Lucky

Standing with Lucky the elephant, casually but still cautiously.

Fantastic day at the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre, with the NGO Wildlife Alliance. Their aims are to rescue wildlife from various illegal situations and either rehabilitate and release, or use for conservation awareness if they can't be released.

There is a fine line between gratuitous posing with wildlife like this and having close experiences with wildlife as a way to promote the way people connect with conservation. I think Wildlife Alliance treads this line well, through their use of ambassador animals like Lucky and the information they give out about the various other species at the Centre. I am positive that people who know very little about wildlife and conservation end the tour much more informed and inspired to conserve than they would otherwise be.