Another exciting opportunity we got to do while at the Wildlife Friends Foundation of Thailand was to get a tour of the animal hospital that is fairly new to the sanctuary. Edwin who is the sanctuary owner was kind enough to give us the tour and he explained that how long it took him to build the hospital after a long time. When walking into the treatment which had very large doors and off to the left was a computer as well as a CBC and Chemistry machine.  The owner Edwin also brought out the tranquilizer gun and showed up close what it looks like and how it works. He also said that in the sanctuary the veterinary technician is the operator of the gun and the veterinarian is responsible for observing the animal after being sedated until it is safe enough to examine the animal. Edwin then began explaining the drugs they commonly use for sedating animals. He said they had tried other types of drug where sedation didn’t last as long. The best drug combination that they use is Xylazine, Ketamine, and Atropine and they had a very large surgery suite. But everything was so clean and no clutter.

Something interesting that we noticed was a grey board with holes on the top and bottom. We actually learned that they spay felines by sedating the animal and tying them upside down and perform the surgery. Apparently this is a common way of spaying animals in Europe and Asia. On the outside of the hospital they had holding areas for animals being treated. The hospital was actually hand raising an orphaned macaque and also other primate species. The facility also had several packs of dogs and they had kennels set up for any canines they were treating. Overall the hospital is great for what they are currently doing to treat their animals. The owner of the animal hospital stated that he was in the process of looking for a radiology machine. I was very impressed with the hospital and hope they continue to expand and bring new equipment and improve their quality of medicine.

Something that I knew I wanted to experience in Thailand was seeing elephants in their natural habitat. We were told that it was either hit or miss and with animals which are unpredictable we were hopeful that we could at least see one elephant. We started our adventure we got to see a monitor lizard and several Great hornbills which are a near threatened species of bird in Asia. It was quite an experience to be in the middle of the forest in Thailand and hearing all the wildlife and experiencing the fresh air.

Our first elephant sighting was a small family group and it’s amazing because to be such a large animal they are extremely quiet and are well camouflaged. We watched them for several minutes and then moved on. As we continued on the tour our guide explained that there were approximately over 200 elephants that called the National Park home. We also asked if they have any issues with poaching here and she said they do not which is great!

Towards the end of the trail we come up on another family group with several young elephants as well as a bull elephant which can be a dangerous situation so the rangers are on standby with rifles ONLY to shoot into the air to scare the animals away. We also were allowed to leave the vehicle within reason and could not view them for a long period of time just for their safety as well as ours.  Finally we reach the end of the trail and get out to look around at the beautiful scenery. Patience is key when dealing with animals and as a veterinary technician I totally can understand, so we wait for about half an hour and get the surprise of a lifetime. We got to hear 2 family groups trumpeting and rumbling in the distance that had just met for the first time.

Several weeks ago I got an opportunity of a lifetime to go over 9,000 miles away from home to experience something that some people will never get the opportunity to experience. As part of the Work Experience class at the St. Petersburg College Veterinary Technology program we were able to go to Thailand and work with an endangered species, the Asian elephant. WFFT or Wildlife Friends Foundation of Thailand which was about 3 hours from Bangkok is a facility that saves these endangered animals from being used in logging companies, being ridden for entertainment, and abuse. WTTF has just celebrated its 16th anniversary and was started by an ex dutch fashion designer that needed a change in his life and wanted to leave a legacy. The experience I had at this facility was probably one that I will never get to experience again. I will say that the days were not easy, with the extreme heat and humidity definitely made for a tough working environment but does not change the fact that is was an awesome experience. One particular elephant whose name is “Malai” and is in the pictures attached was walked in a large field right next door to her enclosure and it was so special because the Mahout (which is the elephant handler) would almost leave you and the elephant alone to make it a much more rewarding experience, it was almost like it was you and the elephant all alone and almost having this connection which sounds silly but it was truly amazing. I greatly enjoyed this trip even though it was hard work and for someone who wants to work with exotics just like this at some point of his career this has definitely helped me in furthering my experience and reaching a lifelong goal.

Click here to read other stories from the SPC Thailand Study Abroad program.