Elephantology

Day 1-3

Exploration: foundations of elephant care

Follow ECC's standard Exploration programme from Luang Prabang: guided walks, talks, hospital visits, nursery observations and Socialisation Area sessions that ground you in ECC's ethics, elephant behaviour, positive-reinforcement training and herd life in natural forest.

You also prepare social media storytelling content as part of your assignment. Evenings bring briefings, dinner and optional kayaking, sunset viewing or yoga. The third afternoon ends with your first lecture on ECC's research framework.

Overnight: Shared dormitory, or the accommodation of your choice

Day 4

Ethology basics & veterinary insight

Start the science with in-field behavioural data collection at the Socialisation Area, using ethograms to record social dynamics between female elephants.

In the afternoon, attend an elephant health check-up with ECC veterinarians at the hospital, then observe medical assessment protocols at the Elephant Bath Area.

Day 5

Male herd behaviour & individual identification

Return to the Socialisation Area to record behaviour, this time focusing on the male elephants – dominance hierarchies, social dynamics and stress responses.

In the afternoon, a practical session on individual identification by morphological markers, the same method the research team uses daily. Build individual ID sheets and begin to recognise each elephant by name.

Day 6

Veterinary procedures & endocrine science

Morning at the hospital: medical target training, foot-care demonstration and practice, and a guided session on drug administration techniques used with elephants.

After lunch, the Endocrine Lab shows how hormonal monitoring informs real conservation decisions – one of the most scientifically intensive days of the week.

Day 7

Sharing your findings & departure

An optional last forest trek to meet the elephants in their morning environment. Late morning, prepare and share photos, reels or short posts summarising your experience with the ECC team.

After lunch, transfer back to Luang Prabang, with practical field skills and a clearer sense of what it takes to protect a species.