Latest news with #ThaiNationalParks
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Officials stunned after trail camera captures unexpected behavior of near-extinct bird: 'Surely ranks among the most remarkable'
A trail camera at a wildlife sanctuary in Thailand captured the stunning sight of a male bird performing a mating ritual in front of a female, and officials are still buzzing. On May 14, officials from the Katun Wildlife Sanctuary in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province uploaded a video to Facebook that showed what many consider a rare display. In the short 30-second clip, a male great argus can be seen engaging in an extravagant dance in an attempt to woo a female bird. "Though the great argus is not as colorful as other pheasants, its display surely ranks among the most remarkable," Thai National Parks officials said. The great argus is a large pheasant that is native to Southeast Asia. As seen in the video, males are often known for their elaborate courtship displays, which includes the fanning of their elongated wing feathers. Due to a number of factors, including hunting, trapping, logging, and droughts, the great argus has seen a significant drop in its population in recent years. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the great argus pheasant is currently listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. This means that the species is likely to become endangered if the ongoing threat to its survival is not properly addressed. Katun Wildlife Sanctuary officials estimate that fewer than two dozen great argus currently roam the region. Sthawit Suwannarat, chief of Katun Wildlife Sanctuary, emphasized the importance of video and what it means for the sanctuary's conservation efforts. "The sighting of courtship behavior of the wading birds in nature is a good sign, showing that this area is still a suitable food and habitat source for wildlife," Suwannarat explained. In a recent study, researchers indicated that Southeast Asia has some of the "highest biodiversity loss due to the high deforestation rate and hunting pressure." As a species, pheasants are often seen as indicators of the health of a forest ecosystem and are used in environmental monitoring. Pheasant species such as the great argus can contribute to an ecosystem's health by serving as both prey for predators and as a natural pest control. Pheasants primarily forage on the ground to find seeds, insects, and other food sources. Should the U.S. invest in building more wildlife overpasses? Absolutely Depends on how we do it Depends on where we do it Nope Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Miami Herald
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Rare creature named after ‘hundred-eyed giant' spotted showing off at Thai park
In a forest of southern Thailand, a rare creature walked into a sunlit clearing and approached a potential mate. The hopeful animal put on a 'remarkable' courting display — and a nearby trail camera captured its every movement. The dramatic footage shocked and excited wildlife officials. Wildlife rangers set up a trail camera in a forest clearing of Kathun Wildlife Sanctuary as part of their routine patrols, Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation said in a May 14 Facebook post. When they returned to the site and checked the camera's footage, what they saw left them stunned: The trail camera had recorded the rare sight of a male great argus, a type of pheasant, showing off to a female. A 30-second video shows the male great argus approach the female, spread its wings in front of her and shake its feathers. A soft ruffling sound can be heard. The male repeats this behavior a few times before walking and then running around the female. The May 8 video shows the male bird's feathers gracefully trailing out behind him as he circles the female. The bird stops on the other side of the female and fans his wings again, this time almost directly facing the camera before the clip ends. The great argus is an at-risk species with an elaborate pattern of eyespots on its tail feathers, according to Thai National Parks. Because of this feather pattern, the bird was named after 'Argus, a hundred-eyed giant in Greek mythology.' 'Though the great argus is not as colorful as other pheasants, its (courting) display surely ranks among the most remarkable,' park officials said. This display includes the male bird clearing a spot to dance and calling loudly to attract a female. Kathun Wildlife Sanctuary shared several more photos of a great argus in a May 13 Facebook post. The photos, taken between May 9 and 13, show the pheasant in the same forest clearing, sometimes standing still and sometimes spreading its wings. Seen up close, the male great argus has a bright, royal blue head with a white beak and white mohawk-like hair. Its body has a darker brown coloring with speckles of white throughout, extending into long tail feathers. Officials implied that the photos and video show the same pheasant but did not say so explicitly. The species's population is declining and, in 2023, Kathun Wildlife Sanctuary officials estimated the park had less than two dozen great argus birds. Wildlife officials praised the recent great argus sightings as a positive sign for the species and the surrounding sanctuary. Kathun Wildlife Sanctuary is in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, a roughly 460-mile drive south from Bangkok. Google Translate and GPT Translate were used to translate the Facebook posts from Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation and Kathun Wildlife Sanctuary.
