Animal watch
Life on the wild side in Kui Buri is a nice weekend diversion
Watching wild elephants roam unrestricted in their natural jungle habitat is what attracts thousands of visitors every year to Kui Buri National Park, about an hour's drive south of Hua Hin town, Prachuap Khiri Khan.
A group of wild elephants in Kui Buri National Park, Prachuap Khiri Khan. — Photos by Arthur Jones Dionio
And it isn't just elephants, there are other forms of wildlife there worth watching, making every visit a great learning experience. But park chief Chumphon Kaewket has a word of caution for them: "Never go about watching wildlife on your own, but always in the company of officers trained specifically for the purpose to ensure your safety."
As such, every day there is a tour taking visitors around the park and, if lucky, they may spot the odd gaur or other animals and birds. But even without those sightings the tour, that runs from 3-6pm, is pleasant enough, engaging and quite informative.
Oriental pied hornbill
According to park officer Pairoj Inpanachitjui, the latest census revealed there are some 230 elephants in the wilds of Kui Buri which covers an area of 969 square kilometres or 605,625 rai, and straddles Kaeng Krachan National Park to its north and Tanao Si mountain range, which forms a natural border between Burma and Thailand, to the west.
Thirty per cent of Kui Buri's forest cover is formed by deciduous trees, 40% is dry evergreen forest and the rest topical rain forest. The forest is also the origin of Kui Buri River which has spawned at least four waterfalls in the park. Inhabitants of the wilds include tigers, black bear and gaur.
Gaur count in the park is estimated at 100.
"In 2009, we improved their food sources. We chopped down weeds such as bitter bush and wild sage and cleared out some land for grass to grow in their place so the animal could feed. After that we frequently saw gaurs showing up at the spot that is blessed with salt lick and a natural pond," Pairoj said. From time to time visitors can spot them from a viewing point located on the side of a nearby hill.
The bulls always roam in groups and sometimes banteng _ the wild cow with chestnut coat _ also join them, the proof being pictures taken by camera traps in June last year. And last December, an other camera trap captured a male banteng on film.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has estimated there are 50 banteng living in protected areas in Thailand and about 8,000 worldwide. Their number has kept declining in recent years, prompting the IUCN to upgrade the species' status from "threatened" to "endangered".
Since the forest in Kui Buri is still in pristine state, the camera traps have revealed other forms of wildlife that live in its midst. "We also found as serow, barking deer, Malayan tapir and marbled cat," Pairoj noted, prompting the park to market itself as a safari destination.
"We appreciate visitors coming here to watch wildlife. But my concern is when they show up in a big groups which reduces their chances of seeing elephants that tend to move in herds and quite sensitive to human presence," said Chumphon, the park chief, explaining that ideally there shouldn't more than 15 persons to a group. The less the better because big groups make more noise, disturbing the animals, particularly the elephants that can sniff human scent from far away.
Kui Buri National Park is about 30 kilometres off Highway 4 (Phetkasem Road). To go there, get off the highway at KM 295 where a huge billboard points the direction to the park, and turn into local road No. 3217 and drive there. The park provides camping sites and nightly accommodation. You can also rent tents and camping gear there. The service centre for watching wildlife is about 30 minutes away from park headquarters. Contact the park office for a ride (850 baht per trip for a group of 10) and a pick-up truck will collect you at the office. Service hours are 3pm to 6pm. The park opens daily from 8am to 6pm. The entrance fees is 20 baht for Thai children, 40 baht for Thai adults, 100 baht for foreign children, and 200 baht for adult foreigners. Those driving there are levied a 30-baht fee for their vehicle.
"We need visitors to respect our rules and try not to get close to elephants even if they seem tame. The bottom line is they are huge beasts," he said. And always go in with an officer because they can impart vital advice, such as about the direction of wind or the best position from where to watch them.
About three hours' drive from Bangkok, Kui Buri National Park is a nice diversion for families wishing to get close to nature on weekends.
These three Oriental pied hornbill were spotted on the outskirts of Kui Buri forest, where villagers grow pineapples. Thais call this bird ‘‘nok gak’’, due to its loud and high pitched yelping sound. The bird with black-and-white feathers and a large long bill is the smallest of the Asian hornbill species, at 60 cm in length for males and a smaller size for the females. Oriental pied horn bills mainly eat fruit.
