As the night descended, we went out with binoculars in hand. Amid tall trees, flashes of light illuminated a pair of red eyes, which experts quickly identified as belonging to nang ai -- or Sunda slow loris -- a nocturnal primate native to southern Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore. The animal, perching on a faraway branch, is currently listed as "endangered" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
We weren't in a forest. On the contrary, the slow loris was spotted in a place not many would expect to see an endangered wildlife: a resort.
But looking around the luscious greenery of Khaolak Merlin Resort in Phangnga, it may not be surprising to expect wildlife around here. The resort has preserved most of the original trees in the area since its construction around 20 years ago. Many of the trees are decades old, with some towering trees estimated to have been here for over a century.
"When trees are there, when resources are there, animals will come," said Nancy Gibson, president and founder of Love Wildlife Foundation, which partners with Khaolak Merlin in making conservational and educational efforts for the slow lorises and other animals found on the property.
From a survey by Love Wildlife, it is reported that over 110 species of animals have been spotted on the resort's 36.5 rai space. In addition to the endangered slow loris (which we spotted two on the same evening), our group also saw brahminy kite, common flying lizard, collared kingfisher, golden birdwing butterfly, water monitor, and more during our walk around the property.
Slow loris has long been here, according to staff and guests. But their existence only came to the attention of its executives a few years ago. Chanon Wongsatayanont, director of Merlin Phuket Hotels and Resorts, and a third generation in this family business, said much of the resort's rich biodiversity today is due to the previous generations' eco-friendly and sustainable approaches from the very beginning, including preserving original trees and installing a water treatment system that treats wastewater to be used to water plants. The water treatment system was a costly investment at the start, but efficient in the long run.
Khaolak Merlin Resort is filled with original trees from the area that the founders chose to preserve from the beginning, resulting in the property's rich biodiversity today.
"Some people think running a hotel and sustainability are two different goals, but I don't think that's true. We're a testament to the fact that you can marry the two. Our returning guests love nature and think what we have is rare. The more that hotels can do, the better it is for the environment and tourism," said Chanon. Khaolak Merlin has received a Gold Certified for Accommodation Sustainability status from Travelife, a European sustainable practice certification scheme.
Today, the resort seeks to maintain its lush environment and provide a suitable ecosystem for wildlife alongside looking after their guests. Together with Love Wildlife, they're looking at training resort staff to observe slow loris and put tags on trees they're seen on to learn about the animal's behaviour and preference, which they consider a non-invasive method. Around the resort, there are signs with information on wildlife to educate guests and encourage them to go on a walk rally and explore the property.
"We want to focus on raising awareness of nature and to show that nature is something to be admired and not to be afraid of," he added.
The number of slow loris in the resort is currently unknown, and it is assumed they came from nearby forests and plantations. Ropes are now placed along the trees to form a corridor so slow loris can cross in and out of the resort without going down to the ground and risk encountering predators and traffic. Camera traps may be installed in the future as well.
Although slow loris's worldwide status was recently elevated to "endangered", Gibson said that Thailand is fortunate that the animal is still relatively common here. But this also means it's on everyone now to take care of them as well as the nature that they need to survive. In Thailand, slow loris's population has been threatened by the pet trade. Some people have profited off them by taking photos of the animals with tourists and selling them on walking streets in Pattaya and Phuket. Some slow loris ended up confiscated or eventually dumped at the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP). The department is now working on a soft release programme to return them to the wild.
Having this nocturnal wildlife on the same property alongside guests is harmless, added Gibson. Slow loris can be territorial and are venomous but they don't harm humans and will most likely hide or run away if they see one.
As both the foundation and the resort maintain the environment and learn more about slow loris, Gibson said they may also look into collaborating with surrounding properties, communities and orchards to potentially set up rope corridors for the animals to travel around.
"Awareness and collaboration will be our first start for the next step," said Gibson.
Sunda slow loris.
The impact of tourism on the environment has long been debated, with negative aspects often prevailing in conversations. But to both the conservationist and the hotel operator, there are still good things going for the tourism industry.
"I think tourism as a whole has its benefits," said Chanon. "It gives a lot of jobs to the local community. Like in Phangnga, 80% of our staff are locals and it gives them good livelihood and stability in their job. That's a positive effect. The negative effect is when over-tourism comes into play, with an oversupply of hotels which has a clear impact on nature. Huge areas of land have to be cleared away to create hotels and accommodate tourists.
"Phangnga has yet to suffer from over-tourism. In the future, I'm not sure. It all depends on regulation and the kind of tourists we have," he added.
"There's a trend towards eco, sustainable tourism," Gibson said. "If more people look at that, more tourists will get that and it will influence the industry to become more eco-friendly as well. Tourism can actually push it in a positive direction if the trend continues in that manner.
Nancy Gibson and Chanon Wongsatayanont.
"I think that a lot of the sustainable practices that hotels can do already help [with wildlife and environmental conservation] in some ways, like using more organic fertilisers or minimising the use of pesticides. Wildlife needs insects to survive too. Pesticides don't just get rid of that one thing you want, it gets rid of all the bugs, and that feeds a lot of wildlife, which also feed more wildlife."
Gibson also has some suggestions for hotels and resorts looking to go green. She urged operators to retain original trees that are important to wildlife on their respective properties. They can also start planting a mixture of fast and slow-growing trees -- ones that will encourage the presence of wildlife, like local plants and trees with flowers and fruits animals can use, not just decorative plants.
"If we plant a tree now, maybe it won't be ready for 10-20 years," she said. "But it's better than nothing and it's better than us thinking it's probably too late and say 'never mind'. "
Some of the animals found inside the resort.
