More Than Just a Dissertation: My Month at Kindred Spirit
By Sadie - 4 week intern
I came to Kindred Spirit with a very clear purpose: to spend a month collecting data for my university dissertation. What I didn’t expect was to leave with so much more than just research data.
My time in this remote Karen village has been incredibly rewarding in so many ways. Living and working alongside the amazing team and local Karen people has taught me so much, both about the incredible insects you find on the hike and about the community itself.
From joining in with teaching English to the Karen children, to enjoying delicious homemade food and meeting so many wonderful people along the way, every day has brought something new.
Of course, the hikes have been a huge part of my time here too. Whether it was the beautiful surroundings, the wildlife we encountered, or simply the conversations along the way, they always left me smiling. Sometimes from laughing at the stories and conversations with like-minded people, and sometimes from literally falling over!
But back to the dissertation...
The main reason I came to Kindred Spirit was to carry out research on distal trunk wrapping in Asian elephants while foraging for food.
Elephants have a preference for wrapping the tip of their trunk either to the left or to the right when picking up food. This preference is known as trunk laterality, and although similar research has been carried out on Asian elephants in zoos, research on this behaviour in a more natural setting is very limited. This means that the data I have been able to collect here could contribute something genuinely new to our understanding of Asian elephant behaviour.
Being able to observe these behaviours first-hand and collect this data has been incredibly rewarding. There is something very special about being able to connect the work you have spent months studying at university with real animals in the field.
None of this would have been possible without the incredible team at Kindred Spirit. The staff work tirelessly to keep the sanctuary running and have gone above and beyond to help make my research possible.
From helping organise observations to sharing their knowledge and experience, I am incredibly grateful for everything they have done.
I arrived at Kindred Spirit expecting a month focused on my dissertation. I’m leaving with research that I hope will contribute to our understanding of Asian elephants, but also with new experiences, new friendships, plenty of memories, and a much deeper appreciation for the people and wildlife that make this place so special.
I came here to collect data, but I’m leaving with so much more.
