Thread: KAENG KRACHAN: The Kingdom’s largest national park – Part Three

Rare creatures still living in this amazing forest


Fea’s muntjac male in the forest of Kaeng Krachan

There is a very unique mammal endemic to Thailand’s western flank and the Tenassarim mountain range. It is the Fea’s muntjac considered rare throughout its range. However, this small deer survive quite well in Kaeng Krachan mainly around the headwaters of the Phetchaburi River. I have camera-trapped a male and female crossing the river, and a mature male near kilometre 33 shown below. They are found in other parts of the park but have been persecuted like the other mammals living here.


Fea’s muntjac camera-trapped at Kilometer 33 on Phanern Thung mountain

The Fea’s muntjac is a small ungulate in the cervidae family. The coat of this even-toed ungulate is dark brown with the underside of the tail white rimmed with black. The male’s antlers are yellow and smaller then the red muntjac or common barking deer antlers that are brown, but body size and behaviour is identical. Both species are fleet-footed and their bark (distress call) is indistinguishable. They are just another species that needs top-notch protection to survive into the future.


Male muntjac camera-trapped at a mineral lick



Common barking deer or red muntjac feeding on leaves

Other ungulates found in Kaeng Krachan include gaur, tapir, sambar, serow and wild pig. Banteng are probably now extirpated here. The lesser and greater mouse deer are also quite common and found in most areas of the park. All these ungulates are prime prey species for the tiger and leopard.


Gaur cow at a mineral lick in the interior


Small gaur herd at another mineral lick



Gaur very large bull and smaller cow footprint compared to my hand


One of my greatest wildlife photographs ever is catching a tapir in daylight during late afternoon by the river that made the cover of my third book, Wild Rivers. These two-toned creatures are striking indeed and seeing one jump out of the forest on the opposite bank and dive into the water was an amazing day for me, and the beginning and inspiration for the book.



Asian tapir swimming in the Phetchaburi River



Tapir camera-trapped by the Phetchaburi River



Serow camera-trapped on an old logging road in the park


There are several herds of elephant and many solitary bulls that thrive in the interior. Tuskers are now rare but tusk-less bulls are more common. Natural selection has played a role in the elephant’s evolution here and bulls with no teeth survive better. This phenomena, is actually found throughout the Kingdom’s forests where elephants survive.


Tusker camera-trapped at a mineral deposit at kilometre 12



Tuskless bull elephant in 'musth' camera-trapped at the same location on the logging road


As previously mentioned, big cats including the Indochinese tiger and Asian leopard (both black and yellow phase) survive in fair numbers and actually have overlapping territories in some areas. When I was camera-trapping the Phetchaburi River from 2003-2005, I caught both species of carnivore on just about every camera as they hunted the riverbanks using the same overlapping trails. It was simply amazing how these predators kept out of each other’s way. But is has been documented elsewhere that tigers in fact will kill and eat leopards.


Tiger camera-trapped at a mineral lick in the interior



Tiger caught by camera-trap by the Phetchaburi River


Tiger bones are in big demand and that has certainly been the downfall of the species. It is said a sack of tiger bones now fetches 100,000 Baht (recently, poachers were busted just outside Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary and revealed a tiger was sold for three hundred thousand), and this creates serious incentive for some poor people to poach these apex predators. The Chinese and Vietnamese are the biggest buyers of black market tiger bones and the cat’s demise rests squarely on their shoulders. And what is pitiful, there is no stopping them with the population explosion, and the demand is also growing dramatically.


Leopard camera-trapped on a nature trail

Unfortunately, protection and enforcement is at a minimum in Kaeng Krachan, and poachers slip through the knot and carry out their deadly trade. It is quite possible they have already decimated the tiger population in the park as recent reports from rangers that tiger tracks are not seen that often in the areas where I worked. Other predators and prey species have also been affected by this onslaught.


Indian civet caught near a campground in the park

Other smaller cats known are the rare fishing cat, golden cat, clouded leopard and marbled cat can still be found here, but their numbers are unknown. But their presence still indicates an extremely pristine habitat. Abundant prey animals are the secret to a successful predator population with no human element or influence.


