Kids in online classes can now join a video call with elephants and scientific experts in northern Thailand.
Redefining the term “trunk call,” Thailand’s Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort has introduced complimentary field trips for schoolchildren learning from home while in lockdown. The new initiative builds on the success of twice-daily livestreams done by the resort in tandem with the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation (GTAEF), through which Internet users can admire rescued elephants walking in the jungle and taking a mud bath in the Ruak River. These showcases have garnered more than 5 million views since the start of the pandemic.
The latest livestreamed experience recalls the resort’s signature Walking with Giants experience, and callers will be able to see three-ton Asian elephants roaming the jungled surroundings of the property, located where the borders of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet. The pachyderms will be accompanied by the mahouts and either a GTAEF veterinarian or biologist, from whom viewers can learn insights about the behavior of these majestic animals. Children will also have the chance to observe the elephants’ social interaction in their native habitat, and each virtual field trip is customized to meet the needs and curriculum of the students.
John Roberts, Group Director of Sustainability & Conservation at Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, said in a statement, “Whilst this entertaining and educational experience is a temporary virtual substitute for educational institutions’ learning through exposure to nature and nature-based activities, it is the escapism and the enthusiasm that it affords young minds — some often trapped in challenging and confusing circumstances — that make it all worthwhile.”
The Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation can organize these video calls as a complimentary experience for online school classes held during Thailand daylight hours. For more information or to reserve a spot on a live virtual field trip, get in touch by emailing jroberts@anantara.com or by calling 66-53/784-084.
Source: https://www.destinasian.com/blog/news-briefs/anantara-golden-triangle-now-offers-virtual-field-trips