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Kui Buri National Park is a national park of Thailand. The
park covers parts
of the districts Pran Buri, Sam Roi Yot and Mueang Prachuap
Khiri Khan
District of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, a total of 969 km2.
There are dry evergreen and moist evergreen forest, important
trees are
Dipterocarpus tuberculatus, Hopeaodorata, Terminalia chebula
and palms.
Wildlife is abundant, there are elephants, guars, malayan tapirs,
leopards,
wild pigs, serows, gibbons, macaques, langurs. sambar deer,
bears,
barking deers, bantengs and lesser mouse deers, and perhaps
Fea's muntjac.
The nationalpark space for arround 130 wild elephants. Here
has elephants under the protection of his Majestic the King
of Thailand
Thirty per cent of Kui Buri's forest cover is formed by deciduous
trees,
40% is dry evergreen forest and the rest topical rain forest.
The forest is
also the origin of Kui Buri River which has spawned at least
four waterfalls
in the park.
The main attraction of Kuri Buri National Park are wild animals.
There are also many types of birds. The latest count revealed
there are some 230 elephants grouped in 50 families.
The estimated population size of elephants in Thailand is between
2,500-3,200. Gaur count in the park is estimated at 100.
Map: http://www.thailandsworld.com/index.cfm?p=952#axzz1lyReVOy5
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Now as we have finished
the introduction, let's see what we can find of specimens in this
park.
Naturally, we have to start with the elephants. |
Asian
elephant, Elephas maximus
Asian
elephant, Elephas maximus
Photo: ©Fletcher
& Baylis, www.wildsidephotography.ca
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The Asian or Asiatic elephant, Elephas maximus, is the only
living species of the genus Elephas and distributed in
Southeast Asia from India in the west to Borneo in the east.
Three subspecies are recognized — Elephas maximus
maximus from Sri Lanka, or Elephas maximus indicus,
the Indian elephant, from mainland Asia, and Elephas
maximus sumatranus from the island of Sumatra.
Asian elephants are the largest living land animals in Asia.
Since 1986, Elephas maximus has been listed as endangered
by IUCN as the population has declined by at least
50% over the last three generations, estimated to be 60–75
years. The species is pre-eminently threatened by habitat
loss, degradation and fragmentation. In 2003, the wild population
was estimated at between 41,410 and 52,345 individuals.
Indian
Elephant, Elephas maximus indicus
Elephas
maximus indicus,
in Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Used for tourism.
Photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Indian-Elephant-444.jpg
GNU Free Documentation License 1.2
In general, Asian
elephants are smaller than African elephants and have
the highest body point on the head.
The tip of their trunk has one finger-like process.
Their back is convex or level. Indian elephants reach
a
shoulder height of between 2 and 3.5 m , weigh between
2,000 and 5,000 kg , and have 19 pairs of ribs.
Their skin color is lighter than of maximus with smaller
patches of depigmentation, but darker than of
sumatranus. Females are usually smaller than
males, and have short or no tusks.
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Asian elephants are rather long-lived, with a maximum recorded
life span of 86 years.
This animal is widely domesticated, and has been used in forestry
in South and Southeast Asia for centuries and also
for ceremonial purposes. Historical sources indicate that
they were used during harvest seasons primarily for milling..
In general, Asian elephants are smaller than African elephants
and have the highest body point on the head.
Their back is convex or level. Their ears are small with dorsal
borders folded laterally. They have up to 20 pairs
of ribs and 34 caudal vertebrae. Their feet have more nail-like
structures than the ones of African elephants —
five on each forefoot, and four on each hind foot.
Large bull elephants weigh up to 5,400 kg and are 3.7 m high
at the shoulder. Females weigh up to 4,160 kg
and reach 2.54 m at the shoulder. The skeleton constitutes
about 15% of their body weight.
An
Asian Elephant herd at Jim Corbett National Park.
