28 Jan 2015

What is an elephant volunteer gap year?

Elephants are my favourite animals! They are the most incredibly smart, loyal, and beautiful animals that deserve more credit in the animal kingdom than they receive. In my opinion. Volunteering with elephants is a way to befriend and safeguard these majestic creatures in their natural habitat by becoming their caretakers in a very hands-on way. Head to our gap site to read some more!

Is it made for you?

Whether or not you’ve seen ‘Dumbo’, you might know that elephants have sometimes been ill-treated despite being such loving and humble creatures. They are a unique animal that need as much care and devotion as any human being, and they need you to be someone who is willing to put in the work to reap the reward of seeing them thriving in a happy and healthy environment. They need people who are interested in elephant handling and community outreach, not afraid of getting a little dirty with the chance to bathe off in the rivers alongside the animals.

What will I do?

No two days will ever be the same for you in this role! Some days you might be walking and bathing the elephants (and riding if you want!), other times you could be planting and harvesting crops for the elephants. You’ll have the chance to make ‘poo’ paper–much more pleasant than it sounds and a great source of income for the village, and you’ll be feeding the elephants while learning to cook some traditional Thai food. Part of the integration into the Thailand community includes the option to help teach English within the village, the perfect way to see the people who are in direct contact with the elephants.

Where can I do it?

The elephants are located in Surin, Thailand, a beautiful country with natural gorgeousness, impressive architecture, eye-catching temples, lovely, friendly people, and the just the best Thai food you will ever eat!

What will my experiences be as an elephant volunteer?

Historically, elephants worked in the removal of trees from forests to provide an income for their owners. However, as logging has now been banned in Thailand, domesticated elephants are now unemployed and expensive to maintain. You will experience what it means to care for domesticated elephants by generating income for the families who own them, treating the elephants with respect while experiencing the lifestyle of the Thai families involved.

How is this good for me?

Do you want to interact with a gentle giant? Do you want to see another world, another culture, and touch the animal you’ll be helping? This is perfect hands-on work that develops your nurturing side, your patience, and your understanding of the affects humans can have over the animals they are in care of. Maybe you are thinking of a career in Veterinary Medicine, or animal activism? When you are deciding on a future for yourself, don’t you want to be able to say you’ve put in the real labor outside of the classroom and loved it so much, you decided the school dedication was worth the trouble?