Elephant refuge volunteering in Thailand

Planet

Wildlife :
On the same site as the elephant sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary, home to over 700 animals. We are committed to conserving, saving, protecting and, where possible, rehabilitating the animals brought under care. The centre will rescue any animal that is being neglected or maltreated, providing it with a large and comfortable enclosure, constructed as closely as possible to reflect the natural conditions these animals would be living in.

There is no elephant back riding on this project, and the elephants are not chained at night time.

Protecting the world :
We insist that all participants bring their own water bottles when they travel with us, and clean free water is always available. We have even created a water bottle that can be purchased before departure and encourage people to use it at all stages of their journey including at the airport, on flights and whilst on their project. We are striving for all of our projects to be free of single use plastic.

People

Meeting local needs:
Volunteers live and work as a member of the local community. This is a small community, located off the traditionally trodden tourist trails, and so bringing volunteers to this area really benefits the local population. Food is bought from local markets and restaurants, trips are all sourced locally and local transport is used when needed.

Campaigning for change:
This project works to change the future for animals who have been subjected to harm and mistreatment. The aim is simple: to provide a home for mistreated animals in an environment as close to nature as possible. A programme actively runs to rescue, rehabilitate and release captive wild animals with this hope to repopulate Thailand's forests and jungles. Campaigns are regularly launched against all forms of animal abuse and exploitation in Thailand. An education programme runs for locals, children and visiting tourists to make them aware of the importance of animal welfare.

Cultural sensitivity:
We emphasise the importance of showing respect for local people and their customs in our briefing material. Participants will work alongside permanent staff, forming close bonds and getting an insight into real life in rural Thailand.

We send restricted numbers of people at any one time, which minimises the environmental and social impact that the participants have on the destination. Our participants become fully immersed and integrated into the community.

All of our participants receive comprehensive pre-departure briefing. This covers topics on how to be culturally sensitive, how to best look after the environment when in the country and how to stay safe as well as up to date information on the political situation. They are also briefed on how to dispose of waste properly and where possible, to avoid using plastic water bottles as these are not easy to dispose of environmentally.