Internship

Swing into conservation

Gibbon Conservation Internship in Thailand

Start your conservation career by gaining valuable insights into endangered gibbons.

Durations: 4 - 12 weeks
Fieldwork hours40 hrs of fieldwork per week
Participant ratio1:6 staff to participant ratio
GVI experiencesIncludes GVI Experiences
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Travel flexibility, because life happens! Modify your booking, even up to 48 hours before departure. T&Cs apply.

Program information

Travel to Thailand and spend your days tracking endangered gibbons in the mountains of Chiang Mai. You’ll be involved in recording and analysing valuable data on gibbons’ habitat use, group size and behaviour. On this program you also have the option to work on a unique research project, conduct wildlife research on plants, mammals and reptiles, or get involved in our elephant conservation program.

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Program overview

Live and work in the stunning mountain ranges and forests of Northern Thailand’s Chiang Mai region, where you’ll observe white-handed gibbons in their natural habitat and play a key role in their conservation. 

White-handed gibbons live high in the forest canopy and move swiftly across vast territories. Sharpen your observation skills as you track them through the dense foliage, capturing their sightings and sounds. You’ll play a key role in protecting these critically endangered gibbons by conducting surveys to gauge their numbers and distribution, recording their calls and behaviour to build detailed profiles, and using this data to map out their territories.

You’ll also assist with monitoring the forest’s health by documenting local reptiles and birds, and conducting elephant surveys. Hike through local forests and mountains to study semi-wild Asian elephants, gathering data on their behaviour and welfare to evaluate their overall health.

This program is a hands-off initiative, where you’ll observe gibbons and elephants from a distance, focusing on data collection, behaviour observation and territory triangulation.

Staying with traditional elephant-keeping families in a Karen village, you’ll not only experience the local culture but also contribute to community projects like teaching English at the local school. This internship is your gateway to making a real impact, gaining invaluable skills, and connecting with passionate conservationists – all while living in one of the most stunning environments imaginable.

Highlights

 

 

Support gibbon conservation
Support gibbon conservation
Assist with Lar gibbon surveys, including call and sighting analysis, territory triangulation and identification through morphology and spectrography.
Explore Huay Pakoot
Explore Huay Pakoot
Experience the unique Karen culture and lush mountains of this beautiful region of Northern Thailand while observing elephants in their natural habitat.
Get hands-on experience
Get hands-on experience
Get broad exposure to a variety of conservation fieldwork projects and training opportunities to grow your skills.
Contribute to vital research
Contribute to vital research
Support a team of scientists and academics with ongoing, cutting-edge research that gets published and makes an impact.
Work for real partners
Work for real partners
Work on a real project for a conservation partner to address critical environmental issues in the area.
Stand out from the crowd
Stand out from the crowd
Participate in practical training sessions to develop your leadership skills and receive guidance from experienced mentors.
Advance your career
Advance your career
Gain international experience, receive four recognised qualifications and get a LinkedIn reference to boost your CV.
Live in remote habitats
Live in remote habitats
Travel off the beaten track to live and work on a research station in the wild. Get exclusive access to protected species and unique ecosystems.

Is this program for me?

This internship is specifically useful for someone who has or is actively studying the below subject areas at school, university or college, or has an interest in these subject areas.

  • Ecology
  • Population biology
  • Epidemiology
  • Biology
  • Environmental science
  • Wildlife management
  • Zoology
  • Animal husbandry
  • Botany
  • Ecology and evolution
  • Geology
  • Wildlife biology and conservation
  • Human ecology
  • Livelihood and development
  • Conservation biology
  • Social sciences
  • Ethnography
  • Biodiversity, conservation and management
  • Development studies

Activities

Some of the example typical activities you could participate in on this program.

 

Fieldwork training
Fieldwork training
Learn how to identify species, conduct surveys and population assessments, and assess threats to terrestrial ecosystems and ecosystem-level processes.
Lead conservation surveys
Lead conservation surveys
Hike through forests to protect white-handed gibbons. Conduct surveys to assess their density and distribution, and collect data on other species.
Gibbon monitoring
Gibbon monitoring
Track and monitor white-handed gibbons through dense rainforest habitat. Record sight and song surveys to create a record of vocalisation patterns.
Elephant surveys
Elephant surveys
Study semi-wild Asian elephants in local mountains. Collect and assess behavioural data to create a detailed record of the elephants’ health.
Project work
Project work
Enter data into citizen science databases, lead education workshops on environmental topics, teach English classes to the wider community.
Leadership training
Leadership training
Learn how to plan and set team goals, create supportive team environments, and reflect on your own leadership style.
Leadership responsibilities
Leadership responsibilities
Additional tasks like data entry, report writing, species list updates, and fieldwork checklist maintenance, as well as assisting with homestay orientation for new participants.
Personal project
Personal project
Work on an individual project that aligns with your personal interests.
Mentorship
Mentorship
Meet weekly in a small group with other interns and an experienced mentor to receive project guidance and feedback on your leadership style.

Skills

  • Data collection
  • Data entry
  • Population ecology
  • Species identification
  • Survey research
  • Wildlife conservation

Partners

Some of the partners we work with on base.

Huay Pakoot Elephant Community Foundation
Local High School
Karen Hill Tribe Community
iNaturalist
eBird

Program details

 
Included in your program, at no extra cost.

Make the most of our unique programs with these exclusively curated local adventure and wellness experiences.

Offered once a month, expand your adventure with GVI Experiences. These are just some of the activities offered on your program!
Learn traditional Karen cooking
Learn traditional Karen cooking
Connect with the Karen people's culture
Connect with the Karen people's culture
Forage for forest medicine with a village elder
Forage for forest medicine with a village elder
Visit Thailand's highest peak
Visit Thailand's highest peak
Explore Thailand's elegant and mysterious waterfalls
Explore Thailand's elegant and mysterious waterfalls
See amazing biodiversity on a night trek
See amazing biodiversity on a night trek
Take a sunrise hike up Two Tree Hill
Take a sunrise hike up Two Tree Hill
Sleep under the stars alongside Asian elephants
Sleep under the stars alongside Asian elephants
Connect with our alumni
Want to connect with some of our past participants about their adventures? Get in touch with hundreds of friendly ambassadors all over the world who would be more than happy to answer any questions.
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