Testimonials from visitors and volunteers

Name:	Jodi Thomas
From:	USA
When:	Feb 2002
Comments:	i spent 11 amazing days with lek and her elephants at elephant nature park, and exploring surrounding northern Thailand, focusing on Karen hill tribes. this is a most wonderful and fulfilling experience for anyone who is really into helping people and animals (elephants especially), visiting native cultures,and being in beautiful jungle mountain settings. we visited a karen hilltribe village and refugee camp, and stayed the night at both, some of them hadn't seen foreigners before!! lek brings along an assortment of the most amazing foods which she prepares for you fresh each evening. at the villages we pass out vitamins and medicines for the villagers and their animals, as well as school supplies, clothing, balloons etc.... we also went to a Buddhist temple and fed and medicated the dogs there, which there are many. one of the best parts of the trip was the 3 days i spent out at jungle camp. you start out by washing the elephant you will ride to the jungle in the river. then you have this beautiful, scenic, 1/2 hr ride astraddle a most gentle, intelligent, wonderful creature. it is a slow, peaceful ride. once out at the jungle camp, you talk about, tend to, go find, hang out with, gather food for and feed ELEPHANTS!! it is the best. on a calm afternoon, after a 3 hour morning walk to find your elephant with your mahout, there can be as many elephants as people in camp, all coexisting happily. it is truly a little paradise. myself and another volunteer were lucky enough to be to interact with a healthy 3 week old baby, named jungle boy. all the elephants at the camp have wonderful and unique personalities...it is easy to fall in love with them and the whole experience. I was truly lucky to be there to be able to take part in the beginning of the rescue/adoption and rehab of Ging mai, the newest member of lek's growing family. this experience was definitely the most fulfilling !!! we were on 24 hr watch, feeding, wound cleaning, checking temperature and alertness, tending to his every need, making him as comfortable as we could. with all the constant love and care he is growing and healing very well. it was so hard to leave when my time was up! i had had so many great experiences and met so many new friends, and had became an elephant mom......so this was just a beginning for me, i will be back every year to help lek with the elephants and the hill tribes and dogs. i would strongly recommends this experience if you are a rehabber or just love helping people and animals and arent afraid to get dirty. it is most spiritually rewarding. thank you lek, for a wonderful learning experience and sharing your love of elephants.

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