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"There are fewer then 35,000 Asian elephants remaining in the world andthese magnificent animals are struggling to survive so each elephant born atRingling Bros. is a celebratory step toward the preservation of the species,"says Kenneth Feld, Founder of Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Center forElephant Conservation. "Since 1992, 21 elephants have been born into RinglingBros. care and that is a lifetime commitment that we take very seriously."

A team of veterinarians and elephant husbandry specialists will watch overand care for Sundara as she grows and develops. The goal of the Ringling Bros.Center for Elephant Conservation is to focus on the research, reproduction andretirement of Asian elephants. Since the program's inception, it has seenunparalleled breeding success and remains one of many key components inRingling Bros. conservation efforts. Proper care and management of theendangered Asian elephant species is vital to their survival. As a leader incaptive elephant husbandry, the Ringling Bros. Center for ElephantConservation continues to expand its global preservation initiatives.

This year, due to the increasing domestic Asian elephant population in thecountry of Sri Lanka and the declining pool of skilled elephant handlers tocare for the elephants, the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservationhas partnered with the University of Peradeniya in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Thepilot partnership is comprised of four students enrolled in a Masters ofPhilosophy (MPhil) program in Captive Elephant Management at the University.The pilot consists of a 12-month program based out of the Ringling Bros.Center for Elephant Conservation where the students will implement auniversity-approved research project on Asian elephants with time spentlearning elephant husbandry practices and handling techniques.

"The objective is to train the University students while developing anational curriculum for elephant husbandry and management techniques based onRingling Bros. practices," says Bruce Read, Vice President, AnimalStewardship, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. "By connecting the highstandards of elephant husbandry applied by Ringling Bros. with traditionalmethods and the needs of the growing number of domestic elephants in SriLanka, together we can help the future of this endangered species."

Another significant component in Ringling Bros. conservation program isthe establishment of the annual international conference on tuberculosis inelephants. The conference brings together experts in human and animalmedicine, including veterinarians, geneticists and animal managementspecialists to discuss the current state of tuberculosis research forelephants. The participants met again this fall with project updates at the2008 Elephant Managers Association Conference hosted by Ringling Bros. Centerfor Elephant Conservation.

Since 2005, Ringling Bros. other collaborative conservation initiativesinclude funding more than $300,000 toward the Smithsonian Institution'sNational Zoo's research projects on a reproductive study aimed at increasingthe captive Asian elephant population and on endotheliotropic herpes viruses,the single greatest health threat to the Asian elephant. Only four knownelephants have survived the disease, one of which is currently residing at theRingling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation.

About the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation: Ringling Bros.and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation was established to ensurethat future generations have the opportunity to experience the endangeredAsian elephant species. Built in 1995, this 200-acre, state-of-the-artfacility was designed for the reproduction, research and retirement of theAsian elephant, enabling Ringling Bros. to share its elephant husbandryknowledge with the veterinary and conservation communities worldwide.

For more information about the Ringling Bros. Center for ElephantConservation visit www.elephantcenter.com.

SOURCE Feld Entertainment