By Sammy Partlow – 1 week intern

Upon arrival I had been welcomed by the greeting committee (the village dogs who were very good at their job). As soon as I stepped out of the truck they came with tails wagging indicating how wonderful the village they called home was going to be. The people living in the village while not quite as enthusiastic as the dogs welcomed me with smiles as the kids played. I felt I was officially welcomed to the village as I received a geeju the first night before dinner. My assigned home stay cooked me two delicious meals everyday and always delivered them with a smile on her face. I felt very well cared for while staying here by both my home stay and the volunteer team.

The first morning I found my new favorite café on base known as Nee’s corner. She makes the best banana smoothie I’ve ever had along with a couple tea choices and espresso to satisfy my coffee fix. Once I finished eating breakfast with the team and got a little treat from Nee’s corner we set out on the first hike. After a bit of a trek we finally found Dodo, Sri Pri and Junior down by the river. It was so interesting being able to see a baby elephant interacting with both of his parents especially since it is so rare that his father is still in the picture for his upbringing. He was so silly playing with the vines hanging down near the river. He was continuously tripping over his own feet and venturing off then running back to his parents for shelter.

There was this one moment where both Sri Pri and Dodo had their heads together with Junior underneath them by their trunks. With the dust flying and leaves falling down it had to be one of the most beautiful family moments I had ever experienced. This was an image I will never forget and the tears in my eyes was definitely because of the dust and not at all because of how beautiful this moment was… On our way back through the village I was overwhelmed with cuteness as we stumbled across puppies, piglets, chicks, and even baby water buffalo. The cuteness was unreal.

On top of all the joy provided by all of the animals, what really got me to fall in love with this place was the people. I worked with two other interns while I was here and they really started to feel like a little family. I really enjoyed doing simple things together even if it was just playing cards or eating dinner together. They really just made this place feel like home and I feel like I will be walking away from here with at least two really good friends. Laura (the intern coordinator) was also such a joy to be around. She had so many silly comments and jokes that made me laugh a little too hard. She was so caring always making sure I was comfortable and adjusting properly as well as making sure I didn’t get too worn out.

Both Laura and Jasmin were very knowledgeable about the relationships between the elephants and were able to answer so many of my ridiculous questions. I feel like this experience was so educational and really opened my eyes to how much more there is to learn about elephants in Asia and how much more there is to do to improve the welfare of these beautiful creatures. Being able to be a part of this project allowed me to feel like I was able to be a part of such important work and has me looking forward to seeing how the research published is going to impact the elephant community here in Thailand.