The Thailand Study Abroad scholarship that I received from SPC was the best gift I could ask for. I work two jobs in a clinic and I am a bartender and even with these jobs I would not have been able to make my dream to work with elephants possible. I go from job to … Continue reading Thank you SPC for making my dream come true thanks to the Thailand Study Abroad scholarship
As a student who had never done a study abroad program before, but always wanted to, St Petersburg College really came through for me when I was awarded a study abroad scholarship. The scholarship helped fund my trip to Thailand to work with elephants at a wild life sanctuary. It was a trip that I … Continue reading Receiving an SPC Study Abroad Scholarship Allowed Me to Study Abroad
The first week I was volunteering in Thailand I was lucky enough to volunteer with the wildlife group; this includes, but is not limited to, gibbons, bears, otters, deer, hogs, iguanas, and many others that my brain cant comprehend. There were so many to take care of that there were roughly 30-40 volunteers just feeding … Continue reading Feeding and Observing the Adorable Bears in Thailand
I thought it would be nice to touch on some of the domestic animals experiences that I had while in Thailand. Let me preface by saying that, as a predominantly Buddhist country, Thailand’s view of animal care is much different from ours, as a whole. As expected, Thai people have a strong respect for animals. … Continue reading SPC Study Abroad Students Building Bonds with the Domestic Animals of WFFT
One of my favorite tasks I did while in Thailand was walking elephants. Only certain elephants got to have walks periodically throughout the day. I was lucky enough to walk 2 of those elephants in one day! We would prepare for our walks by chopping up a variety of fruits such as pineapple, watermelon, and … Continue reading Walking elephants on my SPC Study Abroad experience
Feeding these gentle giants was quite the different experience. We started off our work days by making their food (banana balls) and feeding them. Banana balls are just 3 simple ingredients: bananas, bran, and food pellets. We would mash these ingredients together with our hands and make jokes with each other while doing so. Then, … Continue reading My experience feeding gentle giants in Thailand on my SPC Study Abroad program
My second week at Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand was with the elephants and it really was fantastic. I’m mostly going to talk about my time at “the hospital” because these elephants were the first elephants I worked with and I really loved working with them. Chokdee and Malai Ngun live at the hospital and they … Continue reading Working with Elephants at the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand
The 2 weeks total I spent at WFFT was beyond an experience, it allowed me to explore things that not very many people can say they experienced. Hearing how all the animals arrived here and what their background was and because of those experiences it either made them a better animal or in some cases may have broken … Continue reading SPC Vet Tech Students Study Abroad at WFFT in Thailand
My first week at WFFT was spent with the wildlife portion of the rescue. The wildlife had a few different sections that could be assigned, there was primates 1 & 2, bears 1 & 2, other wildlife, nocturnal, and quarantine. I spent my week 2 days in other wildlife, 1 day in primates 2, … Continue reading Gaining Experience in Working with The Wildlife in Thailand
Photo above: Seriously, this is how planes look to me… You know, the interesting thing about travelling to another country is that you are forcing yourself to go head-first into something completely unknown to you. You don’t know the language, the city, or the customs or standards of culture beyond what you may have learned … Continue reading Fear of Planes And How You Should Do The Scary Thing, Anyway