Testimonials from visitors and Elephant volunteers - Sarah Saunders

Name:	SARAH SAUNDERS
From:	New Zealand
When:	Feb 03
Comments:	I have great pleasure in writing this testimonial for a very strong-hearted / headed women who has inspired me immensely and who has put herself out there to help our beautiful endangered friends - the elephant. I came to Thailand in search of someone involved in ele conservation after doing volunteer wk exp at a ele safari park in Bali. All i was told about was Elephant treks and camps, not what i was looking for. Things happen for a reason and this it did. I was walking the hot streets of Chiang-Mai when my eye caught a pile of local free magazines- because it had a cover shot of an ele. Inside was the story of little Ging-Mai, and at the bottom of the article was Lek's contact details. The next day i found myself on the road with "Jumbo Express" Lek, 4 great volunteers and 5 lucky ducks that we rescued from a market and now reside at the farm. We travelled into the mountains stopping in 2 villages to medicate children, give worming tablets to adults for their stock, cut hair !!! and devour delicious food. We also were on the case of a cow and calf that needed medical attention, but unfortunately they had wandered too far for their mahout to track them that day. Lek would see them next time. We also came across 3 eles on the road who had been walking for 7 days on their way home from an ele camp, that was not providing for the eles and mahouts. I also got the chance to meet 4 of Lek's rescued eles down at the river side. Here the sense of happiness grasped me, seeing these abused eles finally at peace. Here we gave bananas, our love and scrubbed them down in the river. The next day i met Ging-Mai. He took my breath away and my heart felt for this little guy as i watched his trunk investigate his surroundings. He was 3mths old, waist high and quite happily moving amongst us girls, dogs, chickens and ducks. I was quite beside myself tha t afternoon realising where i was, but as the sun began to set we were becoming friends and my shift in the early hours of the cold morning was absolute bliss. Comfortably snuggled up and amazed again at the situation i was in, I lay there with the fresh milk belly fragrance from his tiny trunk on my face. And the warmth of his little hairy body next to mine. I was amazed at the condition of his mind and body after such a traumatic start to life... he is a survivor. The next 2 weeks i spent on the farm i did what i could to care and entertain Ging-Mai.....bringing in fresh browse daily, changing his pen around, raking his pen, digging a mud wallow, encouraging him to walk down onto the grass, playing in the sandpit and generally hanging out with him. Seeing him in the wallow gave me huge satisfaction as the day before when i was making it, he would walk around it and pick up small pieces of dirt, investigating. The following day after being in the pool i tipped the water into the wallow and mushed it around with my feet. Next thing Ging-Mai is in there with me walking in it, standing and then laying in it as i rubbed mud onto him. This went on for a good 1/2 hour. Then it was into the sandpit. He looked like a real elephant !!!! If you are someone like me and want to help Lek, these and other eles, please ponder no more. Book a ticket to Bangkok, pack minimal clothes, and take the train from Bangkok to Chiang-Mai. Its as simple as that and it'll be one, if not the one best experience you'll ever have. ENJOY!!!!!!

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