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Everybody has a story: Volunteering at Elephant Nature Park in Thailand brings joy, peace

By Jennifer Vergara Selga, Father Blanchet Park
Published: May 24, 2017, 6:05am
4 Photos
Jennifer Selga washes an elephant at Elephant Nature Park in Thailand.
Jennifer Selga washes an elephant at Elephant Nature Park in Thailand. (Contributed by Jennifer Vergara Selga) Photo Gallery

As Angelica Valencia and I walked into the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand, to volunteer, I could not help but notice peacefulness about the place. After all, this park is where the long and labored life of working elephants comes to twilight. Water buffaloes, dogs and cats also call this home. They have been rescued from puppy mills and food markets.

Here the chains that hold elephants and other animals captive have been removed and replaced by open arms from people around the world. This place is vastly different from the world we come from in Washington.

Back home in Vancouver, Angelica and I work at Coffee Lounge inside Clark College (I’m the owner). Angelica had just finished her last class to earn her associate degree in arts, and we had been planning and saving up for this trip for a year. This was my third pilgrimage there, and each time I came, I left with a stronger sense of commitment toward animal welfare. I have always been an animal rights activist, but I had never volunteered in another country.

The first time I volunteered at the Elephant Nature Park in 2011, I did not know I was pregnant with my son, Keetan Selga. It was an eye-opening experience for me. I had never before seen so many rescued animals in one place. For the volunteers, the sanctuary provided the most rudimentary accommodations: a room with a fan, mosquito net and shared bathrooms.

When Keetan turned 3, in 2015, I took him to the sanctuary. I remember him walking with these gentle giants. He enjoyed feeding the elephants bananas. It was amazing to see the sanctuary through his eyes. He pointed out so many things and relationships that I previously did not notice.

Melons and pumpkins

Angelica and I volunteered at the sanctuary for abused and neglected animals from March 26 through April 2 of this year. We shoveled the elephants’ poop, loaded it into a trailer and put it in a pile to be transformed into fertilizer. Though this task is not so exciting, it is necessary to keep the sanctuary clean.

Among other things that we did was washing and cleaning the elephants’ food. We washed freshly picked watermelons and pumpkins because they were muddy. We also worked on the farm, harvesting corn for the animals.

In the afternoon, when it got really hot, the Mahouts (elephant keepers) would walk the elephants down to the river where we volunteers would splash them with water and let them play in the mud. Angelica and I spent a great deal of time playing with and walking the dogs, too. There are over 500 dogs, so the job is never done.

At the end of each afternoon we were physically drained, but happy. Our backs and feet hurt from the work, but there was no other place we would rather be. Volunteering was by no means a glamorous endeavor, but it was rewarding.

Nighttime at the sanctuary gave me serenity. The air was filled with conversation, song and laughter. Seventy people from around the globe were gathered for the week to help save the animals. I looked around and saw volunteers on their devices, sharing information and teaching. Our army of 70 was growing. I smiled ear to ear, and my heart warmed with hope.

Friends and family wonder why I do this volunteer work. As a mother of a young child, I wish for all creatures of God to experience love and compassion. To be passionate about something is to live a life full of joy and peace.


Got a story to tell? We’d like to read it — and so would your neighbors. Send true, original stories — 1,000 words maximum — and relevant photographs to neighbors@columbian.com or to Everybody has a Story, P.O. Box 180, Vancouver WA 98666.

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