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About Us

The Aïravata team committed to elephant protection in Cambodia
Aïravata

Our Team

Men and women united by a common mission: to preserve elephants, the forest, and the traditional knowledge of Ratanakiri.

Pierre-Yves and Chenda Clais, founders of Aïravata in Ratanakiri
The Founders

Who are we?

Get to know the team that has taken on the arduous task of preserving an entire world destined for imminent disappearance!

Pierre-Yves & Chenda Clais

The Founders

Married since 1997, Chenda and Pierre-Yves are two sides of the same medallion.

Pierre-Yves lives to the rhythm of his passions and the thousand and one ideas that come to him, Chenda lives to the rhythm of the administration of their common creations.

Daughter of a doctor who died under Pol Pot, Chenda comes from a Cambodian family in Phnom Penh, while Pierre-Yves is a former UN mission paratrooper, who came to Cambodia to live his dreams of adventure. In 1997, they married and then opened a hotel in the former governor's residence of Ratanakiri in Banlung.

During his many escapades with passing travelers, Pierre-Yves learned to know this forest and the twelve ethnic groups living there, gradually becoming a doctor, advisor, and friend to some of these villages. Ratanakiri is therefore a special region for the Clais couple, who maintain an intimate relationship with this remote province of Cambodia.

Veterinary team ensuring the medical monitoring of Aïravata elephants
Animal Health and Welfare

The Veterinary Team

Aïravata has the honor and privilege of benefiting from the support of the AGROVET Clinic, Wildlife Alliance, and Phnom Tamao Zoo.

Veterinarian Virginie Scanga graciously offers her time and expertise, thus enabling optimal medical monitoring of our animals.

Essential veterinary expertise to support elephants and ensure their long-term health.

Dan Koehl, international elephant specialist
International Expertise

Dan Koehl, the man who whispered to elephants

Born in Stockholm in 1959, Dan began a career at age 11 entirely dedicated to animals.

1970–1975

Assistant shepherd with 600 sheep and Border Collies.

1970–1977

He worked as a zoo keeper and salesman in three aquarium stores.

1977–1986

Elephant keeper at Skansen Zoo in Stockholm.

1986–1992

Chief elephant keeper at Skansen Zoo in Stockholm.

1992–1995

Zoo keeper trainer.

Since 1996

He became an independent consultant, working as a keeper, trainer, and advisor for zoos, circuses, and hunting lodges on three continents.

In 1995, he launched an information website, then in 2006, he began to build a vast individual database on captive elephants, meticulously recording their location, history, and pedigree of breeding elephants.

This database now includes over 15,000 records of deceased elephants and 8,654 records of living elephants in captivity, with each of the 2,938 location facilities in hundreds of countries across six continents!

15,000+ Elephants listed
8,654 Living elephants recorded
93+ Elephants accompanied

Dan also holds the unusual record of having worked with over 93 elephants!

He is fluent in English, German, Swedish, and other Scandinavian languages.

We are happy and honored to consider him both a friend and a mentor!

The Aïravata team committed to elephant protection in Cambodia
Aïravata

Our Team

Men and women united by a common mission: to preserve elephants, the forest, and the traditional knowledge of Ratanakiri.

Pierre-Yves and Chenda Clais, founders of Aïravata in Ratanakiri
The Founders

Who are we?

Get to know the team that has taken on the arduous task of preserving an entire world destined for imminent disappearance!

Pierre-Yves & Chenda Clais

The Founders

Married since 1997, Chenda and Pierre-Yves are two sides of the same medallion.

Pierre-Yves lives to the rhythm of his passions and the thousand and one ideas that come to him, Chenda lives to the rhythm of the administration of their common creations.

Daughter of a doctor who died under Pol Pot, Chenda comes from a Cambodian family in Phnom Penh, while Pierre-Yves is a former UN mission paratrooper, who came to Cambodia to live his dreams of adventure. In 1997, they married and then opened a hotel in the former governor's residence of Ratanakiri in Banlung.

During his many escapades with passing travelers, Pierre-Yves learned to know this forest and the twelve ethnic groups living there, gradually becoming a doctor, advisor, and friend to some of these villages. Ratanakiri is therefore a special region for the Clais couple, who maintain an intimate relationship with this remote province of Cambodia.

