The camp is surrounded by beautiful scenery and lush green mountains. Volunteers assist and work alongside elephant trainers and other camp staff from 7am – 5pm, Monday to Friday. A typical day starts early at the park. Elephants are bathed at seven, and then given breakfast.
Once the elephants are fed and before the day visitors arrive, volunteers and other staff can have a sit down, eat breakfast and enjoy the scenic backdrop of the northern Thailand rolling mountains. After lunch all volunteers work with the elephants, learning how to be an elephant trainer. Later in the afternoon/early evening, volunteers will be able to spend more time with the elephants and elephant trainers. This is when volunteers will really begin to bond with the animals.
The elephant park is vast, with a large team of staff. Everyone living in the surrounding village works at the park or is related to someone who does. As a result, volunteers are often asked to work with the families and children of the park’s workers. Some volunteers may teach a few hours of English at the local hill tribe school. Other volunteers will teach English to the elephant trainers and other staff, or may be asked to help out with other areas of the elephant camp.
Additional activities could include anything from taking care of baby elephants to moving equipment. Volunteers must be 18 years or older at the beginning of the program and need to be healthy and fit enough to work along with animals in the outdoors.
