Kaeng Krachan: Jewel in the Tenasserim

THE WILD SIDE

Just a short 40 years ago, a local Karen hunter sitting alone in a tree-stand made of bamboo waits by the headwaters of the Phetchaburi River. He has trekked south from his humble abode for about a week. The young man is a traditional hunter and knows how to subsist in this forbidding forest. His father before him also hunted this place and taught him all the tricks-of-the-trade: Hunting for a living and surviving in the wild.

 

Darkness envelopes the man as the sun sets behind him. The moon and stars are brilliant and night visibility is good. The location is a mineral deposit (salt lick) deep in the interior close to the river. This site attracts gaur, banteng, elephant, and the extremely rare Sumatran rhino, plus sambar, muntjac and wild pigs. Tigers and leopards also come there looking for prey. It is a magnificent animal kingdom.

His primary target is a rhino but he would take anything that came to the natural seep for the life-giving minerals. The hunter sets in for the night knowing the large mammals sometimes prefer to visit in darkness. He is armed with a crude self-made muzzle-loading rifle. It is the dry season, so he is not too worried about it misfiring. The calibre is as large as his thumb, and the round heavy lead ball and black powder charge is enough to take down an elephant.

 

At last, a dark shape emerges from the forest and slowly ambles straight to the seep. Head down, the odd-toed ungulate drinks to quench its thirst. The hunter switches on his flashlight and temporarily blinds the two-horned rhinoceros. He takes aim and fires his weapon with a resounding boom and tremendous muzzle flash that breaks the still night. The creature is hit in the shoulder and runs for a short distance before collapsing. It is a long wait but dawn eventually comes and the hunter climbs down from the platform to investigate his trophy. Sadly, he has just killed one of the last few Sumatran rhinos left in this forest. Shortly hereafter, he dispatches another rhino, never to see the species again. He sells the horns, which are small, for about $100 to a waiting middleman: A pathetic return compared to what the horns probably would fetch on the black market, most likely in the thousands of dollars.

This voracious wildlife trade has absolutely wiped out many species from the forests throughout the Kingdom. It has been devastating and unfortunately, still carries on to this day.

 

When Kaeng Krachan was declared a national park in 1981, the hunter, his family and several other families in the little village were relocated to a new home more than 20km outside the boundaries of the protected area. A plot of land was given to them but it was not much. He was told he could not hunt anymore and had to eke out a living by farming. It was a difficult road ahead for them after living in the forests since they were born. Relocation was tough but they adapted and survived. The hunter and his family now plant pineapples and other crops. He stopped hunting, and his two sons actually care about conserving the forest and wildlife.

The Phetchaburi (River) is one of Thailand's most famous waterways. King Rama V visited this waterway and had water sent to his palace in Bangkok for drinking purposes. The King was also presented with rare white elephants found here. During his reign, both Sumatran and Javan rhinos existed in the interior in good numbers. In 1914 and 1915, an Englishman named K.G. Gairdner made many forays into the Phetchaburi watershed recording the wildlife. He published several papers in the Natural History Society of Siam journal about his exploits and encounters in this wilderness. Large herds of elephants and gaur were present and many tigers thrived due to the prolific amount of prey species.

 

The Phetchaburi River flows from the Tenasserim Range through Kaeng Krachan, the Kingdom's largest national park encompassing 2,915km2. It is still pristine within some areas of the park. Montane forest is found on the highest peaks with predominantly dry evergreen forest interspersed with mixed deciduous vegetation. Even though both species of rhino have disappeared, the park continues to showcase a great diversity of wildlife.

Rare and endangered animals still survive, such as the Siamese crocodile and stumped-tailed macaque as well as elephant, gaur, tiger, leopard, Asian wild dog, tapir, sun bear and Asiatic black bear. Other mammals such as sambar, and the rare Fea's muntjac plus common muntjac and wild pig keep the balance of nature intact by providing ample prey for the carnivores. Banteng were common in the mixed deciduous lowlands but human encroachment on the forest soon eliminated most of these wild cattle and there are very few remaining.

