Open wide

My main job today was Enrichment - this where the mahouts are encouraged to take their elephants to the top field where they are allowed to roam free and to give the elephants something extra to do we hide bunches of elephant grass in the field. This is training for when the Foundation has raised the £70,000 for a freedom fence - this is a steel fence that will go round the perimeter of the Foundation site enabling more freedom for the elephants especially at night because at present they have to chained to their night beds.
To encourage cooperation between the elephants they are encouraged to hold tails on their return.
Because we've been very good volunteers we have been given a long weekend so the bus leaves tomorrow morning at 4.00 am for Trincomalee - weekend on the beach.
On Sunday I will go straight from Trincomalee to Habarana this is the place where the Foundation have set up a scheme to help villagers live with the wild elephants - they are trying to encourage elephant corridors and if the village suffers damage the families are compensated and helped to rebuild their houses or replant the fields. We have to take turns in sleeping in a treehouse and having a warning system if any elephants approach. We also have to help on the land and teach in a village school. We also have to do regular patrols in a jeep. All our food is cooked by a local family and I'm told they really like their flavours - rice and fruit for me then.
So,unless there is wifi in our hotel in Trinco, this could be my last blog for a while and definitely when I'm living in the village. I'll keep notes and post them on my return.