STEF is an international charity dedicated to promoting the ethical treatment and the highest health and welfare standards for the Asian elephant in Thailand.

STEF exists to raise awareness of the elephant and its needs through education and by example, and in using applied research to ensure that elephant conservation in Thailand is secure for future generations. The charity's core focus is to assist in the care of unwell, elderly, retired, abandoned or abused elephants.

There is an urgent health and welfare need in this part of Southern Thailand for a dedicated veterinary facility to serve some 600 domesticated elephants. The only elephant veterinary unit is over four hours drive away. STEF is creating a safe, well-managed Veterinary Clinic in Ban Ton Sae for elephants that need veterinary care or are no longer able to work through age or illness, or that have become a burden to their owners. This is a Community Support Project that will benefit elephants and their owners over a 50-mile radius. If our fundraising succeeds, we will open the clinic at the end of 2019.

The need for an elephant hospital has been brought into sharp focus with the sudden, tragic and devastating death of baby elephant TONKAO in June. This was a terrible loss to Phang Nga Elephant Park. The veterinarians who attended the Park made every possible effort to save TONKAO, but unfortunately the closest treatment centre is several hours away and illustrates why we are so desperate to complete our clinic as soon as possible. Ban Ton Sae is local to Phang Nga Elephant Park and would enable faster treatment for elephants in need in the region. Speed of treatment and access to specialised facilities will greatly increase the chances of survival for very ill elephants.

Please can you help the TONKAO Memorial Fund? Any donation you can give will be greatly appreciated to help us stop such tragedies happening again.

We are so very grateful to everyone helping us with our appeal and no amount is too small.

Please follow our journey on our News page https://southernthailandelephants.org/news/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/southernthailandelephants/ and on Twitter @elephantcharity