A number of gaur or Indian bison show up in the Kui Buri forest during one late afternoon. It is the largest species of wild cattle and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species since 1986, when its population worldwide has declined over 70% over the last three generations. About 900 live in the nation today, but none of them are found outside protected areas. In addition to Kui Buri forest, they can be found in the nearby Kaeng Krachan National Park, while the largest group of gaur are also found in Khao Yai National Park. In Kui Buri National Park, visitors will need a telescope to see the large cows grazing young grass; they also eat tree leaves, fruit, twigs and bark of different trees, and bamboo. Park rangers of Kui Buri Park say that gaur may not be spotted every day, unlike wild elephants, so visitors can only pray for good luck.
TRAVEL INFO
For more information:
- Kui Buri National Park, call 032-646-292 or visit www.dnp.go.th.
- Sam Roi Yot National Park, call 032-821-568 or visit www.dnp.go.th.
- The Tourism Authority of Thailand: local office at 032-471-005-6 or visit www.tourismthailand.org for map and accommodations.
From top: The fishing cat is listed as ‘‘endangered’’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List due to poaching and habitat destruction, but there’s one fishing cat that’s treated like a pet for a family living in a village not far from Sam Roi Yot National Park. The owner found this fishing cat when it was a kitten in a rice field during the harvest season. Fishing cats, which are almost double the size of Thai cats, have been found this way for the past two years. In nature, the fishing cat lives in the wetlands and its major diet is fish. A research team, led by Passanan Cutter, found that the number of fishing cats living in Sam Roi Yot National Park was dramatically reduced from 31 two years ago to about five, based on records from their camera traps. Although they do not harm people and can help catch rats in the rice fields, their lives were threatened because some villagers killed them for food. Serious reservation is needed. Otherwise, there will only be their footprints left for us to see in the future.
Before visitors can see the wild elephants, the park rangers of Kui Buri National Park will first survey some areas where the giant animals are often found before giving the pickup driver the go-ahead to bring them.
A small group is recommended because you will have a better chance to observe the elephants in their natural habitat for a longer period. After eating a bunch of grass and tree leaves, this group of elephants—one after another—made their way to the pond for a drink. The elephants then sprayed water on themselves and each other for a while, and headed back to the forest for more food.
The Asian elephant is listed as "endangered" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species because of a population size reduction of 50% over the last three generations. The estimated population size of this mammalians Thailand is between 2,500-3,200, with a downward trend; roughly 230 wild elephants have been spotted in Kui Buri National Park.
According to park records, there are fewer number of elephants found outside the forest area on farmlands eating pineapples today, thanks to the efforts of the park rangers, who have been working with local farmers and NGOs on finding a solution to keeping them out. The conflict between the local farmers and wild elephants began in 1967 when the Thai government introduced a policy to fight against communist groups, which involved clearing out large areas of the forest and offering leftist supporters free land to grow pineapples as long as they converted their views. When the price of pineapples soared, more forest area was cleared to grow more of the fruit, which meant the elephants had less land to look for food; one adult elephant can eat up to 300kg of vegetation a day. And then in 1977, elephant footprints were found near the cultivation land.
When supply was greater than demand, the price of pineapples dramatically dropped, and from 1982-1987, many farmers abandoned their land. Soon after, attracted by the sweet scent of the fruit, the wild elephants wandered out of the forest to the abandoned farms to eat the pineapples. When the market price of pineapples rose again during 1987-1994, the farmers returned to their land. But by that time, there were already 70-80 elephants that knew about the fruit farm and still appeared from time to time.
So to protect their assets, the locals fended off the elephants in their own way, and from 1998-2002, several elephants were injured, killed or poisoned. So Kui Buri National Park, which was founded in 1999 to protect the forest area and wildlife, started its efforts to solve the conflict.
The park rangers and officers worked with the neighbouring communities and created a buffer zone by planting trees along 800 rai (128 hectare) of land. The park set up three teams to help farmers chase away the elephants using loud banging noises, and later worked with WWF to help villagers set up electric fences. Since the project began, the number of elephants crossing into the farmlands to eat pineapples was reduced from 332 in 2005 to 160 in 2009. So far, no reported elephants have been injured or found dead, although some of them are still found outside the forest area.