Banded linsang camera-trapped on a dry streambed

Two very rare omnivores are the banded linsang and banded palm civet living in the interior. I have camera-trapped both species. Other carnivores like the sun bear and Asiatic black bear are also still quite common and I have trapped them too. I once found a tiger scat with the remains of a sun bear including it claws by the river. Another common predator is the large Indian civet found in most areas.


Banded palm civet camera-trapped by a stream deep in the interior

The King Cobra, the largest poisonous reptile in the world, makes the Phetchaburi River its home and I have seen several including one real close-encounter. My team and I were up-river close to the headwaters when we bumped into one slithering along the bank hunting for prey. I pulled out my camera and fired off a few shots before it U-turned disappearing in an instant. It was a bit of a heart stopper to say the least.


A king cobra hunting for prey by the river



A green pit-viper and carpenter ant on a small tree

Another snake is the green pit viper with several species found in the park. The danger with this reptile is its habit of hanging absolutely still on a branch and when a person sweeps the vegetation, it strikes quick with potent venom. Some people have not made it back to the hospital in time. It is a two-day walk to the nearest road where I normally work. Many other reptiles and amphibians, some quite rare such as the horny tree frog, giant tree frog and the Asian brown tortoise that thrive by the streams and river.


Horny tree frog in a stream deep in the park


Giant tree frog further upstream

More than 400 species of birds have been recorded in Kaeng Krachan. The extremely rare Rachet-tailed treepie found only around Phanern Thung Mountain and some mountains in Laos and Vietnam. I was able to photograph the buffy fish-owl and Javan frogmouth along the Phetchaburi River. Hornbill species include the great, Oriental pied, brown and the wreathed.


Oriental Pied hornbill nesting


Great hornbill flying out of a tree


Wreathed hornbill at a nest

Other uncommon birds include the Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher, also known as the black-backed kingfisher is the smallest species in the Kingdom. I was lucky to get some really close shots of this individual building a nest not far from Ban Krang ranger station. The blue-bearded and red-bearded bee-eaters also are common in the park and I have photographed both of them at several locations. An amazing bird is the black-and-red broadbill shown here. They are found along the road and streambeds where they nest.



Oriental dwarf kingfisher near it nest


Pied kingfishers with a fish on a tree branch


Blue-bearded bee-eater with a beetle for its chicks


Red-bearded bee-eater close to it nest in a sandbank

My ranger friend Sutat Sapphu and I were once setting camera-traps near the headwaters when the largest kingfisher in Thailand flashed by. It is the crested kingfisher. Unfortunately, I have no photos of this bird yet. It is similar to the pied kingfisher but much larger.



Javan Frogmouth photographed by the Phetchaburi River


It was however the first sighting in the park and my close friend and associate Philip D. Round, Thailand’s eminent ornithologist confirmed it with the Bird Society of Thailand and the Oriental Bird Club in London. They are normally found further north in Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary and Mae Wong National Park, and it was quite a surprise for the bird community. The second largest kingfisher is the stork-billed and I have photographed one by the river.



Lesser fish-eagle chick exercising its wings on the nest high up a very tall tree

Another rare bird is the lesser fish-eagle thriving up and down the Phetchaburi River. Fish are very plentiful in the waterway and these raptors are seen often up and down the river. Once after a weeklong trip downstream, my team and I were just about to leave the river. I noticed a fish-eagle fly out of a nest at the top of a very large tree. Just then, a young chick stuck its head up in the air. This was 6pm and it was too dark to take any photos but I vowed to climb the near vertical slope opposite the nesting birds the next morning.


Chick and mother fish eagle on the nest the next morning

After a quick coffee, I went up without my camera first to check out the terrain. It was tough going but I finally got to a point where I could observe the raptors straight across and quickly decided to go get my Minolta camera, 600mm lens and tripod. The female flew away but I concealed myself and she eventually came back feeding the young one. I could not stop shooting and went through three rolls of film (pre-digital days). It was exciting seeing the young raptor bouncing up and down in the nest flexing its wings. I finally made my way back to camp.


