The ECC is an awesome facility but not for the faint of heart. There’s something to make you scream on a daily basis especially at night when you’re getting ready for bed. The flutter of wings by your ears or seeing something out of the corner of your eye usually means something you don’t want to see. In fact not wearing glasses is advised. Keep in mind that the cabins are rustic and open (lots of places for critters to get in) and you don’t dare close the windows or you’ll sweat to death as there’s no AC or Fans! Thank god for mosquito nets.

So what are we dealing with?

- daily ant infestations. These are random - on shoes, bathing suits, backpack, railing of cabin. One minute there seems to be a gazillion of them, the next min they’re gone. Black ants luckily as red ones bite.
- giant flying cockroaches
- massive beetles and spiders
- scorpions - discovered one while cleaning the elephant hospital
- geckos and lizards - don’t mind these at all
- mosquitoes, millipedes
- snakes
- praying mantis (that was cool)
- super friendly butterflies - they have no qualms about landing on people
- lots of weird noises

Despite our daily episodes of  terror we’re surviving.

Our view from our cabin

Our cabin

Praying Mantis

Who knows what this is but it's huge!

Ok, back to the important stuff. What are we doing as volunteers? 

Anything the center needs. They seem understaffed here so every little bit helps. There are only 5 of us volunteering (incl 2 kids). At one point most of the main staff left on other excursions leaving only the biologist and her intern. We’ve helped with:
- making wooden planters
- planting trees
- watering gardens
- cleaning elephant hospital
- making new challenges for the elephants at enrichment centre, observing how they do and making changes to structures as necessary
All of this may seem easy but there’s a definite lack of proper tools and materials which makes everything harder and take longer (especially with the first 3 items on the list).

Volunteers with guide

We made these planters

Making new toys for enrichment area

Collecting and preparing food for elephants - enrichment

More toys

Cleaning the elephant hospital

Naiya's favourite elephant (Thong Khoun) getting treated for infection at the hospital, also a female getting a check up

N was great helping with as much as she was  physically able but with the intense heat there were times when we thought it best for her to just chill. Dips in the bath-like lake helped. Hoping to continue to lend assistance to the Center in some capacity when I return home. Since I first started writing this post we’ve said goodbye to the elephants and are headed to Luang Prabang for a few days.

I will miss the ECC center, knowledgeable staff and guides, mahouts, the amazing meals, the lime soda drink that they make so well, the sound of the elephants coming closer, trumpeting during play and the elephants themselves of course. What I won’t miss is the bugs and intense heat with no reprieve. N and M are pretty wiped too. One thing to note it’s supposed to be rainy season but it hasn’t rained much at all since we’ve been in Laos.

Naiya with Annabelle, the biologist

3 year old female and 8 year old male playing at the socialization area

mom, baby, boy and aunt at socialization area

Hanging out at the enrichment area

Yes, that's sweat

More Canadians!

Resource Centre

UPDATE: now that we're back in Canada, when I ask M and N what's your favourite part of the trip? They both say the time spent at the ECC. Volunteering and feeling like you're a part of something.