Uttarakhand, India - 2007
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:An_elephant_herd_at_Jim_Corbett_National_Park.jpg
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Asian elephants inhabit grasslands, tropical evergreen forest,
semi-evergreen forest, moist deciduous forest, dry
deciduous forested and dry thorn forest, in addition to cultivated
and secondary forests and scrublands.
Over this range of habitat types elephants are seen from sea
level to over 3,000 m. In the Eastern Himalaya
in northeast India, they regularly move up above 3,000 m in
summer at a few sites.
Elephants are crepuscular. They are megaherbivores and consume
up to 150 kg of plant matter per day. They are
generalist feeders, and both grazers and browsers, and were
recorded to feed on 112 different plant species, most
commonly of the order Malvales, and the legume, palm, sedge
and true grass families. They browse more in the dry
season with bark constituting a major part of their diet in
the cool part of that season.
They drink at least once a day and are never far from a permanent
source of fresh water. They need 80–200 litres
of water a day and use even more for bathing. At times they
scrape the soil for minerals and occasionally will eat
their own faeces if hungry.
The value of young elephants at camps
nationwide has soared because not enough babies are
being born in
captivity to meet the demand. Although we see stories
in the news every now and then about the birth of babies
at elephant camps, there are just not enough captive-born
calves. This gap in demand and supply is reflected in
the prices camp owners and businessmen are willing to
pay. A two- to four-year-old female, for example,
can now fetch a staggering Bt800,000 or Bt900,000.
Baby elephants are being taken out of the jungle in
Thailand at any cost. Mothers are being shot and even
their
nannies and sub-adult males still with the herd, trying
to protect the calves. Poachers, who have been interviewed,
say it is common to kill up to three elephants to take
one baby from the forest. Once a few elephants are killed,
the baby elephant stays close to the dead adults while
the rest of the herd usually runs for safety. Poachers
then
have limited time to get the baby out, fearing the return
of the herd and/or any witnesses attracted by the sound
of gunshots. This explains why some dead elephants have
been found with their tusks intact. Removing and
selling the tusks would be very lucrative - a small
pair would easily fetch Bt100,000 - but it takes too
much time.
Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/January
24, 2012 |
Borneo Elephant, Elephas maximus borneensis
Borneo Elephant, Elephas maximus borneensis
http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0000007
Yes, it happens all the time. When searching for info
on the Asian Elephant's three species,
I found a fourth one, the Borneo Elephant.
Elephas maximus borneensis lives in northern
Borneo and is smaller than all the other subspecies,
but with larger ears, a longer tail, and straight
tusks. |
Indian
elephants swimming in sea
BBC Natural History Unit & BBC
Natural History Sound Library
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Gaur or Indian Bison, Bos gaurus
Indian
Bison, July 2007
Photo: LRBurdak, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Indian_Bison.jpg
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The gaur, Bos gaurus, also called Indian bison, is a large bovine
native to South Asia and Southeast Asia.
Population trends are stable in well-protected areas, and are
rebuilding in a few areas which had been neglected.
The gaur is the largest species of wild cattle, bigger than the
African buffalo, the extinct aurochs, and wild water
buffalo. The domesticated form of the gaur, Bos frontalis,
is called gayal or mithun.
The Malayan gaur is called seladang, and the Burmese gaur is called
pyoung.
Herd of wild Indian bison
(Bos gaurus) at a salt lick;
shot in the Rajiv Gandhi National park in Kabini
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bos_gaurus.jpg
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The gaur is an extremely large mammal. It has a head-and-body
length of 250 to 330 cm with a 70 to 105 cm long tail,
and is 165 to 220 cm high at the shoulder. The average weight
is 650 to 1,000 kg , with an occasional large bull
weighing up to 1,500 kg. Males are about one-fourth larger and
heavier than females.
Gaur are said to look like water buffalo at the front and domestic
cattle at the back due to their heavily muscled and
enlarged forequarters compared to their relatively small hindquarters.
They are the heaviest and most powerful of all
wild cattle, and are among the largest living land animals. Only
elephants, rhinos and hippos consistently grow larger,
and the weight of the largest subspecies of gaur roughly matches
that of the giraffe.