Miami Herald
07-04-2025
- Miami Herald
Rare creatures including 6 crocodiles found in man's luggage in Thailand airport
A 52-year-old man is accused of trying to smuggle rare creatures through a Thailand airport after security discovered a foam box full of animals, according to an April 4 Facebook post and April 5 news release from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. The man, an Uzbekistan national, was traveling out of the Suvarnabhumi Airport heading to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, officials said. He was carrying with him 21 foam boxes, which were deemed suspicious by security and searched at an airport checkpoint, according to the post. The first 20 boxes were filled with aquatic plants and animals, officials said, and were accompanied by the appropriate export documentation. The last box, however, was filled with something else. Inside the box were plastic containers tightly packed with live animals, officials said. Three plastic containers were holding 10 iguanas, according to the post. Another three containers were packed with six freshwater crocodiles. The last container held five horned frogs. Although the iguanas and frogs are not rare species, freshwater crocodiles from Thailand are not only rare, but critically endangered. Freshwater crocodiles, also called Siamese crocodiles, are medium-sized and native to Southeast Asia, according to Thai National Parks. The animals in the last box did not have documentation on their export, and the 52-year-old was taken into custody. He is charged with attempting to export protected and regulated wildlife without permission, exporting animals from the kingdom without a permit and attempting to export aquatic animals without authorization, officials said. The animals were confiscated and given to multiple wildlife agencies for care, according to the post. Suvarnabhumi Airport is located in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. ChatGPT, an AI chatbot, and Google Translate were used to translate the Facebook post and news release from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, respectively.
Miami Herald
10-03-2025
- Miami Herald
Shy creature — named after ‘hundred-eyed giant' — makes rare appearance in Thailand
In a forest of southern Thailand, a shy creature walked into a clearing and looked around, its blue head jerked from side to side before it disappeared into the trees. Nearby, a trail camera captured the rare animal's brief appearance. The footage left conservationists stunned. Wildlife officials at Kaeng Krung National Park set up a series of trail cameras as part of a joint monitoring project with the World Wildlife Fund, Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation said in a March 4 Facebook post. When they returned to the cameras and reviewed the footage, park officials found seven clips showing the great argus, a rare type of pheasant, wandering through the forest. The videos, filmed between January 16 to 27, show at least two great arguses, a male and a female. One video shows a male bird walking very close to the camera, its blue head and feathers with eye-like spots are clearly visible at different points. The great argus was named after the 'hundred-eyed giant in Greek mythology' because of the 'intricate eye-like patterns on its wings,' Thai National Parks said. Its largely brown and black coloring is duller than other pheasant species, but its courtship call and dance is 'among the most remarkable.' Other videos from Kaeng Krung National Park show a male great argus walking through a forest clearing, pecking the ground and looking around. One sighting included a female bird — identifiable by its shorter tail feathers — wandering past, the video shows. The great argus is very rarely seen in the dense forests of southern Thailand because it is both an at-risk species and generally considered shy, wildlife officials said. Officials considered the recent sightings as a conservation success and an indication of the health of Kaeng Krung National Park's ecosystems. They plan to use the sightings to study the birds and plan future conservation efforts. Kaeng Krung National Park is in southern Thailand, near the border with Myanmar and a roughly 405-mile drive southwest from Bangkok. Google Translate was used to translate the Facebook post from Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
Miami Herald
03-03-2025
- Miami Herald
‘Elusive' feline with ‘unusually large' teeth appears on trail camera in India. See it
In a national park near India's easternmost border, an 'elusive' feline with 'unusually large' teeth stalked through the dark forest, its large, fluffy tail swishing behind it. Its movement triggered a nearby trail camera. The resulting photo turned out to be a 'rare sighting.' 'Exciting conservation news!!,' Chandra Mohan Patowary, the state of Assam's minister for environment and forests, said in a Feb. 27 Facebook post. 'Our camera trap inside Dehing Patkai National Park just captured a rare sighting of (an) elusive marbled cat.' Marbled cats, scientifically known as Pardofelis marmorata, are a small species of wild cat found across southeast Asia, according to the Thai National Parks department. They are roughly the size of domestic cats but have 'long' tails and 'unusually large canine teeth' that resemble the teeth of big cats. A trail camera photo taken in late 2024 shows the marbled cat walking through a clearing. Its fur appears yellowy brown and has a spotted pattern similar to other better-known big cats. 'We are thrilled to share that our camera traps, set up across various areas of Dehing Patkai National Park and reserve forest, have recorded 2-3 marbled cats,' said local wildlife ranger T.C. Ranjit Ram, according to the Times of India. Very little is known about marbled cats because of their nocturnal, tree-dwelling lifestyles. The species is considered vulnerable and at-risk with 'fewer than 10,000 mature' cats in the wild, wildlife officials said. In late 2023, Dehing Patkai National Park began an 'extensive' project to study five species of small wild cat, including the marbled cat, the Indian news outlet Mongabay reported at the time. The project was expected to last about a year and involve 95 trail cameras at various locations in the park. Ram told the Times of India in a Feb. 28 article that the park's trail camera project 'yielded significant results, and we are optimistic about further discoveries.' Dehing Patkai National Park is in the state of Assam in northeastern India, near the border with Myanmar and a disputed border with China.