Located on a local road called Tor Bor 4020 and about a kilometre before the entrance gate of Sam Roi Yot National Park, Wat Khao Daeng is one of the most respected temples in the area. It’s also a popular spot where tourists can take a river cruise along Khao Daeng canal. Along the way, visitors can enjoy the scenic mangrove forest and various rock formations and limestone cliffs. The cruise lasts about an hour. Wat Khao Daeng also offers visitors a panoramic view of Sam Roi Yot National Park, but be ware of the monkeys when parking your car, as they might jump on the car roof looking for food.
Wat Hub Ta Kot is another old temple located in Sam Roi Yot district. It is a place where locals like to practise meditation, said Sam Roi Yot officer Tubtim Muansuwan. The temple houses big statutes of highly respected monks, such as Luang Pu Thod and Luang Pho To. An officer of Sam Roi Yot Tambon Administrative Office added that boars are always found in the temple area, looking for leftover food.
The statue of the Goddess of Mercy faces Highway No.4, between Pran Buri and Sam Roi Yot National Park. An officer of the Tambon Administrative Office of Sam Roi Yot said the statute was built more than a decade ago on private property, whose owner planned to build a Chinese-style graveyard, but many locals opposed it, so the owner decided to build the Goddess of Mercy and a dragon instead. The statue without a pavilion is always open for visitors to pay their respect.
The young leaves of this herbal plant, which the locals call ton kapor, can be eaten raw with chillies dip, according to Somchai Saengsawang, a park ranger at Kui Buri National Park. Some people also use the rhizomes to produce incense; the leaves are tasteless and slightly crunchy.
Even if you only have a short time to visit and explore the large green forest of Kui Buri, the park rangers can plan a hiking trip that best suits your schedule. According to park ranger Somchai Saengsawang, visitors can choose a one-, three- or six-hour hike on any of the many walking trails as well. Somchai also noted that every group of hikers must be accompanied by a park ranger to lead the way because there are no directional signs. Besides, you will need an expert to point out and teach you about all the forest varieties along the way, like the Milky Tree, which is the provincial tree of Prachuap Khiri Khan. By hiking in a smaller group, you will have more opportunities to see the various bird species, such as the woodpecker, and horn bill, as well as little creatures hanging off branches and leaves or under the surface soil, such as scorpions. The walking trails also lead visitors to a salt lick, as well as pavilions, which were used for the royal funeral ceremony of the late HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana. The buildings were made of eagle wood trees that produced a fragrant scent. If you decide to go on a hike in the forest, don’t forget to wear a long sleeve shirt, trousers, and comfortable shoes to protect you from the outside elements, like mosquitoes.
The root and stems of this licorice plant is used as a herb and has a sweet taste. If you chew on the bark while hiking, it can help quench your thirst.
Sam Roi Yot National Park is surrounded by shrimp farms and rice fields. The area of 99.5 square kilometres houses various popular tourists stops such as Phraya Nakhon cave and a large lotus pond. However, some areas of the park are deserted land and the park officers have tried to replant mangrove seedlings. The park also offers an opportunity for visitors in groups to help plant the seedlings. The activity requires advance contact with park headquarters.
คำศัพท์ที่น่าสนใจ
to roam ท่องไป
unrestricted อิสระ/ไม่ผูกพันธ์
their natural jungle habitat ถิ่นที่อยู่อาศัยในป่าของมัน
to ensure สร้างความมั่นใจ
the gaur กระทิง
census ประชากรของคน/สัตว์
straddle กว้างออกไป/ถ่างออกไปถึง
salt lick ดินโปร่ง
banteng วัวแดง
in pristine state ในสภาพที่สมบูรณ์/บรสุทธิ
to poach บุกรุกป่า
to yelp ร้องเรียก
high-pitched เสียงสูง
deciduous trees ป่าไม้ผลัดใบ
a great learning experienced ประสบการการเรียนรู้ที่ดีมากๆ
locals คนท้องถิ่นนั้นๆ
pavilion ทางเดินกว้างใหญ่
leftover food อาหารที่เหลือ
to quench ดับกระหายน้ำ
rhizomes จำพวกมีหน่อ
herbal plants พืชสมุนไพร
a panoramic view ภาพมองได้กว้างๆ
diversion นันทนาการ/การพักผ่อนใจ
endangered ใกล้สูญพันธ์
outsider elements สิ่งต่างๆรอบกาย/รอบนอก
graveyard สุสาน
licorice พืชพวกชะเอมรากมีรสหวาน
shrimp farm ฟาร์มกุ้ง
chillies dip น้ำชิ้มพริก
lotus pond สระบัว
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