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A Serendipitous Moment Changed My life
Wandering leisurely down a street in Chiang Mai
I happened to glance at a stand overflowing with brochures. Amongst the hundreds
of colorful leaflets advertising the sundry tours, activities and thrills
available in the area, one caught my eye, “The Elephant Nature Park”. Perusing
the brochure I discovered I could volunteer at the Park and as luck would have
it their office was just around the corner. I headed there immediately and
entered into a very inviting environment filled with friendly people and dogs. I
initially booked for one week and after a life changing experience I booked for
another week.
But before I explain to you why this
experience had such a profound affect on me let me back up and provide you with
some personal background information that will provide more context to my story.
I have had the good fortune to have enjoyed a
diverse career, rich in challenges and opportunities to learn. I have been an;
educator, administrator, university professor, writer for travel and sport
magazines and producer of TV documentaries in various exotic places around our
globe. On my first trip to Thailand five years ago I fell in love with this
country with its tropical climate, rich cultural history and gentle people. I
have been visiting every year since, often spending months at a time off the
popular tourist routes but teaming up with local people to become a traveler and
learner in their country.
On one of my sojourns I visited an elephant
camp. Up to that point in time I was ambivalent towards elephants. I have always
loved animals but we don't have any elephants in my home town, so I didn't
really develop any attraction to them. However, during the elephant show when
they demonstrated how they could understand 56 different verbal commands, I was
blown away with their intelligence and all their abilities. Unknowingly I
started doing everything wrong with elephants. I fed begging elephants in the
streets of Bangkok, I bought their paintings, I rode them much time in elephant
camps and took mahout training twice. So I “kinda thought” I knew about
elephants.
It wasn't until I visited The Elephant Nature
Park (ENP) that my education really began. No one had explained to me about the
horrific life street begging elephants had to endure. I had never heard of
“phajaan” the crushing cage that young elephants are tortured in for days until
they die or their will is broken. I wasn't aware that the elephant's spine isn't
suitable for caring saddle baskets filled with people and often this causes
miscarriages in pregnant females.
With the education I received in the park my
thinking changed 180 degrees. The ENP mission has become my goal and mission.
During my two weeks at ENP there was a nice
balance of learning opportunities in the form of videos, talks, presentations,
discussions and hands on experience with the elephants. The work varied between
preparing tons of food for the 36 elephants living in the park, cleaning up
activities and construction jobs. Even when we toiled in the heat of the noon
day sun it was fun because you were working with interesting like minded people
from all around the world. There was plenty of social time to go hiking, biking,
swimming, tubing, and socializing having a beer with new friends to wash down
all the trail dust.
I can't say enough nice things about the staff,
they are very knowledgeable, professional and caring. The meals weren't very
good, they were “excellent”. When I met “Lek” , Sangduen Chailert, founder of
ENP it became obvious why she has received so many international awards over the
years. She is so dedicated to helping elephants, educating the public, community
building, conservation and reforestation of Thailand. She inspires and motivates
everyone she meets. Thank you Lek and ENP staff for re-educating me and changing
my life. |
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Buy an Elephant Lunch |
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Elephants can up to 160kg per day.
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Volunteer & park visitors info
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