Lesser fish-eagle perched on a tree limb above the river

Another time down river when I was waiting for the Siamese crocodile, a lesser fish-eagle flew in and landed behind my blind. My second camera with a 300mm lens was pointed almost straight towards the bird perched on a tree branch, and so I let off a series of shots catching the raptor unawares. It was a lucky day photographing the croc, otter, water monitor and the eagle mentioned in part two. I published this story on my website:


River carp in the Phetchaburi River

Primates include the stump-tailed, pig-tailed and crab-eating macaques, white-handed gibbon plus dusky and ???? langurs that thrive around Phanern Thung mountain, the core area for wildlife. In the old days, both gibbon and langur could be seen almost daily because many fruit trees are found here, and visitation was low.


Gibbon hanging from a bamboo on Phanern Thung mountaintop


Dusky langur near the Phanern Thung ranger station



Stumped-tailed macaque by the river

Kaeng Krachan National Park is an amazing place but is fraught with poor management and protection. There are many other animals and ecosystems not mentioned here but this place is truly one of Thailand’s greatest protected areas.

It takes lots of hard work to get down to the river and collect photographs of the creatures thriving there. But diligence, determination, the right equipment, money and with good guides, is also within the reach of serious amateur photographers or naturalists who just want to look. The opportunities are endless. It is hoped this place will survive into the future, so that generations to come can also enjoy the beauty of nature in Thailand’s largest national park.



Rainbow over the Phetchaburi River

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THE NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF DEVELOPMENT IN KAENG KRACHAN

This has taken a downturn due to increasing the campground area to make way for more tourists. A chicken shop is now doing business at the top. Development is a negative aspect of the national parks here, and throughout the Kingdom for that matter.


New chicken shop at the Phanern Thung ranger station

Construction has been carried out and one place in particular; at kilometre 18, a big hole is being dug to make a water tank because there was not enough water for last year’s increased visitation, and people began defecating around in the forest. There is a big 10-wheeler and backhoe there now working non-stop. These mindless people have destroyed a world-renown bird watching site and who knows how many hair-brain schemes are in the works.


Ten-wheeled truck and back-hoe digging a deep hole at Kilometer 18

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THE DANGERS OF THE FOREST IN KAENG KRACHAN


Kaeng Krachan is fraught with danger and a heads-up on the things that can cut, bite, maim, sting, or kill are real. I would say the deadliest is the little Anopholes mosquito that carries Plasmodium falcipharm malaria (celebral malaria) to be number one. A friend of mine from France may have died from the disease after he made a trip with me down to the river. But he was stubborn and would not wear a shirt most of the time. I tried my best to encourage him to cover up but he complained it was too hot. He passed away six months after returning back home.

I sincerely miss Laurent but I also caught the dreaded disease and just survived after a complete blood exchange transfusion was carried out on me. The doctors at Vichaiyut Hospital in Bangkok are experts in this medical treatment and I thank my lucky stars and the Spirits of the Wild that I was saved just in the nick of time.

You can say I now have Thai blood flowing in my veins as B-negative, my blood type needed to be sourced at several hospitals around Bangkok. It was a close call and I now watch myself very closely whenever I enter this or any forest. I do try and stay away during the rainy season when the Anopholes mosquito is thriving. My mistake was taking a bath in a stream after the sun had gone down. The little critters would attack me from behind and bite my back and legs as I was washing. I can tell you, don’t catch P. falcipharm. Good prevention with loads of repellent, thick clothing, and sleeping under a mosquito net is the trick. PF as it is known in short, is a real killer!

Ticks are real bad nuisance as some have serious illnesses that can eventually kill. They seem to latch on everywhere and it takes continuous checks of ones’ body. These little bloodsuckers should never be under estimated. Leeches are very common and they also can be irritating but fortunately have no viral infections. However, if bitten with many bites, one could develop infection and a fever especially if your resistance is low. Again, remove them as soon as possible and use antiseptic ointment to prevent infection.

I could on and on about the dangers of working in a forest like this. The most important thing is to go with a good guide or at least someone with good knowledge of this place. Also, let people know where you are going and for how long. It is unwise to go trekking here without supervision.

Some cavers were caught inside a cave that got flooded killing them all down in Khao Sok National Park which means, they should not have been there during the rainy season. Poor guides will get you in trouble. Flash floods are devastating if you are not careful. The most important fact, use common sense when entering any forest and don’t take anything for granted!