During my time at WFFT I spent the first week spending time with the other wildlife. They had everything from monkeys to bears and even iguanas! Some of these animals I have never seen up close or even in real life! Every morning we had to chop fruit, give water, and clean enclosures. Honestly, most … Continue reading Wildlife Encounters on the SPC Thailand Study Abroad Program
This trip was anything except a normal study abroad trip… this was my first time out of the United States and even my first time on a plane! It definitely was a little bit of a headache getting to our final destination; between delayed flights and late night hotel bookings. I was totally out of … Continue reading My First Time on a Plane with St. Petersburg College Study Abroad!
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 … Continue reading SPC Students Watching Elephants in their Natural Habitat in Thailand!
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 … Continue reading St. Petersburg College Study Abroad: Opportunity of a Lifetime
At WFFT they made enrichments for the elephants that went out into the enclosures at the end of the day so that they would have something to do for fun when no one was interacting with them. The definition of enrichment is an animal husbandry principle that seeks to enhance the quality of captive animal … Continue reading Learning about Elephant Enrichments on SPC’s Vet Tech Study Abroad Program!
Studying abroad in Bonaire was the most memorable experience! Not only do you get to meet new people, try foreign foods and experience a new culture, you also receive college credit. During the course of my Study Abroad program to Bonaire our class was given the chance to scuba dive two to three times a … Continue reading Studying abroad in Bonaire with SPC: I would do it again in a heartbeat!
One of the fun activities we did during our trip to Thailand was feeding the elephants. As you can imagine, they eat a lot of food every day. In the morning we rinse off all the fruit that they will eat during the day. They eat a lot of bananas, watermelons, and pineapples. We fed … Continue reading Feeding the elephants in Thailand | SPC Study Abroad
In the afternoons when it was really hot (which was most of the time!) we experience bathing the elephants. After we fed them and walked them the mahoots would guide the elephants out of the enclosure for a bath. We had a tub filled with water and dumped chunks of fruit into it. The elephants … Continue reading Bathing the Elephants in Thailand
Different volunteers are assigned to different elephants every day. Different elephants reside in four different areas (e.g. Centre, Midlands, Newlands, and Elephant Hospital). Elephant husbandry is hard work so we are usually split into several groups of a team leader and a few volunteers. Husbandry tasks for each area differ a little, and the schedule … Continue reading Learning about Elephants on the SPC Thailand Study Abroad Program