Endangered bison caught on camera in Thailand for first time in 37 years
For the first time in 37 years, staff at the Salawin Wildlife Sanctuary in Thailand have captured images of an endangered bison on camera.
The sighting on October 8 confirmed that the sanctuary was the only protected forest in northern Thailand where the animal had been seen in recent history.
Sanctuary staff had last spotted this bison species in 1986.
On October 28, Arkhom Boonnontae, chief of the Salawin Wildlife Sanctuary, revealed that the sanctuary's staff had been installing camera traps to continuously survey the distribution of wildlife in the area, in conjunction with Smart Patrol personnel. The sanctuary is an important area in terms of ecology and biodiversity for the border forest between Thailand and Myanmar.
Arkhom revealed that they selected areas "where wildlife tracks were abundant or where different types of wildlife were reported to have been seen in the area. And in the early hours of the morning in the past month, we got a photo of a rare wildlife in Northern Thailand, that is a Bos gaurus.”
Based on reports from the staff at the location where the photo was taken and from local residents, it was found that bison tracks had been spotted in the area every year.
They come in small herds, up to 1-3 bisons and tend to forage back and forth in the border forest between the Salawin Wildlife Sanctuary, the Mae Yuam Wildlife Sanctuary, and Myanmar. However, with only information from word of mouth, footprints, and dung, the officials could not confirm whether it was a bison or a livestock track from villagers, he said.
The reports from the staff and local residents suggested that bisons had been using the area for many years but it was difficult to confirm their presence without photographic evidence, Arkhom said.
The discovery of the bison in the Salawin Wildlife Sanctuary is a positive sign for the conservation of the species in Thailand. It suggests that there may be a small population of bison surviving in the sanctuary, and that the habitat is suitable for their needs, he said.
The Salawin Wildlife Sanctuary staff are continuing to monitor the area to learn more about the bison population and to develop conservation measures to protect them, he added.