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Malayan
Tapir, Tapirus indicus
Malayan
Tapir, Tapirus indicus
Photo July 1998, Bronx Zoo, NY, USA
© Copyright Brent Huffman, 1998,
http://http://www.ultimateungulate.com/ |
The Malayan Tapir, Tapirus indicus, also
called the Asian Tapir, is the largest of the
four species of tapir and the only
one native to Asia. The scientific name refers to the East Indies,
the species' natural habitat. In the Malay language,
the tapir is commonly referred to as "cipan", "tenuk"
or "badak tampong"
The animal is easily identified by its markings, most notably
the light-colored “patch” which extends from its shoulders
to its rear. The rest of its hair is black, except for the tips
of its ears which, as with other tapirs, are rimmed with white.
This pattern is for camouflage: the disrupted coloration makes
it more difficult to recognize it as a tapir, and other
animals may mistake it for a large rock rather than a form of
prey when it is lying down to sleep.
Asian
Tapir, Tapirus indicus
© Wilhelm Kuhnert, http://www.50birds.com/gendwildlife4.htm |
Malayan Tapirs grow to between 1.8 to 2.4 m in length, stand
90 to 107 cm tall, and typically weigh between 250
ando 320 kg, although they can weigh up to 500 kg. The females
are usually larger than the males. Like the other types
of tapir, they have small stubby tails and long, flexible proboscises.
They have four toes on each front foot and three
toes on each back foot. The Malayan Tapir has rather poor eyesight
but excellent hearing and sense of smell.
The Malayan Tapir was once found throughout the tropical lowland
rainforests of Southeast Asia, including Cambodia,
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, and Vietnam.
However, its numbers have decreased in recent
years, and today, like all tapirs, it is in danger of extinction.
Because of their size, tapirs have few natural predators,
and even reports of killings by tigers are scarce. The main
threat to the Malayan tapirs is human activity, including deforestation
for agricultural purposes, flooding caused by the damming of
rivers for hydroelectric projects, and illegal trade.
More about the Tapir, click here.
Wild boar, Wild pig, Sus scrofa
The Wild Boar (Sus
scrofa) is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig.
As shown in his natural habitat
Photo:
Richard Bartz, Munich , http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wild_Boar_Habbitat_3.jpg |
Wild boar, also known as wild pig, Sus scrofa, is a
species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family
Suidae.
The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor
of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely
hybridises. Wild boar are native across much of Northern and
Central Europe, the Mediterranean Region (including
North Africa's Atlas Mountains) and much of Asia as far south
as Indonesia. Populations have also been artificially
introduced in some parts of the world, most notably the Americas
and Australasia, principally for hunting. Elsewhere,
populations have also become established after escapes of wild
boar from captivity.
Wild
boar, female with 2 young
Photo: MarianSz, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wildsau_mit_Frischling.jpg |
Adult boars measure 90–200 cm in length, not counting
a tail of 15–40 cm , and have a shoulder height of 55–110
cm
As a whole, their average weight is 50–90 kg , though boars
show a great deal of weight variation within their
geographical ranges. In central Italy, their weight usually
ranges from 80 to 100 kg while boars shot in Tuscany have
been recorded to weigh up to 150 kg.
Serow,
Capricornis sumatraensis
A
serow, Capricornis sumatraensis. Picture taken
at Dusit Zoo, Bangkok, Thailand
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Serow_Capricornis_sumatraensis.JPG
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The serows are medium-sized goat-like or antelope-like mammals
of the genus Capricornis.
They live in central or eastern Asia. There are six species:
The Japanese Serow, Capricornis crispus, Taiwan Serow,
Capricornis swinhoei,
Sumatran serow, Capricornis sumatraensis, Chinese Serow,
Capricornis milneedwardsii,
Red Serow, Capricornis rubidus and Himalayan Serow, Capricornis
thar.
