By Ella Woodbridge – 4 week intern

The past 4 weeks of my life have been spent deep in the wilderness of northern Thailand hiking out to see elephants every day, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience! I have learnt so much about the wonderful elephants at KSES, as well as embracing the local culture and meeting amazing people!

My time at KSES started with a complete cultural immersion into local village life. You are 5 hours away from the nearest city, staying in the Ban Na Klang village, surrounded by beautiful forests. I lived in Bonyoone’s homestay, who was a great host and provided some of the best food I have ever had. Who knew pumpkin tasted so good! “Gwee!”

Village life is very relaxed and peaceful. In your spare time you can chill on a hammock and read a book, visit one of the local shops (bonus if they have ice cream!), or simply wander around and fuss over all of the cute dogs that live there. Special mention to the adorable Guh Poo! There are also lots of lovely cows, chickens, pigs and cats! The locals are very friendly, and it was really fun learning to speak the local Karen language. If in doubt, just say Da Blu! There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in village life, such as teaching the kids at the nursery and helping the local women learn English, which were incredibly rewarding experiences.

Daily life as an intern for KSES starts nice and early with breakfast at base camp at 7am! Fuel up on food for energy on the hike, and make sure to grab a delicious iced latte and pancakes from Nee’s corner – they really are the best! At 8, we set off on the hike to find the elephants. Enjoy the walk through beautiful forests and rice fields, and keep an eye out for pretty flowers or strange critters along the path! We saw millipedes, butterflies, snakes and praying mantis to name a few. Finally, you reach the elephants, and it is the most wonderful sight ever! I still remember how amazing it felt seeing the herd for the first time, and every other time after that!

Us interns spend 90 minutes observing the elephants and collecting data on their association, behaviour and foraging. I particularly enjoyed observing the elephant’s behaviour – you really get to know the elephants and their personalities! Too Meh is very chilled out and just loves her food. Mae Doom is the protector and often rather stressed out having to run after Junior all the time! Sri Prai loves a good squeak, she’s very sociable! Little Junior is getting cuter and cheekier by the day! The boys Dodo and Boon Rott tend to keep to themselves but enjoy a good catch up with the girls every now and then!

The highlight of my trip has to be the animals. From watching the elephants roam freely and interact with one another, to cuddling the wonderful base dogs and Bonita the base cow! I have learnt so much about elephant behaviour and welfare, and gained valuable skills and experience as a research intern in the field!

A huge thank you to the wonderful staff at KSES and the Karen people of Ban Na Klang village. I’ve had the absolute best time and would love to come again! But for now, Da Blu!