Hudson Valley Elephant Volunteer Starts GoFundMe Page

BREWSTER, NY — Sara Larca is raising money for elephants. Specifically, her GoFundMepage is collecting funds to support a non-profit research group at the Knysna Elephant Park in South Africa, where she spent four weeks volunteering this spring.

A photographer, crafter, bartender and waitress, the Brewster 39-year-old spends as much time as she can traveling around the world. On one of her trips she read a book called "The Elephant Whisperer" and it inspired her to venture down to Africa to check off one of her bucket list adventures, Larca told Patch.

"Elephants are graceful and powerful and wise in ways we can never understand. They are one of the oldest mammals on the planet," she said. "I have always felt a connection to them...They communicate with each other in so many different ways, in ways we can't even document. They play in the rain and stand together in tragedy."

First she researched volunteer programs, and found AERU. The non-profit is the first research unit devoted to optimizing the welfare of captive elephants.

ERU's research includes recording biological, anatomical, veterinary, physiological, behavioral and dietary data for each of the 10 elephants at the park. AERU researchers and volunteers collect this data to establish good practice welfare policies for all elephants living in sanctuaries, parks and zoos.

Larca and a friend spent a month as volunteers.

"After a week or so they began to recognize us and would come up to us and touch us with their trunks and it was the most incredible feeling," Larca said. "Every moment I spent there was an out of this world experience. And the AERU family and group of volunteers I was with was also amazing."

Their work inspired the GoFundMe page. Donations will go to a much-needed upgrade to AERU's onsite laboratory.

"In this day and age poachers are a huge problem and the threat of extinction is high, which is why so many elephants are in captivity now, and I needed to do something to help," she said.

PHOTOS by Sara Larca

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