Thursday, April 14, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
Take Care of Our National Parks
Man v/s wilderness
published by Bangkok Post 7 April 2011
Songkran Tourists Take Note!
Tourism can cause adverse consequences when visitors do not respect the rules of law and nature
• Published: 7/04/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: Life
It is common to see people throw their garbage or leftovers from their car while driving up to the World Heritage Site of Khao Yai National Park. Such acts of carelessness may seem trivial, but littering can do serious harm to wildlife and ecology.
Many elephants have lost their navigation skills and walk along the road in Khao Yai National Park. Some have been hit by cars, which in turn, has injured drivers.
Many people have no idea why they have to look after national parks and wild animals. They may not know the park is a watershed that gives birth to many rivers, not to mention purifying the air they breathe. Wild animals are important too for spreading and spawning flowers, fruits and trees. Forests and animals are not just natural ornaments; they are important workers in ecological food webs.
If you want to feed wild animals when visit a national park, think again! Your compassion could cause a deadly impact on wildlife and the local ecosystem.
But since when can an act of mercy be wrong?
Big bikes and cars cause noise that interrupts nature and seriously affects animals.
Despite there being ubiquitous banners pleading with visitors not to feed wild animals, it has become fashionable for visitors to feed monkey, deer and other wildlife inside Khao Yai National Park. Many feed them real foods or fruits. But some are careless enough to throw leftovers, often with plastic containers and bags.
"Giving food to wildlife is equivalent to sentencing them to death," said Pattarapol Manee-on, veterinarian of the park.
Animals and humans eat differently, he continued. Animals can consume only certain types of human food. When fed the wrong ones, they will develop digestive problems.
Young people from Bai Mai and Rak Khao Yai groups ask tourists not to give food to wild animals which is prohibited by law.
"Some kinds of food cause many symptoms such as diarrhea, flatulence and in some cases, food poisoning," he said, adding that feeding wildlife is linked to many potential public health hazards and changes in behavior.
Many visitors think wild animals lack food and it is their moral duty to help. "Wild animals have their own diets. If no one destroys the food chain in the forest, animals have enough food to eat," he said, adding that leftovers can cause disease and digestive obstructions, especially when animals swallow plastic and other wrappings.
"Sometimes it has been too late when we have found sick animals," he said about the rising death of wild animals from eating food containers.
Young people help a young monkey that was hit by a speeding car as it waited for food near a road.
Littering is one of the major problems. Each year, more than 200,000kg of garbage is left by some 750,000 tourists visiting Khao Yai National Park. Last year, the amount of garbage reached 295,930kg.
Garbage and feeding wild animals has serious health effect beyond imagination.
Veterinarian Pattrapol explained that contagious diseases are carried by micro organisms and transmitted through humans, animals, food and air.
Communicable diseases from wild animals could be transmitted from animals to humans through parasites, bacteria and viruses. Likewise, humans can also transmit their germs to animals.
An autopsy of a dead monkey at a zoo in Lop Buri province showed the monkey ate leftover food and was infected by a herpes virus from humans.
"In humans, herpes viruses are not deadly, but once they are transmitted to animals, they become fatal," he said.
Giving food to wild animals causes many adverse consequences such as infection, digestive problems and behavior changes in animals.
Besides, those who like giving food to wild animals could get infected from animals as well. Moreover, they are at risk of being attacked by wild animals, he said. "Even though they may look or act tame, they are wild animals."
Problems in Khao Yai National Park now go beyond littering and feeding. The degradation of forest and behavioral changes in wild animals have been recognized by many people.
Pharmacist Supaporn Pitiporn of Chaophya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital in Prachin Buri is among them. She has observed ecological change while trekking in Khao Yai forest to explore herbs, wild plants and animals.
"There are changes in food chains and webs in the park. Certain animals such as deer come close to humans while predators such as tigers have disappeared," she said, adding that feeding causes wildlife to lose their natural ability to find their own food in the forest and fear of humans. Behaviors of deer have also changed. They have started to scavenge for food at garbage points. Meanwhile, the population of Asian wild dogs is rising. This is a threat to warthogs with a number being killed by dogs in July last year.
When deer mate, hormones are released from their necks. Normally, this causes no harm, but deer are now becoming infected by insects from garbage and leftover food.
Monkeys no longer forage for food in the forest. They simply wait near the road to be fed by tourists, and many have been hit by cars. In return, some drivers have also been injured.
In many camping grounds such as Kluay Mai Cliff, monkeys have become aggressive and snatch food or anything from the hands of visitors. Sometimes, these ferocious simians also hurt the visitors.
