Thailand is home to some of the most exotic nature and wildlife in the world. From its crystal sea shores to the deep surreal jungles; there are animals and plant life which live exclusively in this tropical environment. This is one of the reasons why it attracts so many travellers and tourists from all over the world. It is also at serious risk and has been for some time now. Even though there are government departments and organisations that serve to protect Thailand’s wildlife, the exploitation or illegal trade of wildlife is out of control. The darker side to South East Asia is its black market.
Elephants, bears, monkeys and reptiles are smuggled across the borders headed for countries like China to be sold as exotic pets, or sometimes food and medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine uses bear bile and tigers testicles in rare herbal formulas. Exotic animals also fetch a fair price as a culinary delicacy like live monkey brains, which is unbelievably cruel.
These animals are also taken at birth to be trained as a tourist attraction. “Trained” is a light word, in reality these animals undergo extreme discomfort and abuse in preparation for their careers. The most abused are monkeys and elephants because they make the most popular attractions. The subdued and obedient elephants you see in a park, often performing tricks have been very cruelly treated since infancy. In order for a human to interact with a passive elephant the animals ‘spirit’ needs to be broken. The baby animal may experience daily beating, food deprivation and electrocution for months or years. Wild animals are not easily domesticated like dogs, to break their spirits takes a lot of cruelty. The elephants are also kept chained when they’re not working. What’s worse is the animal is likely to experience poor health during its life and is then discarded or killed when it can’t work anymore.
Many Buddhist temples house wild animals, which are mostly donated. The classic example is when a baby monkey or bear cub is bought as a cute pet. It naturally grows into an adolescent and becomes uncontrollable then it is given to a temple. The temples tend to take these matters into their stride and look after the animal as best as they can, which isn’t always ideal however, it attracts tourists and provides some financial support. Some temples rely on keeping wild animals only for this reason.
There are few ethical or conservation efforts in Thailand and Wildlife Friends of Thailand Foundation is one of them. They provide a sanctuary for retired or rescued animals including elephants, monkeys, bears, reptiles, birds and non-native animals. The aim is to rescue and rehabilitate the animal and release it back into the wild, however this is a lengthy and complicated process. Quite often the animal is unable to return to the wild because it has been caged its entire life and releasing the animal is also posing another threat to its survival. Regardless of the complexities of wildlife care the sanctuary is a blessing for this region of Thailand.
My day experience as a volunteer…
I was picked up promptly in an air-conditioned van and travelled through the country side, approximately 45 minutes to the park. My tour guide took me through all the animals one-by-one and telling their story. It was educational, interesting and fun. It was also nice to support an organisation that actually cares about the wildlife. As I mentioned earlier even the organisations in place don’t seem to manage the situation. It also seems the majority of Thai people don’t have the environmental awareness that many cultures do have. I’d be shocked to meet a Thai who passionately supported environmentalism!
The park attracts many volunteers from all over the world. The only prerequisite is you speak English and are prepared to work hard. Lunch is provided with vegan, vegetarian or meat based options. The volunteers are all English-speaking people who don’t mind getting their hands dirty. Much of the work will involve cleaning, digging and feeding the larger animals, which is messy work. I still chuckle at the memory of the gooey banana and grass pellet ‘bliss balls” we made for the elephants! The is the perfect place to go if you need to simplify your life or take a career break and can volunteer for minimum two weeks
My favourite part was seeing the elephants, of course. These are retired elephants and there are no rides or performances. It’s just you and the animal, which you can feed or shower and even go for a walk with. That was the high-light for me, to see this beautiful giant forage through the scrub. Picking leaves and enjoying the outdoors as it would be in the wild or at least close to it.
Going for an Elephant Walk…
Even though I really enjoyed these beautiful beings up close. I was still conflicted about their neglected history. Humans are naturally drawn to animals, we share the same planet and we have an innate urge to interact with them. However, the only reason I am able to get so close IS because of their history of abuse. If their spirit weren’t broken I would never get this chance. Having said that it’s the intention that matters the most. If the respect for the animal is in place then it makes all the difference and this is far better than a circus. In an ideal world seeing these animals from a distance would be enough. In an ideal world they would have enough natural habitat to live in.
After my day at the sanctuary I am well-informed about the exploitation of wildlife here in Thailand and will never go for an elephant ride or pay a dancing bear or partake in any of the animal tricks designed for unknowing tourists.
There is a no touching policy here with the monkeys. However monkeys are curious by nature and if you’re too close to the walls like I am you’d better watch out for your things!
Craig from Friends of Wildlife Thailand
Having a shower
Texture of elephant skin, fascinating!
Love
kitchen fairy... 