Important Elephant Routes Confirmed in Thailand
It has recently been confirmed that elephants are still crossing an encroached area between two vital habitats in western Thailand. The forest region from which they came, known as Salakpra, is steadily becoming isolated from the rest of the Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM) as a result of human activity, a process which if allowed to continue will eventually trap Salakpra’s population of 150-175 elephants. This latest report of elephants moving north of Salakpra proves that it is not yet isolated, offering real hope that the situation can be reversed.
Salakpra was Thailand’s first wildlife sanctuary, but it is also one of the most threatened by human encroachment, much of which is by city-based land speculators exploiting landless farmers as agents. As people intrude on the elephants’ habitat, so the elephants retaliate and feed on crops, something the landless farmers can ill-afford. Indeed in 1982 Salakpra also became the first place to record this sort of human-elephant conflict in Thailand, and it has steadily increased since then. Without immediate action to prevent further encroachment the isolation of Salakpra will be complete; a sub-population of elephants will become cut-off; and conflict will escalate.
Elephant Family has therefore partnered with the Elephant Conservation Network (ECN), to work with the local communities and turn human-elephant conflict into human-elephant co-existence. To do this, one of the things they are looking at is how habitat can be secured to the north of Salakpra. This led an ECN team to conduct surveys in the area to asses the best way of reconnecting the landscape, as well as to identify the elephants and other wildlife that are currently using the target area, if at all. The theory is that the elephants are all part of one large contiguous population within WEFCOM. If this can be demonstrated then it strengthens the argument for maintaining the integrity of the landscape.
On 10th June the survey team (pictured above) found sufficient evidence from dung piles and footprints to confirm that at least two bull elephants had very recently crossed from Salakpra into the Srinakarin National Park to the north, leading to the core of WEFCOM. Away from the encroached areas, ECN’s programme manager Jittin Ritthirat has described the magical landscape of peaceful, luxuriant forest with streams running through: ‘I wonder how much more wildlife, especially elephants – if they ever find this forest – can enjoy foraging and living here in the near future’, she says.
As well as its elephants, WEFCOM supports important populations of tigers, several species of hornbill, and much more besides within a biodiversity hotspot of global importance. It is for this reason that Elephant Family will be highlighting this landscape and the work it is doing with ECN through its involvement in the upcoming Jungle City event in Edinburgh. Elephant Family is also delighted to have recently secured the support of the Rufford Foundation towards this vital project.
And finally, coinciding with this great news for the project, we also congratulate Belinda Stewart-Cox, who founded ECN with Jittin, on receiving an OBE in the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours, for services to conservation in Thailand, a thoroughly well deserved tribute for all she has done to save elephants.
written by Dan Bucknell on 07th July 11
