From Classroom to Jungle

By Ajax - 4 week intern

When I first came here, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, all I knew was it was a 5-hour journey, so when I showed up and had to jump into the back of a pickup truck for the last bit of the journey, I knew this was going to be more fun than I thought. I feel very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to volunteer at this organization, which gave me valuable insight into what it’s like to be in the field as a researcher. I’m currently in school, and while it’s valuable to learn about what other people are doing and the theory behind it, until you go out and see the animals and do the work, it’s impossible to capture what makes the job so fascinating.  

My interactions with all elephants were cool. You always hear stories about researchers living in the wild for years with just one group of animals, and I never really understood it until now. Once you’re with the elephants long enough, you start seeing each one’s personality and interaction. It’s fascinating to see. I was only here for 4 weeks, yet I’m beginning to see the subtle behaviors in how they interact. I deeply value my time here, and everyone I interact with treats me respectfully and kindly.