It is an obvious statement to say that the wildlife and creatures here in Thailand are different than the kind I’m used to seeing. It is certainly an exotic environment. However, it’s incredible how sightings of some creatures are so commonplace here. Although run-ins with certain animals feels normal now, there are others that haven’t lost their mystique and a few that will always ignite fear and/or awe.

Insects are easily the creatures I see most often. I’ve accepted that I have undoubtedly eaten many ants hidden within my meals, I don’t even flinch anymore when a cockroach scurries across the sidewalk, and I coexist with the spiders living in the corners of my ceiling(because they eat the ants and mosquitoes). It’s a different story in the wild though. While camping I was exploring this bamboo grove and up ahead next to the trail I noticed a sillouette, dark against a big banana leaf with the sun shining behind it. It was an enormous spider, bigger than my hand with long legs, about 10 feet ahead of me. I slowly inched forward planning on making as wide an ark as I could around this banana tree, but as I got closer it moved, as if it knew prey was approaching. Nope. I decided I’d seen enough of this bamboo grove. In contrast to the (perceived)malicious spider I see butterflies everywhere here. In the jungle, surrounding waterfalls, but also around towns. Butterflies of all sizes, flying solo or a whole swarm, brightly colored or camouflaged revealing a burst of color as they flap their wings. Their delicate beauty is inspiring each and every time they grace me with their presence.

The creatures that cause me the most discomfort are snakes. I joke that I will lose control of my body and go into flight mode if I see one. Most of the time my rational mind stays in control; I have seen a few small ones but they are either at a safe distance or heading away from me so I can keep myself from panicking despite my quickened heart rate. There was one fateful day while I was camping up in the mountains I had a scary encounter. I was on a mission to find this elusive waterfall and I was driving down this road behind a village I had seen on the map. It turned out to be an access road to a dam so it was not well maintained. I steered my motorbike down this road that was more like a sidewalk and covered in huge dead leaves, when I saw what looked like a large branch. As I drove past it I almost had a heart attack as I realized it was an enormous snake stretched across the side of the road! It was a thick, black monster that was easily 6 feet long(I looked it up later and it had to have been a king cobra). I was paralyzed. Every leaf and stick I saw now terrified me as I kept driving up this road. I reached the dam and was shaking knowing I had to drive back the same way. I had to convince myself it would be ok. It’s a snake. There’s no way it will be in the same place. I’m on a loud motorbike and I can just drive quickly past it. I can do this. So I began the drive, repeating those salutations to myself. As I neared the spot where I’d seen it, I realized it was still there and I held my breath but as I went by I also saw some flies buzzing around it and I let out my breath realizing it was dead. Dead or not, it was terrifying and humbling.

Apart from my glimpses of creatures in the wilderness I was able to have a much more intimate animal experience. I visited an Elephant Sanctuary outside of Chiang Mai. I avoided any tour that offered elephant riding because in order to train the elephants to do that they are horribly abused. The tour that I did rescues elephants from riding tours and includes three parts: feeding the elephants, playing in water and then a mud bath. It was truly remarkable being in the presence of such magnificent creatures. I had fun splashing and playing in the water with them and giving one a mud bath but feeding them was the part of the experience that will stay with me. Giving them the bananas was a way of earning their trust and it was apparent that they were surveying us as they reached out their trunk for the food or got their slobber all over our hands when we put it in their mouths. When I rubbed the front of their trunk and looked into the elephant’s eyes I was amazed at the intelligence and emotion I could see in them. Looking into the eye of this powerful animal and knowing it was looking right back into my eyes, I felt a connection distinct from any other animal relationship I’ve ever had. In that moment I felt a profound respect and admiration for the elephant and its presence in this world.

I love animals but more importantly, I respect them. Whether I see them living off of humans in the cities, within a structured environment designed and maintained by people trying to help them, or out in the wild, I am happy to share this world with them. I hope that we as a global community can remember that we are not alone on this planet and respect the creatures and their homes that share this world with us.

Chan would put his trunk under the water and then spray us all, with the trainer’s encouragement of course.

I liked to give them a massage which they told us to do.

Getting close to their faces and looking in their eyes was the most moving part