 

However, the Phetchaburi remains an important watershed and is the main source of water for people on the lowlands. Hornbills and gibbons are plentiful. I once listened to four separate gibbon groups calling at the same time from Phanern Thung Mountain. The surrounding forest contains an abundance of fertile food and safe habitats for wild animals. Both Sundaic and Indo-Chinese species survive here.

The Phetchaburi is one of the Kingdom's least disturbed waterways and although the lower section is dammed, the upper reaches of the river are still fairly intact. More than 400 bird species have been recorded in Kaeng Krachan and thousands of unusual plant and insect species can be found. There are more than 70 species of fish in the waterway. Many reptiles including the king cobra and reticulated python, and amphibians such as the giant tree frog are here. There are probably some species new to science still to be discovered, specially insects and plants.

 

Previously, it was thought that the park was pristine forest all the way into Burma but, the many wildlife surveys carried out by researchers have proved this is no longer the case. Unfortunately, poaching has been going on for many years along the border in a pincer movement around Phanern Thung in the central area, from Huai Bong Lerk in the north, and Pa La-U and Huai Sat Yai in the south. This has been carried out by villagers still living in the park (some Karen and Karang people resisted relocation), and people from the lowlands. Occasionally, it is said that so-called big game hunters from the cities are still guided through the forest by locals. Furthermore, populations of people within the protected area are ever expanding, which will have a definite impact on this biosphere in the long run.

The river is a tough environment when the heavy rains come from May to October each year. This raging waterway sometimes becomes almost impossible for humans to cross without sophisticated ropes and climbing gear. It can rise several metres in a matter of hours and stay at a high level for days. One research team was caught in a backwater tributary of the Phetchaburi River for a week and ran out of rations. Luckily they had a satellite phone, which enabled them to receive a food drop by helicopter. They were fortunate to survive the ordeal.

 

Due its power during the wet season, the river basically creates a natural barrier for the next six months, and the park is relatively free of poachers and gatherers from the lowlands. The animals enjoy life as they should. The harmony of life is remarkable but this ecosystem is only pristine from the reservoir upriver to the headwaters of the Phetchaburi. Even then, people living within the national park have compromised many areas of the lower river. But the dry season is another story when hunter-gatherers overcome the forest.

It is unfortunate but this ecosystem, like all the others in the country, is under serious pressure as some people still plunder its natural resources without discrimination. Encroachment is also a serious problem for park officials. National park budgets seem to be slashed every year and funds were never substantial to begin with. In the past, emphasis was directed towards making the headquarters area and camping facilities look good, as this generated income. Enforcement and protection was minimal in the national parks, despite efforts by some wildlife groups to create more vigilant park rangers and patrolling.

 

The main problem facing Kaeng Krachan National Park and the Phetchaburi watershed relates to management of the protected area and how it's funding is used. However, the new chief is a Phetchaburi resident who is dedicated to improving awareness, protection and enforcement, and ensuring better facilities for visitors. Several programmes to help the rangers with food, clothing and equipment are being carried out by the public sector. These rangers risk their lives to protect Thailand's natural heritage and so they need to be taken care of. They should be provided with the essentials while out on patrol free of charge. A special allowance should be given as hazardous pay for each trip. These men are the most important element in taking care of the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Without them, unscrupulous individuals will take advantage of the situation, and continue to poach and encroach in the protected area.

The importance of the Phetchaburi watershed cannot be emphasized enough. Protection management should needs to become the top priority for Kaeng Krachan. But, if old regulations and laws governing it remain unchanged, it will be a rough road to extinction for many animals and plants. More funding, personnel and incentives are needed for patrols to keep poachers and intruders from damaging this fragile ecosystem any further. It must survive for the present generation and generations to come.