1st day at Highland Farm

DAY 1.
The working day starts here at 7.30am but I am awake by 6, there is an amazing sunrise out my back window and I take advantage of the shower and coffee. At around 7 the noise begins, softly and slowly at first then gradually building until the whole area is filled with the morning song of the Gibbons.
We all meet at the food prep. area and start chopping. The food is prepared for the 45 Gibbons and 6 macaques that live here. There is a multitude of weird and wonderful vegetables and fruits and it is all lovingly washed and chopped. The Thai staff, there are 7, are all very friendly and we are taught to say the general hello (also goodbye), which is sawat dii, followed by khrap (it actually does sound like it is spelt!) if you are a man and kha if you’re a woman.
We follow them around and watch the Gibbons being fed. Then after a quick tidy up we go for breakfast out on Pharanee’s terrace. Pharanee was planning to show me around the land today but it is a day of public mourning in Thailand. The Kings sister died earlier this year and today is the day of her cremation. There has been a lot of preparation for this day and Pharanee is off to a local town to pay her respects. The Thai Royal family are held in the highest regard by everyone.
So, I spend the day walking around and introducing myself to the Gibbons and monkeys and taking photos of the huge spiders dotted around. I get an idea that I should go and cut a few bits of bamboo to make some enrichment for the enclosures. Gibbons are incredibly agile and move through the trees by brachiating, basically arm over arm. They have very long fingers and non-opposable thumbs to enable them to do this. Given a good space to do this they can reach speed of up to 35mph! They can then turn very easily as their wrists have ball and socket joints so can twist round 180 degrees. My plan is to make a big set of monkey bars for them. I also thought I would try and make some bamboo food puzzles for the monkeys, this helps to keep their minds active. So, having heard there was lots of bamboo growing on the land, I asked Stephanie to show me where they were. On the way she points out an area where a giant python lives then when we get to the bamboo there is loads so I run off and get a saw. When I get back I realize that there is a small but very yellow and black spider in its web between the bits I was going to cut down, I also spot what is either an ant or bees nest up in the bamboo! For once common sense prevails and I decide to leave it until tomorrow so maybe Pharanee can tell me what is actually dangerous or not. It is after all my first day, and it wouldn’t be very good if I was to be bitten by an unknown spider, chased by bees and run into a python on the way!
I spend the rest of the day unpacking, reading about the Gibbons of Khao Yai (a National park in Thailand) and chatting to Peter and Siebrecht.
Keri ;o)