Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand

On Saturday, we had the choice of paying an additional fee to see more temples with our group or to have the day free. We took the day to ourselves and set out on a journey to visit a wildlife rehabilitation center.  On Sunday our tour group was set to participate in an optional tour that went to ride elephants and see a show. After doing a little research and reading some reviews from past travelers, I got the hint that the elephant experience selected by the tour group wasn't a very ethical practice. Val and I decided to opt out on that trip and visit the rescue organization instead.


Our day started off by being picked up at our hotel by a cab for a 3 hour car ride. We stopped for gas on highway 35 next to Thailand's salt farms. It looks a bit like how rice is grown. From what I understand, the process works by pooling salt water into contained areas and letting the water evaporate. The salt left behind is then accessible to be collected and sent to be processed.

At our stop I got some freshly cut up mango from a fruit stand and a green iced tea from the gas station stop. I was set for the next two hours of the ride.

Upon arriving at WFFT, Val and I noted how out in the middle of nowhere this place was. I later found out it was because the organization owns most of the land around it. Their property is huge!

It was about 10 am when our volunteer guide Sabre from Saskatchewan met us at our taxi. She was very kind and knowledgeable during our tour. If I remember correctly, she had been there volunteering since September.

We started the day by walking through the grounds. The organization houses many animals of different species. Their main goal is rehabilitation and release, but that isn't always possible for every resident. Animals with disabling medical conditions and/or animals who have lost their instinct for wild survival are not fit for release.

For the most part they are completely hands off because human contact does not aid in the animal's regaining of natural instinct. They have many gibbons which are native to the area and are often able to be released. The way they sing is unbelievable!

The primates were stunning and very smart. As Sabre told us, they have very long strong arms and will love nothing more than to grab your sunglasses and camera so don't get to close!

Along with the primates, the center housed iguanas, otters, crocodiles, parrots, elephants, and many sun bears. Thailand has a big problem with people taking in baby exotic animals for pets and then realizing they aren't as cute (and quiet possibly very dangerous) as adults. WFFT has no confiscation power and is not government funded. Their animals come mostly from individuals looking for a new place of care for their animal.


The site as two veterinary facilities. While the center is mostly run by volunteers, there are two employed vets and one vet nurse that live on site. They have their main clinic and are currently in the process of building a special clinic sized just for elephants.

 After lunch we got to assist in taking an elephant for their daily walk following a cool down bath afterwards. Walking an elephant can be done by taking 20 steps and then giving them a piece of fruit. Repeat.  Spending time with Jelly was an experience I'll never forget. What a special soul I got to spend some time with that day. Her presence was humbling.














Elephants unfortunately cannot often be released back into the wild. If they've been reared by humans their entire lives they do not have the skills to be sent back to their roots. Often, elephants given to the WFFT from the tourist attractions suffer from medical ailments that would make them unsuitable candidates as well. While the facility operates with mostly a hands off policy, they make some special circumstance for a few of their elephants.

 According to Thai law, elephants must be purchased and not given as a gift, donation, or rescue. They buy their elephants from people who run elephant rides, circuses, and other forms of animal entertainment. The center pays roughly $10,000 USD per elephant. They do not pay more for them if the price is raised because they fear a higher pay to the owner will give them the funds to purchase a different and younger elephant.  Personally, I think there are ethical animal caregivers all over the world who work with their animals in entertainment. The issue though is that while they very likely do exist, their unethical counterparts overshadow their work. WFFT does a nice job taking care of the animals not lucky enough to have an ethical and natural life from the beginning.

This experience is incapable of matching. I'm out of words to tell you how joyous it was to spend the day with these beautiful creatures. I could sit and watch them for days.

We didn't need to ride them or watch them do tricks to appreciate them. I'm so thankful we did our research before visiting elephants in Thailand. I'm also extremely grateful that we were able to find WFFT to fill a day of our trip.

In my humble opinion, WFFT has some wonderful strengths, but some weaknesses as well. They do a great job and have a wonderful rehabilitation and release program. I love that their workers are almost all volunteers. That means they are there because they care and they have a passion to fulfill. On the other hand, being a volunteer doesn't mean that the person is trained extensively in animal behavior or medicine. While they  may take direction and training from educated staff members, I wonder if the care of the animals would be any different if the center was run completely by educated and paid experts. This is how almost all rescue organizations operate, though and that is totally okay. While I understand that those who work with WFFT find all exotic animals ownership wrong and inhumane, I am inspired to do some research about the laws regarding animal ownership in Thailand. Obviously something can be the wrong thing to do, but still not be illegal.

The staff and volunteers are so passionate and dedicated. Their determination is lovely to observe. Thank you Sabre for being a wonderful guide!






Don't get me wrong, I really loved my experience with WFFT and I wouldn't change a thing. They're a great organization and I'm glad my money went to them. If you want to read more about them or learn how to volunteer, check out their website.
http://www.wfft.org/about-wfft/

-Michelle