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Alex Iles's John James Award trip to Thailand
As I progressed through Colston’s 6th form, I had been debating whether to head straight into a university course or to spend a year travelling. After a lot of time to think and the whole UCAS process I decided it would be a better idea to start my university course straight away. However, I was determined to spend some of my summer doing something that I had a passion for and that would be a new experience for me. After looking into a few programs with different companies I found the perfect trip for me, 3 weeks in the jungle of Thailand at a wildlife rescue & rehabilitation centre for gibbons. The John James Award was what allowed me to turn this planned venture into a reality and undertake this unforgettable experience.
Leaving England on the 27th of July and after a long flight I arrived in Bangkok, still not quite sure what to expect. But as soon as the taxi pulled up to the centre some 3 hours drive from Bangkok in a remote area called Kao Look Chang, I knew I had made the right decision.
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Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre |
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Asiatic black bear |
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The front looked out onto a picturesque lake with numerous islands all housing families of gibbons looked after by the centre. I had another surprise when I was taken on a tour of the centre, not only did it care for gibbons, macaques and langurs; but a huge range of wildlife from Malayan sun and Asiatic black bears, Asian elephants, a tiger, leopard cats, wild pigs, loris and a unusual species called a binturong. The centre was much bigger than I imagined it to be, and as I wandered through getting my bearings animal calls surrounded me, and it was then that I realised what an opportunity the award had given me. My long day was completed with an introduction to the basic but habitable volunteer centre and the group of volunteers that I would be living with.
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Alex (standing right) with his fellow volunteers |
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I was awake and ready to go by 6.30 the next day in order to start work undertaking the daily routine of preparing the food, filling up the water and preparing enrichments, such as food wrapped in banana leaves or frozen into ice blocks, to be fed to the gibbons. The first few days were difficult, being in such a remote region with few similarities to home, lots of unfamiliar faces and long working days. But as this time passed those feelings vanished as I came to realise I was with a group of likeminded people, whose priority was to care for the animals in a location that couldn’t be beaten. The welcoming and friendly nature of the local mahouts and people from the village made my experience that much more enjoyable - the local shop even cooked the entire group of volunteers a meal.
As I became more accustomed to this way of life and settled into the long days I really began to fall in love with the centre. Walking out of my room to see 4 adult elephants being walked to the forest and to look out onto gibbons swinging from tree to tree, no matter how surreal, became routine. I was given varying jobs, which weren’t all pleasant, such as scrubbing out bear pools and cleaning out nocturnal enclosures, each an experience in their own. Then going from that to spending time playing with the centre’s newest members: 3 baby macaques and a baby langur, in a small enclosure for an afternoon. Another highlight was a chance on the last week to spend a day looking after the elephants, 4 adults and 2 calves, harvesting pineapples in the morning and washing the elephants in the afternoon.
Not to sound too clichéd, but for me this really was a once in a lifetime experience, a chance to get up close to animals, some of whom are rarely seen in the wild, and to understand more about their nature and the dangers they face in Thailand and around the world. An added bonus of the experience was making some fantastic new friends from all over the world who have enjoyed a wide variety of travelling experiences. This has given me a taste for travel and was a very rewarding experience, I would definitely encourage anyone considering a similar trip to pursue their interest and make the most of their summer or year off by taking the plunge and setting off on an adventure. Funding can be hard to find thus I would highly recommend applying for the John James Award. Who knows where you will end up?
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Tiger rescued from local garage where it was being used as a tourist attraction |
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I would like to thank the school, the Old Colstonians and the John James Foundation for allowing me to partake in this adventure.
Alex Iles
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