This summer I will be volunteering with elephants in Thailand! Please help fund my trip here! Details about my trip can also be found here: https://www.fundmytravel.com/Elizabeth-Duty-1389392135/campaigns/Elephant-Conservation-Project-1389497848/view
Below you will find some information on Thailand, elephants and my project!
I first went to
Thailand in April 2012. I had the opportunity to visit an elephant sanctuary
and was blown away by my immediate new found love towards these gentle giants.
I got the chance to ride an elephant through the forest, and feed and pet them.
When I got back home to the states I had a new found pull not only toward
elephants, but Asian cultures and Buddhism. The relationships and history
between elephants and the Asian population is so interesting. There's a mystery
about these big creatures, so much depth behind their eyes. Their size and
grace mesmerize me and I truly feel elephants are one of a kind. With the vast
drop in their population and becoming an endangered species I truly want to
devote my time in learning as much as I can about these creatures to sustain
their existence.
According to estimates by the World Wildlife Fund, there are only between 2,000
and 3,000 wild elephants remaining in Thailand, and this number continues to
decline. Much of this trend can be attributed to the competition for land
between local communities and the elephants, while domesticated elephants
continue to roam throughout Thailand with their mahouts and are seen begging
for food by performing tricks for tourists.
Throughout Thai history, elephants have been used to assist in the construction
of temples and to help clear forests and carry timber. In ancient Thailand, the
kings of Siam used elephants to ride into battle and the more elephants a king
had (especially white elephants) then the more status and power he enjoyed.
Elephants occupied a very prominent role in battles. Almost all the famous Thai
kings in history were great warriors on elephant-back. King Ramkhamhaeng, King
Naresuan and King Narai were the most outstanding examples. Murals depicting
battles on elephant-back still exist in several places today.
This volunteer placement will give me the opportunity to immerse myself in Thai
culture, learning about the role of elephants as I help the mahouts in the
elephant camp that provides a sanctuary for retired working elephants. My work
may include a combination of exercising, washing and feeding the elephants,
garden maintenance and working directly with the people of the centre.
Sometimes you do not know what you are missing until you find it. And I have
discovered a new passion, a new love with elephants. Here are some amazing
facts about elephants. I want you to truly get to know how amazing these
creatures are! I hope you come to love these creatures as much as I do.
1. Elephants are amongst
the world's most intelligent species. They have been noted for their memory and
pleasant nature.
2. Elephants exhibit a
wide variety of behaviors, including those associated with grief, learning, all
mothering, mimicry, play, altruism, use of tools, compassion, cooperation, self-awareness,
memory, and language.
3. The elephant mirrors
the life patterns of a human more closely than any other living thing. Its life
span is approximately 80 years and its growth rate similar to that of humans.
4. Asian elephants have
the greatest volume of cerebral cortex available for cognitive processing of
all existing land animals.
5. Elephant families can
only be separated by death or capture. Because elephants are so closely knit
and highly matriarchal, a family can be devastated by the death of another
(especially a matriarch), and some groups never recover their organization.
6. Elephants are the
only species of mammals other than Homo sapiens and Neanderthals known to have
or have had any recognizable ritual around death. They show a keen interest in
the bones of their own kind (even unrelated elephants that have died long ago).
They are often seen gently investigating the bones with their trunks and feet
while remaining very quiet. Sometimes elephants that are completely unrelated
to the deceased still visit their graves. When an elephant is hurt, other
elephants (even if they are unrelated) aid them.
