Applications are open for Summer 2023!

Spend a whole month in tropical Thailand working with dogs, elephants and marine life in this special 4-week program.

Combine two of our popular programs to spend a full month exploring Thailand from the rain forests in the North to the coral reefs in the South. For one half of the program, you’ll join expert conservationists studying and protecting these delicate ecosystems and enjoy the elephants, sharks, sea turtles, and more that call them home.

The other half of the program puts you alongside a veterinarian whose job is to teach you so you can learn and practice new skills while helping animals in need. Work in a dog shelter or a dog clinic and learn clinical skills including blood draws, suturing, skin scrapes, and assisting in spay and neuter surgeries. Spend one week living at an elephant sanctuary learning about and caring for rescued elephants. Evenings and weekends are filled with fun activities such as zip-lining and exploring street markets.


Who It’s For

This program is designed for university-aged students who are interested in becoming veterinarians or working professionally with animals. Participants must be at least 18 years old. Most are 18 to 25, but we also accept full-time undergraduates over 25.

There are no pre-requisites for this program. You do not need to be in school currently to apply. Individuals of any nationality may apply.

Applicants should be comfortable working with animals and getting their hands, and everything else, dirty. You must be able to swim and be physically fit enough for outdoor activities such as hiking and SCUBA diving. This program can accommodate a maximum of 12 participants per session. Courses and excursions in Koh Tao will be led by the researchers and staff at the New Heaven Reef Conservation Program.

Highlights

• Study and care for rescued elephants
• Assist in dog neuter surgeries
• Learn and practice small animal clinical skills
• Discover what it’s like to be a vet in the tropics
• Get SCUBA certified and learn conservation diving
• Visit an elephant sanctuary
• Learn to identify marine invertebrates, tropical fish, and understand reef health
• Stay overnight in forest villages to understand their livelihoods and connections to forest ecosystems
• Zipline through the jungle

Some of the topics explored during this program are:

• Coral reef ecology and reef organisms from invertebrates to fish, reptiles, and mammals
• History and conservation of Asian Elephants• Sea turtles and blacktip reef sharks
• How local communities traditionally use forests and reefs
• Preserving ecosystems while helping local people
• Tropical forest ecology
• Deforestation and accelerated forest recovery
• Climate change and its effects on all ecosystems

Dates open for applications

Summer 2023
May 27- June 25, 2023

These program sessions are covered by Loop Abroad’s COVID-19 100% Tuition Refund Policy. If a program is canceled by Loop Abroad due to COVID-19, we will refund 100% of any program tuition you have paid (including the deposit).