Saving Ourselves

One of the benefits or volunteering at an animal reserve or rehabilitation facility is that it is a two way street. Helping save wild creatures ultimately helps us save something very human in ourselves. Consider the experience of three women from snow bound New York state who traveled to Thailand to work at an elephant sanctuary.

Their volunteer work included feeding and bathing some of the 68 Asian elephants, and pitching in to complete manual labor around the 250-acre, volunteer-run park devoted to rescuing the endangered species from abusive industries.

Lek Chailert willed the Elephant Nature Park into existence. Her efforts have create a world class facility that has been recognized across the globe for its efforts.

The park has received numerous awards from institutions including the Smithsonian. The founder was named Asian Hero of the Year by Time magazine in 2005 and the park has been featured in many international publications including National Geographic magazine as well as feature documentaries from respected film production companies – Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Animal Planet, BBC, CNN, KTV, RAI, major Thai language TV channels, printed press and radio stations.

But, it's not the international acclaim that fuels the passion of the volunteers. It's the opportunity to make a small contribution to the rehabilitation of an abused wild creature

“It absolutely is a feel good thing. But it’s a feel good that makes you understand. What you are feeling good about isn’t just going up and touching an elephant and sitting on his back and riding down to the river, like the tourist businesses nearby are doing. Because that’s feel good too,” she explained.

“This is getting to know the animal and the people who take care of the animal in a way that you can’t experience otherwise. You get to see how they interact in the morning, you get to see what they eat in the morning, you see elephants coming in with injuries and learn about the horrible things that have happened to them, and you talk to the people who take care of them.”

One of the remarkable aspects of this type of volunteer work is that it not only drives an understanding of the animals, but it also helps the volunteer get an glimpse of the complex social interactions that must be navigated to achieve the sustainable community inter-relationships that can drive long term species stability.

“I left with an entirely different view of the whole elephant industry that uses the animals for labor. It‘s a way of life. That has to be dealt with as much as the abuse of the elephants. You can’t change the welfare of the elephants until you find a way to make life better for the people who use them for their livelihoods,” said Jessica.

Experiencing nature and wild creatures at a facility like the Elephant Nature Park changes a person. It rearranges priorities and help people approach life with different expectations.

“If families can start thinking about it in those terms. I mean, Disney World is wonderful, but maybe when you’ve been to Disney World, consider doing something different,” Jessica said. “I’m sure there are all sorts of opportunities on the Internet, nationally and internationally. You can do some sightseeing, you can experience a new culture, it doesn’t cost you much money, and your family has done something positive.”

Just Save One is about more than saving animals and habitats. It's about saving ourselves in the process.