By Marta Ruiz – 2 week intern

Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary is not only a sanctuary. What I like the most about KSES is that is not only improving the lives of the elephants but it is also supporting the local community where it is located. It’s located in the small village of Ban Na Klang. The people who live there are Karen, which is an ethnic minority group in Thailand.

In the two weeks that I have been here I have learned so much about elephants. Each day we went on a hike to track the elephants and followed them through the forest. I was so impressed about how intelligent and smart they were, and that family is so important to them. Seeing how closely the family of elephants interact with each other, you can really tell that they love being together, socialising with each other. We collected data on their behaviour, and it made me realise that they want to live a life that is really relaxing and simple (eating all the time and vibing together!). It was the first time I saw an elephant and it was so exciting seeing them every day for the weeks that I have been here! I will miss it a lot ☹️

Living in the village has also allowed me to immerse myself in the Karen culture with their food, their language and their customs. I feel very grateful for being able to leave my mark on this project and it has been an experience that I will never forget.

For me KSES is a project that is full of life, as the people who work there are passionate and are doing it from their hearts, trying to make this world a little better. I think this is the main reason why this project is so successful and special.