"Some monkeys have become unwelcome guests at guesthouses searching for food there instead of the forest," said pharmacist Supaporn.
Other wild animals have been affected from ecological changes too. For example, elephants have gotten lost when forests have become degraded. Many elephants are hit by cars or cannot find food as vast forest tracts have dwindled due to roads and other man-made constructions.
Sometimes, trivial and seemingly non-harmful tourist activities such as wildlife watching as well as noises from vehicles can do serious harm. Noise affects wild animals _ with some adopting negative behaviors such as neglecting their young. It can lead to the loss of navigation skills in birds.
Some animals eat visitors’ leftover food, in many cases with plastic containers.
Because of feeding, littering and noise problems, Khao Yai National Park and concerned agencies will launch the four "No" Campaign for tourists:
- No to littering. Tourists should take their garbage with them
- No to wild animal feeding
- No to high-speed driving
- No to noise making
Theerapat Prayurasiddhi, deputy director of the National Park Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, said each year, his department has to handle more 4,500 violations. He admitted there is not enough manpower to look after 33% of the national parks nationwide. Thus he emphasized education and public participation. "There are more than 1,000 kinds of wild animals that are being hunted each year, we need to seek more alliances in looking after our national parks," he said, adding that he welcomes projects that boost public awareness on forest and national park protection.
Buranasak Rueksamruaj, director of Tourism Authority of Thailand's Nakhon Nayok office, said he supports the campaign and will inform tour leaders who bring guests to the park. "Tourists should be aware of the value of the forest, and should give their hand to the campaign by taking their garbage and not feeding animals. We must make them aware that the forest has enough food for them," he said.
As World Heritage Sites are involved, engaging public groups is also very crucial. The Rak Khao Yai Group has been working for 18 years with the Pitak Khao Yai Foundation to organize youth camps to remember the deaths of elephants in Khao Yai and raise awareness among young people of forest conservation. It also conducts many follow-up projects for participants and students from schools around Khao Yai National Park, covering four provinces.
"We want to make young people aware of what they gain from the national park and what they can contribute to protect their national forest and their sources of food, herbs and water," said Krieng Ritcharoen, chairperson of the group.
Krieng will involve many other civic groups in campaign activities. "We will campaign during Songkran for all visitors to the National Park," he said, adding that Khao Yai belongs to everybody.
"It's everyone's duty and responsibility to look after this national forest."
published by Bangkok Post 7 April 2011
Songkran Tourists Take Note!
Tourism can cause adverse consequences when visitors do not respect the rules of law and nature
• Published: 7/04/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: Life
It is common to see people throw their garbage or leftovers from their car while driving up to the World Heritage Site of Khao Yai National Park. Such acts of carelessness may seem trivial, but littering can do serious harm to wildlife and ecology.
Many people have no idea why they have to look after national parks and wild animals. They may not know the park is a watershed that gives birth to many rivers, not to mention purifying the air they breathe. Wild animals are important too for spreading and spawning flowers, fruits and trees. Forests and animals are not just natural ornaments; they are important workers in ecological food webs.
If you want to feed wild animals when visit a national park, think again! Your compassion could cause a deadly impact on wildlife and the local ecosystem.
But since when can an act of mercy be wrong?
Big bikes and cars cause noise that interrupts nature and seriously affects animals.
Despite there being ubiquitous banners pleading with visitors not to feed wild animals, it has become fashionable for visitors to feed monkey, deer and other wildlife inside Khao Yai National Park. Many feed them real foods or fruits. But some are careless enough to throw leftovers, often with plastic containers and bags.
"Giving food to wildlife is equivalent to sentencing them to death," said Pattarapol Manee-on, veterinarian of the park.
Animals and humans eat differently, he continued. Animals can consume only certain types of human food. When fed the wrong ones, they will develop digestive problems.
Young people from Bai Mai and Rak Khao Yai groups ask tourists not to give food to wild animals which is prohibited by law.
"Some kinds of food cause many symptoms such as diarrhea, flatulence and in some cases, food poisoning," he said, adding that feeding wildlife is linked to many potential public health hazards and changes in behavior.
Many visitors think wild animals lack food and it is their moral duty to help. "Wild animals have their own diets. If no one destroys the food chain in the forest, animals have enough food to eat," he said, adding that leftovers can cause disease and digestive obstructions, especially when animals swallow plastic and other wrappings.
"Sometimes it has been too late when we have found sick animals," he said about the rising death of wild animals from eating food containers.
Young people help a young monkey that was hit by a speeding car as it waited for food near a road.
