Connecting Academia and Conservation with the Elephant Conservation Center in Laos

Participants at ECORE workshop at the Elephant Conservation Center where experts came together to bridge the gaps between research and conservation practices. | Photo: Khamla Lao

Elephants are a keystone species. They play a major role in the ecosystem, they open pathways for smaller plants to grow as they make their way in the forest, their dung disperses seeds, and their existence ensures biodiversity. Culturally, elephants have been a sacred national symbol in Laos. A few centuries ago, Laos was named “Land of a Million Elephants,” but now there are only 800 captive and wild elephants left in the country (according to the ECC). Deforestation in Laos has led to the loss of wildlife habitats and human-wildlife conflicts, and the logging ban has left many mahouts out of work, and without income to take care of their elephants.

The Elephant Conservation Center (ECC) is a key player in elephant conservation in Laos, managing over 30 elephants across a 540-hectare reserve and the adjacent National Park. The Wyss Academy for Nature’s Hub Southeast Asia realized the importance of balancing between nature and human wellbeing and has partnered up with the ECC since early 2023 to explore and test multiple conservation efforts. One such effort is to provide local, regional and international researchers with a base for medium and long-term studies, utilizing the ECC’s unique setting and supporting the Education, Conservation & Research (ECORE) initiative. As a scientific basecamp for students and researchers, ECORE aims to drive research and connect scientific studies with social science and community development.

Caption: Group discussion during the ECORE workshop. / Photo: Khamla Lao

The first workshop to develop ECORE was held from 10 - 14 November 2024. Twenty-two scientists and experts from nine countries and fifteen institutions joined and developed a first outline for a long-term plan to establish ECORE – including three colleagues from the Wyss Academy for Nature based in Bern, Kenya and Thailand.  

At the workshop, expertise in nature conservation, forest ecology, conservation biology, animal endocrinology and many others coalesced, and resulted in valuable proposals to establish educational courses, full academic programs, and research infrastructure. This included proposals to connect academic research in universities with education for students in schools. For ECORE, collaborating with Lao educational institutions and supporting local Lao students is a priority.

Caption: Participants observing mahouts care for elephants at the Elephant Conservation Center. / Photo credit: Khamla Lao

The ECORE program will bridge the gaps between research and practice, between academia and conservation efforts on the ground, and will link local researchers to the international community. The Wyss Academy’s Hub Southeast Asia is looking forward to next year to work with partners and support their efforts to institutionalize ECORE at the Elephant Conservation Center. To conserve nature and improve livelihoods, nothing is more important than connecting with different partners, investing in education, and bridging the gaps between knowledge and practice.