A Week That Changes You
By Eden - 1 week intern
My time at Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary was transformative in every possible way. I had gone into the experience having no background in ecology, biology, or research. Having freshly graduated high school, I wanted an adventure that encompassed my love for animals and nature, social work, and my curiosity for the sciences. To say that coming to KSES did not fulfill these criteria would be a lie.
The first time encountering the elephants is a life-altering affair. To see these gentle giants in the wild, without the constraints of being held captive and forced to perform outlandish tricks to satisfy Western audiences is something unique. Rarely do tourists get to see something so natural and untouched, and here at the sanctuary not only do you get to see it, you get to work towards upholding and broadening it’s effects. Waking up early everyday can be tough, but knowing that you get the privilege of researching the elephants every morning is a motivation to get up. Hiking through the wild jungle to follow the elephants and track their behavior and associations made me feel excited each day, and was so different from anything I had done before.
The only way that we were able to explore in this way was largely due to the mahouts and the wonderful volunteers from the village that track and care for the elephants. I was worried that as a foreigner coming to a remote village across the world, I would stick out like a sore thumb and be reluctantly welcomed, but it was absolutely the opposite. The village, while limited in it’s resources, feels like an escape from anywhere else in modern society and has been so welcoming. The people are extremely kind and do their best to accommodate your needs, and they are genuinely interested in feeding and talking to you. Just walking around the village petting the dogs and admiring the surroundings feels invigorating, and everything is so picturesque. Even spending a short time here, you feel a connection to the Karen community and their beautiful culture.
Overall, my time here was so memorable and the community and environment was a truly distinct experience that has changed me for the better and given me some outlook onto a different way of living.
