Decoding Calf Development: A BTEH Lab Experience
Check out this blog post, written by Stephanie Enzinna, a BSc student at the University of Florida. Stephanie visited Bring The Elephant Home’s field station during a research program with School For Field Studies last summer. Since then, she joined The BTEH Lab and continued collaborating with us remotely, completing a fascinating project that looked into calf age structures and developments in behavior and morphology as calves grow. Learn more about Steph’s work through her blog, and complete the registration form here if you’re interested in a remote internship opportunity with The BTEH Lab!
Journeying Into Asian Elephant Conservation
Last summer, I had the privilege to participate in Asian elephant research with PhD candidate, Ave Owen, at Bring the Elephant Home in Thailand during a study abroad program through School for Field Studies. BTEHs’ mission is to mitigate human-elephant conflict through research and data collection about elephant behavior, group structure, and habitat distributions, to gain more knowledge about Asian elephants and contribute to their persistence as a species. Through fostering connections with the local community and promoting conservation education backed by research to promote elephant welfare and conservation, BTEH makes a significant impact on Asian elephant populations.
My BTEH Lab Experience
During the months of January through July of 2026, I had the opportunity to continue to assist Ave Owen with continuing a project started by a fellow intern, Caytie Brown. The project consisted of creating a means to age Asian elephant calves with the goal of standardizing specific criterion so elephant calves can be monitored throughout their infantile growth, and welfare can be evaluated based on their age. The data can also be used to evaluate if the calves are progressing typically and lack abnormal behaviors. This would also help other research centers and elephant behavioral specialists with their research by using a scale that could be generalized and used by different researchers simultaneously.
I focused on targeting behavioral and morphological characteristics differences present at ages from birth to the age of four and evaluated by criteria in 6-month segments. Behavior and morphology can be distinguished from a calf of 0 months-6 months compared to a calf of 6 months to one year, and so on.
The Need for Conservation
From my time living in Thailand and observing elephants, to conducting research through my online internship, I have understood deeply the need for conservation efforts for elephants. Human-elephant conflict is a persisting issue and one that does not present a clear answer for. Through research and community relations, solutions can become increasingly effective, and results can help mitigate and improve situations for both elephants and humans alike. One species of animal does not have to come at the cost of the other, and both can learn to coexist and support each other. BTEH strives for this goal
everyday through research and hard work, and I am grateful I have gotten to be a part of it. From the people I met, to the elephants I studied and admired, I am so incredibly grateful for this experience and for BTEH’s and Aves’ support.
Thank you, Stephanie!
On behalf of the entire Bring The Elephant Home team, we would like to thank Stephanie for her support with our projects in Thailand and through The BTEH Lab! We are so grateful that she shared her experiences through this blog post!
You can find more information on how you can get involved on this page! Already excited to join The BTEH Lab yourself? Fill out the Google Form here!
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