An Experience of a Lifetime!

I was very lucky to find Animal Experience International and took a leap of faith and went to Thailand to work with Asian Elephants. This was easily one of the best experiences of my life. I volunteered for two months, and made a great number of friends and an incredible amount of life experience. The centre was huge! It was right in the forest by a big lake; the scenery was stunning. The staff were very friendly and helped with any concerns you had the best they could. My mother was very worried about safety while travelling, but it was VERY SAFE! AEI set up a driver to pick me up from the airport and drop me off right at the centre. The grounds that I stayed on was protected and always had precautionary security. Working with the animals was incredible. I got to bathe, walk, and feed the elephants, clean their enclosures, and collect the elephants' food in big banana fields. Some lucky volunteers even got to swim with the elephants! I also got to work with primates and bears. While you're there you learn a lot about the exploitation of these animals and how you, as an individual, can stop this type of cruelty. The centre is a sanctuary for animals who have been abused and exploited so they can live out the rest of their lives free from harm. These animals get huge enclosures and are treated with the upmost respect and tenderness. I am very glad I got to volunteer in Thailand with AEI and I will remember this experience for the rest of my life.