Volunteering at Elephant Nature Park

It was a last minute decision that I made to join the 1-week volunteering work at the Elephant Natural Park in Chiangmai,  booking was done only a week prior to my departure date. The volunteering programe is a full package where accommodation and meals at the park during the 1-week are all inclusive.

At the airport, I was picked up by the park's guide,we first go to their office in the Chiangmai town centre as I would need to paid up the remaining cost balance and also to meet up with a few other volunteer who too need a ride into the park which is located approximately 1.5 hours away city centre.

After quire a long and hilly van ride, we finally reached the park; just in time for lunch, after some wait, we were introduced to our own roomate and given our room keys respectively. My 1-week partner was Pam who is from Canada, she has been on the move for the past 1 year!

our little bamboo hut on stilt under the fig tree, those fruit were dropping non stop during the first and second night, need to watched our step carefully so that we don't step on them as those fruit will be collected for the elephant to eat.

Oh I must mention about how delicious the food here was, they are absolutely the most beautiful vegetarian meals I ever had, I wasn't even interested to take any of the meat meal here. Each lunch & dinner, they serve more than 15 different dishes, I missed the variety now...

This is the kitchen that cooked up those fantastic meals!

Since there was not much left for the day, we weren't given specific task bust was only asked to help out with feeding the elephant at the pier and also to shower the elephant later in the evening, well later everyone in the group was also being showered.

It was fun splashing water to one another

Volunteer briefing in the evening, there were 2 groups of us and my group's first task the next morning is shovering elephant poop group!

Park's staff created their own little fun before dinner time

Meet Duke, my dinner mate that evening

Besides those giant elephant, the park has also rescued more than 70 dogs and 30 cats, dogs can be seen at every corner but cats are hard to be seen as they have plenty of hide out places in the park.

The next morning, I got up quite early since we slept pretty early at about 9pm. Here's the first and only sunrise I saw at the park, I then did not see the rest of the mornings sun rise, as I was too busy snoozing in my hut, some of the work given were really wearing us all out.

We started out first job - cleaning up all the elephant huts in the park by about 9 that morning. Shovel elephant poo! we were each given a tool, either a broom or shovel so that we can gather elephant poo onto the truck. Guess what, these poo gathered are then being processed and made into art paper which are available for sale at the park's souvenir shop.

work started fairly quickly

Tri-colour kitty hidding on a stilt hut

My roomie, Pam walks in style with her shovel :)

Dino, who taught us how to shovel elephant poo professionally!

Ahaks, there were even a herd of buffalo in the park during the the mid morning.

Animals in the park all have story of their own, here I have Stick who is a dog that always keeps a stick in his mouth, he is said to have been bitten up and force to bite a stick and ever since he's rescued, he wouldn't let go of a stick in his mouth. Looking at his body, it looks like he has been poured hot water on. Heart breaking story :( In the one week stay, I also notice Stick likes to sit on people's lap, whenever he sees a lap that he can lye down on, he would, and he would purr like a cat does! Sweet hey.

Meet Stick

View while shovering poops

The group of dog that had fun playing hide and seek

After we are done with the poo shovelling, we went back to the park shelter and another group of them were making banana balls for the elderly elephants. Elephants too gets tooth decay,only if they wears denture.

Every corner you go, you would be accompanied by at least a dog, they are generally people orientated.

Last poo cleaning - the river bank. While we were picking up elephant poo by the river bank and dropping them into the running water, these 2 handsome boy swam in and pick those poo back onto the river bank! Hilarious!

Since my group finishes our morning duty quite quickly, our group lead Dino therefore gave us another 'mini' project - digging hole for the elephant gym! it was the first time I heard about elephant too likes to play gym. Anyway, I think all of us were quite excited to be part of it. The dig started with trying to get the perfect measurement, outlining the hole shape and size - this wasn't too bad hey.



the measuring and marking

Now the real hard work starts here. Those earth were dry and hard like rocks! our hands were all blistered, but I'm really impressed with how everyone are as enthusiast as each other to dig in little by little - this I consider one of the top 3 hardest task we did during the 1-week volunteer work.



hard at work

While we are using all our strength to dig out 2 of the holes, next to us, the other group where scopping out access water gathered in the mud pool. It got quite messy when one tried to splash mud water to each other.

the mud fight

We were so exhausted and sweaty and went for a much needed short break, while resting we were discussing on how to make the dig earsier or more bearable, Dino suggested to pour some water into the hole, hopefully it'll help soften the earth. So we did...

