Stepping in before it’s too late in Thailand
Elephant Family has recently teamed up with the Elephant Conservation Network (ECN) in Thailand in a bid to prevent a vital forest region and its elephants from becoming totally isolated from the Western Forest Conservation Complex (WEFCOM). This forest region is home to the largest population of elephants in Thailand – approximately 1,000 – and numerous other important species, including tigers. However, human encroachment – much of which is by city-based land speculators exploiting landless farmers as agents – is steadily trapping a population of 150-175 elephants within the south-eastern section of WEFCOM. This area incorporates the 868km2 Salakpra Wildlife Sanctuary, the smaller Chalerm Rattanakosin National Park, and the unprotected Srisawat Forest Reserve.
Salakpra was Thailand’s first wildlife sanctuary, yet was also the first place in Thailand to record conflict between people and elephants. Working with local communities, forest rangers and conservation officials, ECN is turning human-elephant conflict into human-elephant co-existence. One approach is to find ways of securing habitat south of Salakpra Wildlife Sanctuary – across the famous River Kwai – and north through the Srisawat Forest Reserve (where the ECN team and staff from the local Forest Department are pictured above in one of the encroached areas). This will ensure that the elephants and other wildlife can continue to move between Salakpra and WEFCOM. Plans to extend the protected area and forest habitat to the east of Salakpra will provide further space for elephants and other wildlife, while also reducing human-elephant conflict in this critical region.
The work will build on extensive surveys already conducted by ECN, as well as conflict monitoring and mitigation measures they’ve been carrying out over the past five years. It will also tie in with their increasingly successful forest restoration research project and their alternative livelihoods initiative, which is helping forest users develop alternative incomes so that they do not need to depend exclusively on forest resources. So far, these micro-enterprises include mushroom farming, dried fruit production and sewing cooperatives, to name just a few.
On a recent visit to one area where encroachment is impeding the passage of elephants, local farmers complained that they are suffering from elephant crop-raiding, but nobody was doing anything material to help them, although they had raised the issue with others. With a sympathetic ear the ECN team listened to their story, established their needs, and explained how they will facilitate a collaborative process towards a long-term solution that is good for local farmers and wildlife alike. Further information is now being gathered from communities throughout the area, as well as on the specific movements of elephants.
written by Dan Bucknell on 17th December 10
