HOT Magazine Oct 15, 2015 | Page 39

HOT Magazine: Tell us about what you do. Edwin Wiek: I founded the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) in 2001 and have since built up an organization, which provides full-time care for almost 1200 wild animals, and has rescued over 5,000 wild animals since its inception over 14 years ago. We manage two wildlife rescue centers, one in Thailand and one in Laos with 115 staff members and 60 volunteers. Along with the direct care of wildlife we also run various other projects and wildlife protection campaigns. HOT Magazine: What led you to take on such an initiative? Edwin Wiek: In October 1999 I fell asleep behind the wheel of my care on my way back from a business meeting, I had almost ended my life there and then. After such a life changing experience I felt fortunate to have survived and realized my life was not as fulfilled as it should be. During the months after the accident I evaluated my life and my business (I was the director of a factory that produced fashion accessories here in Thailand) and decided I wanted something different. During this time a friend handed over a monkey to me that he had bought for his girlfriend and could not keep any longer. I tried to find a suitable home for the monkey but was not able to, finding a wildlife rescue facility in Thailand was almost impossible, and soon the idea of building a home for wild animals like this monkey started to become a target of mine. HOT Magazine: What is it that you like the most about your job? Moreover, in what do you find the gratification of October 15 - November 15 , 2015 39