At a fork in the road, our guide points to the right. "That's the main road there," he says. "We'll go on this smaller road, deep into the jungle." A glance to the left reveals a narrow, unpaved track, which he tells us is used primarily by logging trucks. It's the dry season in Myanmar, and dead leaves hang like bats above us. The truck's idling motor blends with the cacophony of insects. Beasts of burden. Photos: Jennifer Hile. I'm sitting next to one of Asia's most dedicated elephant conservationists, Sangduan "Lek" Chailert. In 1995, Lek sold her home and …
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Jennifer Hile is a freelance documentary filmmaker and writer living in Manhattan. Her National Geographic documentary on Lek Chailert's work, Vanishing Giants, was nominated for an Emmy in 2003.

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