On the way to fetch water from the river for the hole, I spotted alot of butterflies!

 While lettting the water soaking into the earth slowly, we went separately to chill around the park waiting for our lunch to be served.

Lenny's new to the park, we were told not to touch her as they have yet to learn about her character.

This elephant's eye catches my attention, these eyes are as sensitive as ours, and can see that this is definitely one healthy eye.

Michelle, an Australian who works in the park, she's in charge of the elephant kitchen and the black giant is his pet Ken, imported from home.

A short introduction session by the park's founder Lek, we watched a few videos which some of the scene makes me tears :'( 

by passing the elephant kitchen after our video session

So, we didn't forget about our hole for the elephant gym! and we went back to complete our task, the aim was to finish the dig by the end of that evening. Let's see how much does the water helps?

The boys digging in the soften earth - only manage to soften alittle

It didn't stop us from working on it, here's Pam in the hole scooping out earth shovel by the team

While all of us were so tired digging out the hole, Reena was trying to entertain us.

And the dog never left us but chilling at the coolest spot near us

Hard work

Finish product after more than an hour of hard work

Now that we are done with the 2 holes, everyone then went into the water for a dip to cool down, the dogs were most happy - see below pictures as proof!

Finally end of all activities for the day, and head to sit at the pier after a good shower, drinking my coffee... waiting for dinner to be serve. Ahhh awesome way to end the day.

View while drinking coffee

smoke form by public burning across the river

Day 3 was a slower day, the morning started with us gathering at the elephants' kitchen - is elephant food preparation day. While waiting, we saw Michelle feeding new pupp Tamarind his antibiotics.

Feeding antibiotics down Tamarind's

Pumpkins and watermelon are being soak with water & a certain medicine said to neuturalize the fruits before being cut to feed the elephants. Our job was to brush these fruits briefly then gather them in basket, Michelle will do the cutting as she has a long sharp sickle knife to do that real quickly.

First pumpkins

Then watermelon

A big cat hanging around in the elephant kitchen

Yanny who were given some squid snack

While some of us cleaning up the fruits, few others were busy making banana ball!

Once all the food are cut and distributed into basket, the mahout will then come collect their busket for their own elephant. Some of the more tame giant are brought to the pier for visitors to feed.

Feeding at the pier

The daily elephant bathing time. To elephant, muds are sunscreen. You might have thought elephant skins already so thick no need protection right?

This is how they would use their gym - can you see the happy face

The herd of family with 2 baby elephat bathing at the river

Hope (the only elephant who wears a bell around his neck), is an elephant that Lek kept since he was about a year old, Hope belongs to one of the Chiangmai karen tribe family, they contacted Lek when they realize Hope was sick. Lek spent a long time taking care of the baby giant, and develope a very special relationship with Hope, she then works very hard to buy this elephant over from the tribe people.

Hope has 2 mahouts compare to others, it was because he's too strong and active to be kept up with. Every day he does some simple tricks to entertain visitors, elephants can be trained, however needs to be done correctly.

Hope with his few entertainment tricks

one of the baby rubbing off his belly :D

Lek taking her time everyday to talk to her park's visitors creating awareness about the park and elephant to the public.

The daily photography session with Lek

Other than working, the park also arranged an elephant park walk for us, it is so that we can understand the park and animals in it. Our walk was lead by Dino.

Elephant poops spotted at the walk

There is a rescued bear up on this tree, he is somewhere, we were too far to spot him

Loving all the big trees in the park

We were climbing up onto one of the platform built around one of those big tree, the few dogs that follow us, were up on the half broken platform too... seems can't get their eyes off us.

they are literally watch dogs!

That was the end of day 3, Dino said he don't want to wear us out today as we have a long day tomorrow - Project Bring the Elephant Home! So, this was indeed a very relaxing day, the day then ended with us speculating what's in store for us the next day :)