Littering is one of the major problems. Each year, more than 200,000kg of garbage is left by some 750,000 tourists visiting Khao Yai National Park. Last year, the amount of garbage reached 295,930kg.
Garbage and feeding wild animals has serious health effect beyond imagination.
Veterinarian Pattrapol explained that contagious diseases are carried by micro organisms and transmitted through humans, animals, food and air.
Communicable diseases from wild animals could be transmitted from animals to humans through parasites, bacteria and viruses. Likewise, humans can also transmit their germs to animals.
An autopsy of a dead monkey at a zoo in Lop Buri province showed the monkey ate leftover food and was infected by a herpes virus from humans.
"In humans, herpes viruses are not deadly, but once they are transmitted to animals, they become fatal," he said.
Giving food to wild animals causes many adverse consequences such as infection, digestive problems and behavior changes in animals.
Besides, those who like giving food to wild animals could get infected from animals as well. Moreover, they are at risk of being attacked by wild animals, he said. "Even though they may look or act tame, they are wild animals."
Problems in Khao Yai National Park now go beyond littering and feeding. The degradation of forest and behavioral changes in wild animals have been recognized by many people.
Pharmacist Supaporn Pitiporn of Chaophya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital in Prachin Buri is among them. She has observed ecological change while trekking in Khao Yai forest to explore herbs, wild plants and animals.
"There are changes in food chains and webs in the park. Certain animals such as deer come close to humans while predators such as tigers have disappeared," she said, adding that feeding causes wildlife to lose their natural ability to find their own food in the forest and fear of humans. Behaviors of deer have also changed. They have started to scavenge for food at garbage points. Meanwhile, the population of Asian wild dogs is rising. This is a threat to warthogs with a number being killed by dogs in July last year.
When deer mate, hormones are released from their necks. Normally, this causes no harm, but deer are now becoming infected by insects from garbage and leftover food.
Monkeys no longer forage for food in the forest. They simply wait near the road to be fed by tourists, and many have been hit by cars. In return, some drivers have also been injured.
In many camping grounds such as Kluay Mai Cliff, monkeys have become aggressive and snatch food or anything from the hands of visitors. Sometimes, these ferocious simians also hurt the visitors.
"Some monkeys have become unwelcome guests at guesthouses searching for food there instead of the forest," said pharmacist Supaporn.
Other wild animals have been affected from ecological changes too. For example, elephants have gotten lost when forests have become degraded. Many elephants are hit by cars or cannot find food as vast forest tracts have dwindled due to roads and other man-made constructions.
Sometimes, trivial and seemingly non-harmful tourist activities such as wildlife watching as well as noises from vehicles can do serious harm. Noise affects wild animals _ with some adopting negative behaviors such as neglecting their young. It can lead to the loss of navigation skills in birds.
Some animals eat visitors’ leftover food, in many cases with plastic containers.
Because of feeding, littering and noise problems, Khao Yai National Park and concerned agencies will launch the four "No" Campaign for tourists:
- No to littering. Tourists should take their garbage with them
- No to wild animal feeding
- No to high-speed driving
- No to noise making
Theerapat Prayurasiddhi, deputy director of the National Park Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, said each year, his department has to handle more 4,500 violations. He admitted there is not enough manpower to look after 33% of the national parks nationwide. Thus he emphasized education and public participation. "There are more than 1,000 kinds of wild animals that are being hunted each year, we need to seek more alliances in looking after our national parks," he said, adding that he welcomes projects that boost public awareness on forest and national park protection.
Buranasak Rueksamruaj, director of Tourism Authority of Thailand's Nakhon Nayok office, said he supports the campaign and will inform tour leaders who bring guests to the park. "Tourists should be aware of the value of the forest, and should give their hand to the campaign by taking their garbage and not feeding animals. We must make them aware that the forest has enough food for them," he said.
As World Heritage Sites are involved, engaging public groups is also very crucial. The Rak Khao Yai Group has been working for 18 years with the Pitak Khao Yai Foundation to organize youth camps to remember the deaths of elephants in Khao Yai and raise awareness among young people of forest conservation. It also conducts many follow-up projects for participants and students from schools around Khao Yai National Park, covering four provinces.
"We want to make young people aware of what they gain from the national park and what they can contribute to protect their national forest and their sources of food, herbs and water," said Krieng Ritcharoen, chairperson of the group.
Krieng will involve many other civic groups in campaign activities. "We will campaign during Songkran for all visitors to the National Park," he said, adding that Khao Yai belongs to everybody.
"It's everyone's duty and responsibility to look after this national forest."
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
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