Like their smaller relatives the gorals, serows are often found
grazing on rocky hills, though typically at a lower
elevation when the two types of animal share territory. Serows
are the slower and less agile than members of the
genus Nemorhaedus, but they are nevertheless able to
climb slopes to escape predation or to take shelter during
cold winters or hot summers. Serows, unlike gorals, make use
of their pre-orbital glands in scent marking.
Chinese
Serow
Source http://www.mammalwatching.com/Palearctic/palearctchinasichuan2009.html |
Coloration varies by species, region, and individual. Both sexes
have beards and small horns which are often
shorter than their ears.
Red Serow, Capricornis
rubidus
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The Red Serow, Capricornis rubidus is an endangered goat-antelope,
thought to be native to northern Myanmar.
It has been considered a subspecies of Capricornis sumatraensis.
In the northeastern part of India, the red serow
occurs widely in the hills south of the Brahmaputra river
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Gibbons
White-handed
Gibbons
Photo: MatthiasKabel, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hylobates_lar_pair_of_white_and_black_01.jpg
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Gibbons are apes in the family Hylobatidae. The family
is divided into four genera: Hylobates (44), Hoolock
(38), Nomascus (52), and Symphalangus (50). Gibbons
occur in tropical and subtropical rainforests from northeast India
to Indonesia and north to southern China, including the islands
of Sumatra, Borneo and Java.
Also called the lesser apes, gibbons differ from great apes (chimpanzees,
bonobos, gorillas, orangutans and humans) in
being smaller, exhibiting low sexual dimorphism, in not making
nests, and in certain anatomical details in which they
superficially more closely resemble monkeys than great apes do.
Gibbons also display pair-bonding, unlike most of the
great apes. Gibbons are masters of their primary mode of locomotion,
brachiation, swinging from branch to branch for
distances of up to 15 m , at speeds as high as 56 km/h. They can
also make leaps of up to 8 m , and walk bipedally with
their arms raised for balance. They are the fastest and most agile
of all tree-dwelling, non-flying mammals.
Gibbon
hanging from bamboo
Courtesy:
http://brucekekule.com
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Depending on species and gender, gibbons' fur coloration varies
from dark to light brown shades, and anywhere in
between black and white. It is rare to see a completely white
gibbon.
Gibbons are social animals. They are strongly territorial, and
defend their boundaries with vigorous visual and vocal
displays. The vocal element, which can often be heard for distances
of up to 1 km, consists of a duet between a
mated pair, their young sometimes joining in. In most species
males, and in some also females, sing solos that attract
mates as well as advertise their territory.
Pileated
gibbon male and female
Courtesy:
http://brucekekule.com
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If a male and female like one another's song they will find the
other gibbon and do a short mating dance followed by a
vigorous mating ritual that lasts three days and they will mate
about five hundred times in this time period. The songs can
make them an easy find for poachers who engage in the illegal
wildlife trade and in sales of body parts for use in
traditional medicine. The song can be used to identify not only
which species of gibbon is singing but the area it is from.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibbon
Macaques, Macaca.......
Stump-tailed
macaque by the Phetchaburi River
Courtesy: http://brucekekule.com
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The macaques are the most
widespread primate, ranging from Japan to Afghanistan and, in
the case of the barbary
macaque, to North Africa. Twenty-two macaque species are currently
recognised, and they include some of the
monkeys best known to non-zoologists, such as the rhesus macaque,
Macaca mulatta, and the barbary macaque, Macaca sylvanus,
a colony of which lives on the Rock of Gibraltar. Although several
species lack tails, and their
common names therefore refer to them as apes, these are true monkeys,
with no greater relationship to the true apes
than any other Old World monkeys.
Macaques have a very intricate social structure and hierarchy.
If a macaque that is lower level in the social chain has
eaten berries and there are none left for a higher level macaque,
then the one higher in status can, within this social
organization, remove the berries from the other monkey's mouth.
Langurs, Colobinae...
Langur taken in Pench National
Park, India
Photo: Siddhi
, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Langur.jpg
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Colobinae, also called Leaf Monkey, is a subfamily of the
Old World monkey family that includes 59 species in 10
genera, including the skunk-like black-and-white colobus, the
large-nosed proboscis monkey, and the gray langurs.
