Zoo Miami is committed to help ensure Asian elephant populations stay viable in both the wild and captivity.  That is why the Zoo helps fund the International Elephant Foundation (IEF).  The IEF is working with communities around the Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary to educate the local people about elephant conservation and help reduce conflict and poaching.  This sanctuary, formed in 1993, encompasses over 800,000 acres, contains over 80 globally threatened species and approximately half of Cambodia’s elephant population.  IEF is working to help strengthen the authority and capacity of those charged with patrolling, monitoring and protecting this sanctuary.