by Kabir Kukathas I really love animals, especially elephants. I have loved them since I was less than a year old. I enjoy reading about animals, going to places where I can see them, drawing and painting pictures of them, and watching documentaries about them. I visited a sloth sanctuary when we traveled to Costa Rica two years ago.
When we were in Costa Rica, we also saw basilisk lizards, Jesus Christ lizards, jaguarundis, capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, capybaras, coatis, and Costa Rican boars. We got up really early one morning and went for a long hike in the mountains to see toucans. Here is a picture of me with a lizard (I’m not sure what kind) that was just hanging out at the hotel pool.
Kabir with gibbon Last year I was in the Roots and Shoots Club at my school here in Vietnam. We did lots of activities and raised money for Endangered Asian Species Trust (EAST). I did a slide show on elephants and helped to organize a movie night. My dad and I visited the rescue and rehabilitation center for Wildlife At Risk (W.A.R.) that is a few hours’ drive away from Ho Chi Minh City. That’s me holding hands with a gibbon. Unfortunately, most of the animals there are in cages. But W.A.R. and E.A.S.T. are some of the few organizations in Vietnam trying to protect animals. They have a lot of different animal sanctuaries. They have a moon bear sanctuary at Cat Tien National Park. I went there with my class in March. I kept a journal about my visit to Cat Tien. It has drawings of some of the animals.
I am so happy because this Christmas I am going to Chiang Mai, Thailand, to see elephants. I will visit three different sanctuaries and I also get to go to Patara Elephant Farm, which is a place where you can hang out with rescued elephants all day long. You feed them and play in the water with them. Although I really miss Seattle and all my friends there, the best part
of moving to Vietnam is that I can go to places where I can see animals. I even get to see cool things like blue headed lizards and frogs in our yard. Last week we had three different types of frogs and a toad in our house.
of moving to Vietnam is that I can go to places where I can see animals. I even get to see cool things like blue headed lizards and frogs in our yard. Last week we had three different types of frogs and a toad in our house.
drawing by Kabir Kukathas
When I grow up I am going to be an artist and an animal conservationist. My dream is to go to Kenya and see wild African elephants. My mom and I are saving up to go there. Right now I’m also writing a graphic novel called Zoa. It’s about a young elephant named Eton who has to go on a quest to save the land of Zoa (which is Latin for animals) from being covered in darkness by his grandfather, who is being used by humans. I also like doing stop motion videos. I have a YouTube channel called LegoElephantStudios.
RSS Feed