Some classifications split the colobine monkeys into two tribes,
while others split them into three groups. Both
classifications put the three African genera Colobus, Piliocolobus,
and Procolobus in one group; these genera are
distinct in that they have a stub thumb. The various Asian genera
are placed into another one or two groups.
Asian species form two distinct groups, one of langurs
and the other of the "odd-nosed" species, but suggests
that
the gray langurs are not closely related to either.
Colobines are medium-sized primates with long tails and diverse
colorations. The coloring of nearly all the young
animals differs remarkably from that of the adults.
A young Dusky Leaf Monkey,
Trachypithecus obscurus,
in Khao Sam Roi Yot N.P. in Southern Thailand
Photo:Robertpollai,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Duskyleavemonkey1.jpg
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Most species are arboreal, although some live a more terrestrial
life. They are found in many different habitats of
different climate zones (rain forests, mangroves, mountain forests,
and savanah), but not in deserts and other dry
areas. They live in groups, but in different group forms.
They are almost exclusively herbivores, predominantly nourishing
themselves on leaves, flowers, and fruits.
They occasionally eat insects and other small animals. To aid
in digestion, particularly of hard-to-digest leaves,
they have a multi-chambered, complex stomach. Unlike the other
subfamily of Old World monkeys, the Cercopithecinae, they
possess no cheek pouches. |
Sambar, Rusa unicolor
A male Sambar deer
Photo:Wikigringo,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sambhar_deer.jpg |
The Sambar, Rusa unicolor, is a large deer native to
southern and southeast Asia. Although it primarily refers
to
Rusa unicolor, the name "Sambar" is also
sometimes used to refer to the Philippine Deer (called the
Philippine Sambar)
and the Rusa Deer (called the Sunda Sambar). The name is also
spelled sambur, or sambhur.
The appearance and size of sambar vary widely across their
range, which has led to considerable confusion in the past;
over forty different scientific synonyms have been used for
the species. In general, they attain a height of 102 to 160
centimetres at the shoulder and may weigh as much as 550 kg
, though more typically 150 to 320 kg.
Head and body length varies from 1.62 to 2.7 m , with a 22
to 35 cm tail. Individuals belonging to western subspecies
tend to be larger than those from the east.
Sambar
deers herd
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sambar_deers_herd.jpg |
The large, rugged antlers are typically rusine, the brow tines
being simple and the beams forked at the tip, so that they
have only three tines. The antlers are typically up to 110
centimetres long in fully adult individuals.
As with most deer, only the males have antlers.
The shaggy coat can be anything from yellowish-brown to dark
grey in colour and, while it is usually uniform in colour,
some subspecies have chestnut marks on the rump and underparts.
Sambar also have a small but dense mane, which
tends to be more prominent in males. The tail is relatively
long for deer, and is generally black above with a whitish
underside.
Sambar
deer juvenile, on alert in presence of tiger. Sawai
Madhopur, Rajasthan, IN.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Young_sambar.jpg
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Banteng, Bos javanicus
Banteng
herd in Khao Ang Rue Nai, Eastern Thailand
Courtesy: http://brucekekule.com |
The banteng (Bos javanicus), also known
as tembadau, is a species of wild cattle found in Southeast
Asia.
Banteng have been domesticated in several places in Southeast
Asia, and there are around 1.5 million domestic
banteng, which are called Bali cattle. These animals are used
as working animals and for their meat.
Bali cattle have also been introduced to Northern Australia,
where they have established stable feral populations.
The banteng is similar in size
to domestic cattle, being 1.55 to 1.65 m tall at the shoulder,
and weighing 600 to
800 kg. It exhibits sexual dimorphism, allowing the sexes
to be readily distinguished by colour and size.
In mature males, the short-haired coat is blue-black or dark
chestnut in colour, while in females and young it is
chestnut with a dark dorsal stripe. Both males and females
have white stockings on their lower legs, a white rump,
a white muzzle, and white spots above the eyes.
