THE ONE AND ONLY ENDOCRINOLOGY LABORATORY FOR ELEPHANTS IN LAO PDR

We would like to thank the Australian Embassy, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC and several private donors who made it possible for us to set-up an endocrinology laboratory at the Center.

One of our biologists spent 3 months at the Smithsonian Institution in the USA to be trained to manage the lab.

The laboratory for hormonal research which we are setting up will give us a better insight into the reproductive cycles of the female elephants under our care.


The need to breed captive elephants in Laos is particularly urgent. Females are aging and can have complications passed a certain age. As they get older, they can become subject to uterine fibrosis and ovarian cysts. Simply stated, Lao elephants could go extinct within 20 years if the birth rate doesn't increase dramatically.

To avoid this, we need to increase captive breeding in Laos. Currently, there are no laboratories in Laos where we can send our samples. For this reason, the Elephant Conservation Center must set up their own endocrinology laboratory, which will be in operation in February 2019.

Three hormones will be studied at the lab: Progesterone (reproduction), Testosterone (musth) and cortisol (stress).
The Elephant Conservation Center 
Nam Tien Lake, Sayaboury district, Lao PDR
Manthatoulat Road (Mekong riverside) Ban Pakham, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR
Tel : +856-20-96590665
Email: marketing@elephantconservationcenter.com
social media (Facebook and Instagram).
Website: https://www.elephantconservationcenter.com/