Kerala Elephant Foundation
Team
President
Rajeev Kurup
Rajeev has been actively following the problem of Kerala captive elephant abuse for over 15 years and has maintained the popular "Kerala Suffering Elephants" Facebook page, where he documents abuse cases and other elephant issues of concern in Kerala. He is an honorary member of the Animal Welfare Board of India. Based in Kollam, Kerala, he has a Masters degree in Chemistry and has worked as a statistician for the state government.
Vice President (Honorary)
Mark Doss
Mark studied sciences at MIT, and upon graduation lived in India for 1.5 years. He has experience living in various countries in South Asia, including India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Upon waking up to the problem of elephant captivity in Asia and abroad, he has worked with activists to launch a sanctuary in the region. Mark intends to launch follow-up sanctuaries across the world and set-up an international organization to address elephant and animal issues worldwide.
Coordinating Veterinarian, India
Dr. Rinku Gohain
Dr. Gohain hails from Assam, India, where he has lead the Assam Wildlife Rescue and Research Organization, AWRRO. Previously he has worked at the largest elephant sanctuary in the world, Elephant Nature Park, in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for over 2 years. He has a masters of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology from Assam Agricultural University's College of Veterinary Science.
Advising Veterinarian, India
Dr. Kushal Sarma
Dr. Sarma is famously known as the "elephant man" of India. He holds the Padma Shri award, one of the highest civilian awards in India, for his work with Asian elephants. He is Head of the Department of Surgery and Radiology at the Assam Agricultural University's College of Veterinary Science. A pioneer of the use of the remote tranquilizing technique, he has treated thousands of wild and captive elephants in India.
International and Legal Affairs, US and India
Amy Ghosh
Ms. Amy Ghosh is the founder and managing partner of The Law Office of Amy Ghosh. She represents corporations and individuals around the world in business and employment immigration, and has diverse experience establishing businesses. She has received the Best South Asian American Women Entrepreneur Award from South Asian Business Alliance Network, the Hind Rattan Award from the NRI welfare society, and the Mahatma Gandhi Award presented at the House of Lords in England.
Communication & Strategy, South India
Naveen Aksher
Naveen has been an animal activist based out of Tamil Nadu, India (the state adjacent to Kerala) for over 10 years. He is passionate about many animal rights movements, but has been specialized on elephants in order to help launch a sanctuary. He has journalism experience and is passionate about veganism. Crucially he speaks three key languages - Malayalam, Tamil, and English, which helps immensely with communications.
Communication, Tamil Nadu & Europe
Suparna Sankaran
Suparna is a professional singer with over 1000 events and appearances to her credit. She has a deep love for elephants, and helps with coordination, translation and affairs in the nearby state of Tamil Nadu. As a French teacher she also helps with translation and coordination in Europe.