Latest news with #WildlifeandPlantConservation
Bangkok Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
Benefits to axeing bulbul's status: govt
The government has pointed out what it sees as the "benefits" of removing the red-whiskered bulbul, or nok krong hua juk, from the list of protected wildlife species. It aims to support both conservation and the economy, says Natural Resources and Environment Minister Chalermchai Sri-on. A working group has been set up by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) to study the bird's population, control illegal hunting, and prevent captive birds from returning to the wild. The group will assess potential impacts over the next three months before making recommendations. The move aims to allow for regulated breeding and ownership of the bird, which is popular among Thais. Mr Chalermchai said responsible ownership can help prevent extinction and stimulate a bird-related economy. Addressing concerns that de-listing may lead to increased poaching, he said officials would be able to verify whether a bird was bred in captivity or taken from the wild. "If we continue to ban it completely, people may capture wild birds secretly," he warned. "Instead, we should engage with bird lovers, support their efforts, and work together on conservation." If any rules are violated, the species could be reinstated as protected, he added. DNP Director-General Atthapol Charoenchansa said the working group will survey wild populations and propose safeguards against poaching and escapes. Their findings will be submitted to the Wildlife Conservation Committee and then the cabinet for final approval. He said the red-whiskered bulbul trade is estimated to be worth over one billion baht. With proper regulation, wild birds can be kept separate from those in captivity, allowing Thailand to benefit from both conservation and economic opportunities.
Bangkok Post
18-07-2025
- Bangkok Post
Facial recognition to help manage Maya Bay crowds
KRABI - A facial recognition system will soon be adopted at Maya Bay to manage visitor flow and enhance conservation efforts, according to national park officials. The face-scanning system will be set up at the entrance to the popular attraction and will start operating on Oct 15, said Saengsuree Songthong, chief of Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park. He said the system would link with the existing e-ticket platform under the e-National Park scheme and allow real-time verification of tourists against pre-booked data. 'The system will distinguish between Thai and foreign nationals, as well as adults and children, helping reduce entry delays during high season, when visitor numbers peak at 4,000 per day,' Mr Saengsuree said. Maya Bay will be one of 11 pilot locations in six marine parks nationwide to introduce facial recognition simultaneously. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation will ensure transparent and traceable fee collection, allowing rangers to focus more on tourist safety and environmental protection, he noted. Although tourist numbers are lower during the monsoon season, averaging 1,000 to 2,000 per day, park authorities still limit access to Maya Bay to a maximum of 375 visitors per hour to minimise ecological impact. In the first half of the 2025 fiscal year, the e-ticket system helped generate over 391 million baht in park revenue. Tourists planning to visit Maya Bay this coming high season are advised to book in advance and familiarise themselves with the new system to support sustainable tourism, said Mr Saengsuree. Entrance fees to Maya Bay for Thai nationals are 40 baht for adults and 20 baht for children. Foreigners pay 400 baht for adults and 200 baht for children. Maya Bay, Loh Samah Bay and Lo Go Bay in Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Koh Phi Phi park will be closed from Aug 1 to Sept 30 to allow natural restoration and ensure safety as seas can be rough during the monsoon season. Maya Bay gained fame — and notoriety — as the locale for the hit movie The Beach 25 years ago. The subsequent damage to the area took years to repair, and the site has been the focus of intensive conservation efforts ever since.
Bangkok Post
18-07-2025
- Bangkok Post
Thailand sending four orangutans home to Indonesia
Thailand will repatriate four confiscated orangutans to Indonesia by the end of this year, as part of celebrations marking 75 years of diplomatic ties between the two nations. The orangutans were seized in two separate illegal wildlife trade cases earlier this year, according to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. Three were confiscated on Jan 21 in Chumphon province, while two were seized during a sting operation in Bangkok in May — although one died while under the department's care. All of the surviving animals are being housed at the Khao Prathap Chang Wildlife Rescue Centre in Ratchaburi province. Sadudee Panpakdee, director of the department's Cites division, said Thai and Indonesian security authorities recently held talks on joint efforts to combat transboundary wildlife crime and return trafficked animals to their natural habitats. 'We reaffirmed our commitment to the Cites (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) agreement to conserve and protect wildlife,' he said. 'Sending the orangutans home this year symbolises our strong bilateral cooperation.'
Miami Herald
11-07-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Rare bird looks spooked in trail cam video, then predator emerges in Thai forest
While rare and threatened animals may be protected from human interference by wildlife preserves and laws, they are still part of their natural ecosystem — and the circle of life. In the Kha Thoon Wildlife Sanctuary, newly installed trail cameras captured the moment a rare bird came face to face with a fearsome predator. The footage, recorded on June 29, was shared by the Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation on July 10, and shows a great argus come into frame, according to the Facebook post. Great argus, or Argusianus argus, is a species of pheasant considered internationally vulnerable. Males are known for their long and colorful plumes, and their loud calls can be heard echoing through the forests of southeast Asia. As soon as the bird steps in front of the camera, its long feathers are on display and the bird appears agitated and flighty, the video shows. The bird quickly dances away from the clearing at the center of the frame, but stays just a few feet away. Then, something crawls out from the edge of the trees. A monitor lizard, or Varanus salvator, joins the bird in front of the lens, blundering into the clearing as the bird once again shoots up its feathers and charges the lizard before darting off, the video shows. The monitor lizard crosses the clearing as its tongue darts out, then the video stops. Wildlife officials said the interaction is not one of predator and prey, but rather a type of unconscious mutual dependence and coexistence, according to the post. Monitor lizards are both predators and scavengers, and live in vast territories where they are able to forage over a large range, officials said. Great argus, on the other hand, prefer larger open spaces within the forest when they can spread their feathers in colorful displays to attract their mates. They unknowingly work together, officials said, as the great argus can alert the surrounding area to danger, acting as an early warning system. This could even alert monitor lizards to potential prey options and hidden food, officials said. The presence of both animals bodes well for the health of the wildlife sanctuary, and trail cameras will continue to monitor the wildlife that calls Kha Thoon home, according to the post. Kha Thoon is in the Nakhon Si Thammarat province in southeastern Thailand, off the coast of the Gulf of Thailand. Chat GPT, an AI chatbot, was used to translate the Facebook post from the Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
Miami Herald
09-07-2025
- Miami Herald
Famed Thai bay once decimated by tourism is now teeming with sharks. See them
Researchers in Thailand have documented the largest school of blacktip reef sharks ever recorded during an annual shark survey. Up to 158 sharks, all part of the same group, were recorded in Maya Bay during the Shark Watch Project survey that took place between July 2 and 8, according to a July 9 Facebook post from Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. The research team used drones to count the number of sharks and underwater cameras to observe their behavior, according to wildlife experts. The presence of the school indicates the ecosystem within Maya Bay is healthy and able to sustain a large population, according to the post. Decimated ecosystem rebounds According to the conservation group OceansAsia, decades of unregulated tourism to Maya Bay decimated its ecosystem, leaving the seafloor 'devoid of any life.' The bay was closed in 2019 to allow for conservation efforts and natural restoration of the habitat. Thailand national park staff and volunteers planted coral for nearly a year and a half. About 16 months later, a group of over 100 blacktip reef sharks returned to the bay, which they used as a nursery, according to the group. Maya Bay, which can see up to 4,000 visitors per day, was reopened in 2022 but now closes from Aug. 1 to Oct. 1 each year for conservation efforts, according to government officials and travel websites. Maya Bay is on Phi Phi Leh Island, located off the southeast coast of Phuket. Google Translate was used to translate the Facebook post from Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
