An elephant in distress due to a fractured tusk is nothing new to Prof Gerhard Steenkamp, veterinary specialist in dentistry and maxillofacial surgery at the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Veterinary Science. Over many years, he has travelled the globe to lead and assist with specialised procedures involving elephants and various other wildlife species.
However, this time an emergency call led him to Cambodia, a country where such a procedure on elephants was never done before.
The journey leading to this huge undertaking began about 18 months ago when Dr Navaneetha Roopan, head veterinarian of
Wildlife Alliance - an NGO active in Cambodia - visited Kulen Elephant Forest (KEF). Kulen Elephant Forest is a conservation organisation, owned and co-founded by David-Jaya Piot, a French Cambodian hotelier. The reserve is a 400-hectare elephant retirement park which opened in December 2019 and protects the former captive Asian elephants in Siem Reap Province, Cambodia.
During his visits to KEF, Dr Roopan noticed that there was an elephant named Chi Chlorb with a fractured tusk. The Wildlife Alliance in Cambodia works extensively in wildlife conservation and rescue which is their primary focus.
They operate the
Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre (PTWRC), 40km south of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. Dr Roopan and Prof Steenkamp’s paths crossed when Dr Roopan attended a conference in July 2024 in China where Prof Steenkamp was lecturing. “After the talk, Dr Roopan approached me and asked if I would assist with the Chi Chlorb’s case. Of course, I agreed,” Prof Steenkamp says.
Due to various reasons the intervention was then only planned for this year and recently Prof Steenkamp, who also owns the Vetdent International company, accompanied by Prof Adrian Tordiffe, veterinary wildlife specialist at Vantara in India and Extraordinary Lecturer in the faculty, travelled to Cambodia to perform the surgery with the approval of KEF and its owner.
Over the years Prof Tordiffe has accompanied Prof Steenkamp on various missions across the world where he would normally handle the required anaesthesia for a procedure. This time it was no exception, and he anaesthetised Chi Chlorb for the tusk extraction. “This was also the first time an elephant had ever undergone general anaesthesia in Cambodia,” Prof Steenkamp says.
According to Prof Steenkamp, it is quite significant that the Indian centre supported this project. “I believe it shows how much knowledge and experience they’ve developed — and continue to develop — at Vantara, and how they may continue to play a significant role in supporting veterinarians and wildlife conservation across Asia in future,” Prof Steenkamp says.
The surgery itself went smoothly and was a great success. From sedation to standing, it took around an hour and a half. While everyone involved was pleased with the outcome the tusk extraction procedure also served as a valuable learning and observation experience for veterinarians from Thailand and Singapore who attended the special occasion.
Since the operation last week, Chi Chlorb has been recovering very well - a clear sign that the intervention brought welcome relief. Yet the impact of this procedure goes far beyond the wellbeing of a single elephant.
This is another powerful example of how the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Veterinary Science continues to contribute its expertise to global wildlife conservation, fostering knowledge-sharing and capacity-building across continents.
The tusk extraction on Chi Chlorb by Prof Steenkamp (behind the pole) in full flight.
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