Dan Koehl, international elephant specialist
International Expertise

Dan Koehl, the man who whispered to elephants

Born in Stockholm in 1959, Dan began a career at age 11 entirely dedicated to animals.

1970–1975

Assistant shepherd with 600 sheep and Border Collies.

1970–1977

He worked as a zoo keeper and salesman in three aquarium stores.

1977–1986

Elephant keeper at Skansen Zoo in Stockholm.

1986–1992

Chief elephant keeper at Skansen Zoo in Stockholm.

1992–1995

Zoo keeper trainer.

Since 1996

He became an independent consultant, working as a keeper, trainer, and advisor for zoos, circuses, and hunting lodges on three continents.

In 1995, he launched an information website, then in 2006, he began to build a vast individual database on captive elephants, meticulously recording their location, history, and pedigree of breeding elephants.

This database now includes over 15,000 records of deceased elephants and 8,654 records of living elephants in captivity, with each of the 2,938 location facilities in hundreds of countries across six continents!

15,000+ Elephants listed
8,654 Living elephants recorded
93+ Elephants accompanied

Dan also holds the unusual record of having worked with over 93 elephants!

He is fluent in English, German, Swedish, and other Scandinavian languages.

We are happy and honored to consider him both a friend and a mentor!

Dr. Roopan Navaneetha Krishnan, veterinarian specializing in Asian elephants
International Veterinary Expertise

Dr. Roopan Navaneetha Krishnan

International veterinary expertise at the bedside of Asian elephants.

Elephant protection relies above all on advanced medical care, rigorous ethics, and an intimate knowledge of the biology of these vulnerable giants.

Aïravata has the privilege of collaborating with Dr. Roopan Navaneetha Krishnan, a surgeon and wildlife veterinarian specializing in wildlife, whose dedication and expertise radiate throughout Southeast Asia.

01

A career forged in the field

Trained in wildlife medicine and with solid experience within the Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU) of the Sabah Wildlife Department in Malaysia, Dr. Roopan has dedicated a large part of his career to the rescue, treatment, and rehabilitation of Borneo pygmy elephants as well as other endangered species.

Accustomed to emergency interventions in the most isolated forest environments, he masters the complex art of standing sedation, major surgeries, and intensive care in the wild.

02

At the forefront of the fight against EEHV

Dr. Roopan is also involved in research and early diagnosis of EEHV (Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus), a fulminant viral infection that constitutes one of the most serious threats to young Asian elephants.

In connection with leading research centers, such as the veterinary team of Chiang Mai University in Thailand, he actively works on deploying PCR molecular diagnostic protocols and advanced supportive therapies.

His skills also cover dental and maxillofacial surgery, including the treatment of fractured or infected tusks, as well as the management of traumas related to human-elephant conflict and poaching.

Areas of Expertise

A comprehensive approach to elephant medicine

01 Medicine & Surgery

Field interventions, sedation under constant monitoring, wound treatment, and reconstructive surgeries.

02 Diagnosis & Health Surveillance

Early detection of EEHV by PCR, emergency protocols, and applied hematology for proboscideans.

03 Rescue & Translocation

Management of medical captures and de-escalation of human-wildlife conflict situations.

04 Training & Transmission

Transmission of good clinical practices to care teams and mahouts.

His commitment alongside Aïravata

Expertise serving a common mission

By contributing his clinical perspective, informed advice, and experience with modern veterinary protocols, Dr. Roopan supports Aïravata in its daily mission: to offer rescued elephants a protective, dignified, and respectful environment for their physical and psychological well-being.

His presence and interventions strengthen our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of animal health for the elephant community in Cambodia.

“Protecting Asian elephants requires both the precision of modern veterinary science and a deep empathy for each individual. Every life preserved is a hope for the survival of the entire species.”

— Dr. Roopan Navaneetha Krishnan
Veterinary team ensuring the medical monitoring of Aïravata elephants
Animal Health and Welfare

The Veterinary Team

Aïravata has the honor and privilege of benefiting from the support of the AGROVET Clinic, Wildlife Alliance, and Phnom Tamao Zoo.

Veterinarian Virginie Scanga graciously offers her time and expertise, thus enabling optimal medical monitoring of our animals.

Essential veterinary expertise to support elephants and ensure their long-term health.

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