Liana Kruger-Moore - Thailand

This past summer, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to the Tha Yang district of Thailand and volunteer for three weeks with Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand. I spent one week each with the wildlife hospital, wildlife rescue center, and elephant refuge, and met other volunteers and employees from around the world. The foundation takes in, rehabilitates, and often releases wild animals that have been exploited for human use. They also take care of a colony of local dogs and cats and provide veterinary care for local village people’s pets.

My first week at the wildlife hospital was an insight into veterinary medicine that I had never seen before. The doctors and vet nurses were incredibly knowledgeable and capable, with the utmost respect for the wildlife and community animals they were caring for. I had the opportunity to assist in daily treatments for inpatients, anesthesia prep and monitoring for surgeries, and enclosure-side exams and procedures. The diversity of animals and the stories of where they came from were eye-opening to the realities of wildlife medicine in countries outside of the United States. I loved the work that the foundation was doing and the people who were so welcoming, funny, and insanely dedicated to spending their days helping the wildlife and local communities of Thailand.

During my weeks with the wildlife rescue center and the elephant refuge, my work was less veterinary-focused, but still very intense with long days of preparing and delivering food and enrichment across the center’s 800+ animals, collecting banana trees from local farms, and cleaning everything from bear swimming pools to elephant lakes to monkey water buckets. The ability to contribute directly to the wellbeing and care for these rescued animals, as well as the energy that came with 30 volunteers working together on a massive project were incredibly invigorating and reminded me of why I am passionate about wildlife medicine and conservation. 

Everyday at WFFT was both tiring and rewarding, making it evident the immense amount of work that everyone at the foundation puts into keeping these animals safe, happy, and healthy. I learned about the awful exploitation of many of Thailand’s native species and the importation or enslavement of animals for use in the tourism and agricultural industries. So many of the animals at the center were afraid of humans that looked like their abusers or were so traumatized or injured that they would never be able to live in the wild again. Yet the staff were some of the most positive and playful people I had ever met. They worked six days a week and often lived on-site, building their families and friend groups with others who found joy in helping these animals. Many of the people of Thailand are also Buddhist and believe in the connection and equality between humans and animals. Elephants in particular are sacred in Thailand, with the monks at the nearby temple performing ceremonies for elephant funerals and mahouts (elephant keepers) being trained for generations on the bond and care of elephants. 

The volunteers at the center were from all over the globe, with many from the United Kingdom and other European countries, but also some from South America and Asia. Talking to them and learning about their countries, as well as their countries’ views of the United States, was a truly amazing experience that made me reflect on just how vast and diverse the world is. Overall, I had an experience of a lifetime this summer and I hope to be able to return to WFFT one day and contribute more to their amazing work.