Mae Boun Nam’s ultrasound check
We welcomed the veterinarian, Dr. Christopher Stremme to perform a routine health check. We also performed an ultrasound check on all our elephants. Ultrasound tests can identify abnormalities in the reproductive tract and help doctors diagnose conditions. Also, it is an important tool to confirm pregnancies among elephants.
Because the bellies of the elephants are so big, ultrasound examinations in elephants should be performed transrectally in order to see all the reproductive organs properly. Before inserting the probe inside the rectum, the fecal balls should be removed.
Mae Boun Nam is part of our breeding program. She bred successfully in November, so we would like to know if she is pregnant. The result of the check was ” inconclusive” because Dr. Stremmer couldn’t see any typical structure of the pregnancy, like a fetus or a placenta. This can mean two things:
- Mae Boun Nam is not pregnant
- If she is pregnant, the baby is located deep inside the womb, so it is very difficult to reach it.
In order to answer this mystery, further ultrasound examinations and blood tests will be carried out in the future.