Lessons From The Wild

I have always wanted the chance to contribute (in my own small way) to conservation and animal welfare efforts. Therefore, when I came across GoEco I grasped at the opportunity with earnest! The project I chose was the Gibbon Primate Sanctuary project in Thailand and comprised of a week-long stay at a gibbon sanctuary. Knowing little about Thailand (or gibbons for that matter) I set out to research as much as I could before starting my journey, the first step of what was to become an awesome experience. 

Upon arriving at the sanctuary itself, I was pleasantly surprised at how quaint and lush it was. I was expecting rugged accommodation but the volunteer rooms rivaled that of hotels. Pharanee, the owner of this beautiful sanctuary, is probably the most caring person I have ever met and goes about the rough and tumble activities with the energy of a much younger person. I quickly learned that the food was going to be a delicious affair as she cooked authentic Thai dishes for us at every meal. 



Next came the actual duties we would be performing at the sanctuary. Every morning we prepared breakfast for the gibbons and monkeys. This involved cutting up a variety of tropical fruits into small bite-sized pieces, and mixing in a healthy handful of vegetables too. Breakfast was usually followed by cleaning around the various gibbon enclosures. Subsequently, we would repeat the same process for lunch and dinner.

The days seemed to past really fast once we got into the routine of everyday life at the farm. I found myself having a lot more free time that I expected to have (gibbons sleep very early in the evenings) which was nice. All this free time allowed us to explore the sanctuary itself and the surrounding town, which was a huge bonus to an already stunning experience. It did hurt a little when my trip had to end but I take comfort in the fact that I would always be able to go back and volunteer again!