Banteng
bull in Huai Kha Khaeng
Courtesy:
http://brucekekule.com |
The build is similar to that of domestic cattle, but
with a comparatively slender neck and small head, and
a ridge on
the back above the shoulders. The horns of females are
short and tightly curved, pointing inward at the tips,
while
those of males arc upwards, growing 60 to 75 cm (24
to 30 in) long, and being connected by a horn-like bald
patch on the forehead.
Banteng live in sparse forest where they feed on grasses,
bamboo, fruit, leaves and young branches. The banteng
is generally active both night and day, but in places
where humans are common they adopt a nocturnal schedule.
Banteng tend to gather in herds of two to thirty members.
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Banteng spotted in Kuiburi National Park after 10 years
of disappearance
Panita Norasing
BANGKOK, 2 July 2010 (NNT) – Kuiburi National
Park Officials reported of a banteng spotted among a
herd of guars (Bos guarus) in the Kuiburi National Park
located in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province after 10 years
disappearance from the site.
“Banteng” in scientific name “Bos javanicus”,
also known as Tembadua is a species of wild cattle found
in South East Asia. It is one of the protected species
in Thailand and is in endangered group. Such a discovery
of a banteng in the National Park therefore indicates
the fertility of the forest.
Kuiburi National Park Head Bunlue Poonnin cited that
200 rai pineapple plantations within the Park has been
restored into a grassland in response to His Majesty
the King’s initiative , with 13 ponds dug as the
main food source of wild animals such as elephants,
gaurs and bantengs.
thainews.prd.go.th
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Fea's
Muntjac , Muntiacus feae
Male
mauntjac in Khao Yai
Courtesy: http://brucekekule.com
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The Fea's Muntjac or Tenasserim muntjac, Muntiacus feae,
is a rare species of muntjac native to People's Republic
of China, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand
and Viet Nam.
It is named after zoologist Leonardo Fea. Its other name comes
from the Tenasserim Hills, between Burma and
Thailand..
It is a similar size to the common muntjac (adult weight is
18 – 21 kg.
It is usually found in evergreen forests in upland areas.
In China it has been found in mountainous forest comprised
of a mixture of coniferous, broad-leaf forest or shrub forest
at an altitude of 2500 m (8200'). Young muntjacs are
usually born in dense growth, where they remain hidden until
they can move about with the mother. Muntjacs eat
grasses, low-growing leaves, and tender shoots. Fea's muntjac
is diurnal and solitary.
The young are usually born in dense vegetation,
remaining hidden until able to travel with the mother.
Lesser Mouse-deer, Tragulus javanicus
A
Lesser Mouse Deer (Tragulus kanchil) in Fuengirola Zoo
Photo: Linda Kenney, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lesser_Mouse_Deer_(Tragulus_Javanicus).jpg |
The Lesser Mouse-deer or Kanchil, Tragulus kanchil, also known
as the Lesser Malay Chevrotain, is a species of
even-toed ungulate in the Tragulidae family. It is found in
Indochina, Burma (isthmus of Kra), Brunei, Cambodia,
China (S Yunnan), Indonesia (Kalimantan, Sumatra, and many
small islands), Laos, Malaysia (peninsular Malaya,
Sarawak, and many small islands), Singapore, Thailand, and
Vietnam. It is the smallest known hoofed mammal,
at a mature size as little as around 45 cm (18 inches) and
2 kg (4.4 lb). It is threatened by predation by feral dogs.
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Huay
Dong Ma Fai Waterfall is 15 levels granite waterfall.
There is a pool that you can swim, the beautiful setting
and the surrounded forest are peaceful suit to recreation |
But before we end this presentation
of the wild-life in Kui Buri National Park
we need to find out something about the birds there. Are there any?
There must be, but we have no lists available, so we will see what
might be there, by looking at birdlife in Thailand as a whole. Click
here.
Visit our source for many of the pictures on this page!
Much of the information on
this page has been collected from Wikipedia
|
