As an elephant sanctuary volunteer in Thailand, you will have the unique chance to work behind the scenes to care for elephants. Eager and passionate volunteers are required to assist with the general upkeep of the project throughout the year. The centre works to rescue and rehabilitate elephants within Thailand. With our team on this Thailand volunteer program, you will have an amazing chance to help care for these gentle giants.
BACKGROUND TO THE ELEPHANT PROGRAM
Thailand is home to both populations of wild and domesticated populations of the Asian elephant. The domestic population is sadly made up of animals that have been caught from their natural habitat or bred in captivity. These animals have been trained/broken to live and work in the tourist or logging industry.
Today, Thailand’s wild elephant population is struggling for survival. The wild elephant population of Thailand is estimated at 2,200, living in open grasslands and dense rainforests spread over the country. Historically, domestic elephants have been used in the logging industry. In turn, they have ironically and unwillingly helped to destroy the very habitat they rely on to survive.
After the ban on logging in 1989, most of the logging elephants ended up being used within the tourism industry. Others have been used to make a living by begging on the streets of big cities. Walking day and night on these dirty and traffic-congested streets is detrimental to the elephant’s health and is simply unnatural. Street-begging elephants often end up being involved in road traffic accidents. This commonly results in fatalities for both the elephant and the mahout.
Unfortunately, in Thailand, there are currently no laws to prevent this abuse and mistreatment. Therefore there is an urgent need to help these animals. This is where our participants come in. This sanctuary has been created for elephants to retire and be given the respect these amazing creatures deserve. Our international participants help support the centre, assisting and leading different tasks to help rehabilitate and home these gentle giants.
ELEPHANT VOLUNTEER PLACEMENT
WFFT - If you wish to be a responsible volunteer, working ethically with elephants, then this is the place to volunteer. This wildlife volunteering abroad project allows you to learn more about them, and the problems they face and be part of the solution. The forested land around the rescue centre gives rescued elephants the chance to roam around in near-natural surroundings. Large pieces of land have been purchased to make these forests and grasslands similar to their natural habitat. The large elephant enclosures allow the elephants the space to move around and socialise with other elephants. Each enclosure can be up to 5 hectares in size, with natural trees, lakes and grazing areas. No elephant is ever chained up, day or night.
The rescue centre provides elephants with the freedom they deserve in a safe and natural environment. Our team provides lifelong veterinary care to those who need it, as well as the best husbandry and diet. As an elephant sanctuary volunteer, you will be taught everything needed to take care of these captivating creatures. A volunteer with elephants in Thailand will prepare food, create enrichment items, clean and maintain enclosures, and harvest plant matter. Common meals for elephants include banana trees and grass. You may also be lucky enough to walk the elephants between pieces of land!
When volunteering in Thailand with elephants, our coordinators will assign participants to groups each day. The groups are managed by team leaders - longer-term experienced participants who assist and guide their teams throughout daily tasks.
OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER VOLUNTEERING IN THAILAND
Return Airport Transfer - Your return airport transfer is not included in your Program Fee. Our local team can help arrange onward transfers to the airport or an alternative destination from the volunteer accommodation. Making specific arrangements once in Thailand provides more flexibility as plans can often change and participants may be on similar flight plans. The costs depend on your method of transport and your final destination. This can often be split across multiple participants if you are travelling with someone else on the program.
Hands-Off - Please be aware the elephant conservation volunteer work in Thailand promotes a hands-off experience. Volunteer work with elephants in Thailand will involve little physical interaction with animals. The project tries to provide a natural experience for elephants rather than an opportunity to pet the animals. Instead, elephant volunteers in Thailand will provide the essential daily and long-term needs of the animals. This includes activities such as feeding, cleaning enclosures, and providing stimulation in the form of behavioural and environmental enrichments. This means the project is there to provide a true conservation experience and the elephant's welfare is at the heart of the experience. Many elephant projects in Thailand are advertised as a "volunteer" experience but involve touristy activities such as riding and scrubbing elephants in the river. This project is completely different and true in their approach to conservation. However, there are some instances where volunteers touch the elephants as part of the volunteer role only when necessary.
Physically & Emotionally Demanding - The work as an elephant conservation volunteer in Thailand is incredibly demanding. Participants must, therefore, be fit in both physical and mental health to complete the project. Before committing to the program, individuals are encouraged to reach out to a member of the PMGY staff should they have concerns.
During volunteer work with elephants in Thailand, each participant will have their own pace, strengths and weaknesses. You are asked to kindly respect that not everyone will have the same abilities - individuals may work at different paces. Everyone in the Thailand elephant sanctuary volunteer program is here to help and will make their unique contributions.
Additional Tasks - All participants volunteering in Thailand with elephants will be asked to assist in additional tasks outside of project hours. This is to help run the Volunteer House and include activities such as "house duty" and "doggie duty". Typically, two people per day are chosen to help with each. House duty involves ensuring all areas are kept tidy each day and some common housework is completed. Doggie duty involves caring for some of the dogs that live at the Volunteer House. This involves washing, feeding and walking the dogs.
Save Some Time to Travel - The volunteer projects in Thailand provide a very "volunteer-focused" experience where you are involved in the project for 6 days a week and have 1 day off. We recommend participants reserve time after their program for independent travel as this program does not have a traditional weekend travel culture. During your day off you will be able to visit the local beach, nearby caves and waterfalls. However, participants will not be able to travel too far afield on their day off.
