sheet of A4-size paper, the new map would be a 13-foot by 13-foot mural, said a scientist associated with the COSMOS project . Released by NASA in 2004, the Hubble image, encompassing 10,000 galaxies, had remained the most in-demand image of the universe before the release of the COSMOS map. A team of 200 researchers from over 12 countries came together for an international project and created the COSMOS map with data from the James Webb Space Telescope. The scientists have made the raw data from the telescope publicly accessible to every student, researcher and scientist. New Delhi: On 5 June, scientists unveiled the COSMOS map, the largest map of our universe to date, encompassing 800,000 galaxies. Not only does the COSMOS map provide in-depth imagery of the universe, but it also challenges several notions. For instance, the number of early galaxies that existed in the universe, considering the ones captured on the COSMOS map. With the map made public, the scientists hope it will encourage more research on the universe. Increase in captive lions in Thailand A new study by Oxford Brookes University and Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand tracking the number of captive lions in Thailand from 2018 to 2024 has found an increase from 131 to 444 lions, marking a threefold rise in just six years. The study has pointed out that the trend is worrying, especially in the context of white lions. Of the 101 cubs born every year in captivity in Thailand, white lions accounted for 45%. In zoos and parks, white lions are considered a Thai speciality, but their colour is due to a recessive gene caused by inbreeding. The study has found more lions in captivity in private homes and zoos since the Thailand Wild Animal Preservation and Protection Act of 2019 came into force. It has also noted an unregulated increase in breeding among the big cats in captivity, further increasing their number—a trend detrimental to lion conservation. The study has called for improved legislation and stricter enforcement of laws that ban keeping lions captive in private homes and ensure the safety of the already-captive lions. Also Read: Humans depended on whales even 20,000 yrs ago. Discovery of tools in Spanish cave is proof Natural history museums & pollution studies A paper released on 30 May by the University of Texas, Arlington, stands out for the new way it has found to track the history of environmental pollution—museum specimens. According to the paper, natural history specimens such as preserved birds and fish can act as time capsules, helping scientists trace pollution trends over the past 200 years. The specimens, they have found, often store traces of pollutants such as metals and soot from the environments around them. The researchers could detect pollution from eras long before modern monitoring tools existed by analysing the feathers, tissues, and dust on old bird skins. An example in the paper was of a field sparrow specimen from the Rust Belt region of the US from 1906. It was coated in black soot from coal-burning industries, whereas another field sparrow specimen from 1996 was relatively clean. The difference was a visual of how air quality has changed over time. The authors have argued in the paper that their discovery opens up a whole new arena of research on the environment and the history of pollution. Early cancer detection in bloodstream Cancer, a new study by Johns Hopkins University has revealed, can be detected years before its diagnosis. Scientists involved in the research have shown that studying genetic material that tumours shed into the bloodstream of humans can detect cancers earlier than currently possible. Published in the Cancer Discovery journal, their paper has said that cancer is detectable in the bloodstream—up to three years before diagnosis because the tumour-derived genetic material shows up in the bloodstream way before actual cancer symptoms start appearing. The scientists, who used sensitive sequencing tools and analysed blood from a large National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded heart study, have found that multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test could catch cancer-related mutations—even years in advance. In one part of the study, four out of six people had detectable tumour DNA in samples taken more than three years before their diagnosis. While this has huge promise for early cancer detection, the technology is still in the works, and there are certain questions on how to follow up once the test is positive. (Edited by Madhurita Goswami) Also Read: 007 would drool. Chinese researchers invent contact lenses that let you see even with your eyes closed
