Latest news with #ThailandDepartmentofNationalParks
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
08-07-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Rare ‘golden' creature filmed sneaking through Thailand forest. Watch it prowl
In the vibrant green and earthy brown forests of Khao Luang National Park, one creature has to use the cover of darkness to hide its golden coat. The Asian golden cat, or Temminck's cat, is a medium-sized wild cat that calls the parks of Thailand and southeast Asia home, and typically sticks to a nocturnal lifestyle to hunt prey. Now, a trail camera has captured the cat making a rare appearance. A video shared by the Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation on July 8 shows a golden cat walk into frame, cross a clearing and head back into the dense forest on the other side. The video is dated to June 20, according to the post. Temminck's cats are sleek with long legs, wildlife officials said, and are described as being a striking color. The cats have a few black lines that run down their foreheads and a dark brown upper tail that is white underneath, according to the post. Officials said the cats almost always keep their tails raised when they are walking, creating a kind of signature behavior that helps tell the animal apart from other wild cats. The cats are found lurking in bamboo and montane forests, officials said, typically hunting at night and on their own. Golden cats help regulate the ecosystem by keeping the amount of small mammals and rodents in check through hunting, officials said. They are listed as 'vulnerable' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and officials said they are considered endangered in Thailand. Seeing the cat in the national park was a good sign, but officials warn forest encroachment, illegal hunting and habitat destruction continue to threaten the golden cats. Snares, used for illegal hunting, are particularly detrimental to the species, officials said. Temminck's cats are found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand, according to the IUCN, with an estimated 7,000 cats living in the wild. Khao Luang National Park is in the southern peninsula of Thailand, between the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. Chat GPT, an AI chat bot, was used to translate the Facebook post from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Yahoo
Trail camera captures rare sighting of elusive creature in national park: 'Very happy to see [them] again'
A trail camera recorded a video of a rare and unusual pheasant in a national park in Thailand. Park officials and conservationists were shocked to see footage of the great argus, which are very infrequently seen in the wild. As the Lexington Herald Leader reported, wildlife officials set up several trail cameras in Kaeng Krung National Park in southern Thailand to monitor wildlife. The cameras produced seven clips that showed rare argus pheasants walking in the forest. The birds are brown and black in color but have intricate eye-like wing patterns, inspiring their name after a hundred-eyed giant from Greek mythology. This rare sighting is significant because the great argus is rarely seen in southern Thailand's dense forests. The great argus is designated an at-risk species and is considered a shy bird that avoids human interaction. The great argus sightings encouraged national park officials, who took them as a sign of healthy park ecosystems. They want to study the birds further and take measures to protect them in their native habitat. Noninvasive and nondisruptive trail cameras are useful tools for helping conservationists assess population health and manage endangered species. Once a species decline is observed, cameras can also evaluate ongoing rehabilitation efforts and offer opportunities for adopting more effective strategies. Monitoring and supporting the livelihoods of vulnerable creatures on our planet impacts human well-being and our food supply. Meanwhile, a healthy and diverse ecosystem supports a cleaner, safer, and more resilient future for all beings. Other successful examples of trail camera use include sightings of rare marbled cats in India, bobcats in Ohio, otters in England, and black wolves in Poland. In response to the Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation's Facebook post about the great argus sightings, one social media user commented: "When I was a kid, there were many around the house. Takao Trang neighborhood. They played with their tail hair. Nowadays, there is no one to see. What a pity." Which of these environmental causes would you be most interested in supporting with a financial donation? Promoting clean energy Protecting clean air Advancing forest conservation Fighting climate change Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "Oh, am very happy to see again," another wrote. "Thank you, Department of Parks, for giving good photos," someone else said. "And thank you to the villagers for helping to preserve these wild animals." 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
01-04-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Rare creature was elusive for years. Then it reappeared on trail camera — with cubs
Years after a female tiger was spotted on trail cameras in the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary in Thailand, her life remained a mystery. The tiger, known as F22, was first spotted in 2022 and excited researchers hoping to restore the local tiger population, according to an April 1 Facebook post from the Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. However, after the hope she sparked, F22 all but disappeared and wasn't spotted by wildlife officials. Then, in December, patrol officers discovered tiger tracks, according to the department. A large set of footprints was followed by two smaller sets near the border of Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary and neighboring Thung Yai Naresuan East Wildlife Sanctuary. These tracks belonged to a mother, wildlife officials said, so park officers installed additional camera traps in the area to try and identify the furry family. The cameras took photos from January through March, and the images were recently downloaded, officials said. On Feb. 15 and 16, a mother tiger and her two cubs appeared in the images, and wildlife officials identified the mother as F22, according to the post. The mother tiger was guiding her cubs in a straight line, wildlife officials said, and all three animals appeared both strong and healthy. Experts believe the cubs are somewhere between four and six months old. Not only did the cameras pick up the tiger family, but also other wildlife that call the sanctuary home, according to the department. Images showed a leopard, a pack of wild dogs, herds of sambar deer, gaur (a large bovine), muntjacs (a small deer species) and wild boars, officials said. The diversity of life in tandem with the tiger sighting suggests the ecosystem is thriving, and conservation efforts have been so far successful, according to the department. Wildlife officials will continue to monitor the tiger family as the cubs grow, according to the post, and as they eventually contribute cubs of their own to the Thailand tiger population. Tigers are endangered globally, with fewer than 4,000 mature adults estimated to still be living in the wild, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. They are found throughout Asia, reaching as far west as Turkey and Syria, across to India and China, and south into Malaysia, according to the Red List. Tigers typically live with their mothers until around two years of age, later becoming solo hunters, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Individual tigers have expansive territories that they mark and establish as their own to hunt, the WWF says. Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary is in northwestern Thailand, just east of the border with Myanmar. ChatGPT, an AI chatbot, was used to translate the Facebook post from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
