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.