In January, my friend and I were picked up from Bangkok Airport by the project coordinators in Sing Buri. We booked one orientation week and two weeks at the Gibbon Primate Sanctuary project through GoEco. The first week we got to meet other volunteers while also getting familiar with Thailand. We definitely made friends for life and I believe everybody learned a lot about themselves and other cultures.
During the project, I lived in the sanctuary. The experience taught me so much, and I am very grateful for that. I volunteered under the owner, who is amazing. First of all, she takes very good care of the gibbons. Second, she is a very passionate and loving person and I owe her all my respect. The way she cares about the volunteers and workers is one thing, but her passion for the animals is amazing.
The sanctuary has 66 gibbons, 20 macaque monkey, 2 jackals and 1 bear, which all have had an unlucky fate before coming to the sanctuary. Besides that, the sanctuary also has dogs, cats and many birds. The work could sometimes be hard getting up early, preparing food for the animals, and sweeping under and between the cages, but is was worth it all.
What I enjoyed the most was seeing the excitement and pleasure the gibbons felt whenever the owner came to say hello to them. They sure love her. After two weeks of volunteering in Thailand, I know that I made a difference and that feeling of being a part of the gibbons’ happiness is something I couldn’t be without.
