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siamese
stories
born to be wild
By Roger Norwood
A report in the Bangkok Post this
week on the Kui Buri National
Park, about an hour south of Hua
Hin, made interesting reading as it
revealed that the park is still closed
while an investigation continues
into the discovery of 18 mysterious
deaths of gaurs (Indian bison) in
December last year.
The article hints at this being part of
a political process to grab the lion’s
share of the lucrative safari business
that has been thriving at the park,
currently carried out by the local
people who have been instrumental
in making the park what it is today.
The locals are extremely frustrated
at how long the investigation by
the Department of National Parks,
Wildlife and Plant Conservation
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(DNP) is taking, and have raised
by themselves 100,000 baht reward
money for anyone who helps catch
those responsible for the death of
the gaurs.
Another factor in this issue is the
proposal by the DNP that the Park
be turned into a Unesco World
Heritage site and, if approved, this
would mean a substantial increase
in budget allocation. Interestingly,
the previous Kui Buri National Park
chief was recently relocated, much
to the locals displeasure.
Theerapat Prayurasiddhi, deputy
secretary general of the DNP has
dismissed the villagers ‘conspiracy
theories’ and his office has said that
the park will be reopened as soon
as the case of the dead animals is
cleared.
The park offers another tourist string
to the bow of the Hua Hin area, and
given its unique nature it would be
a great shame if the model of the
so-called “local villagers-inclusive
conservation” is denied exposure
by a long closure.
By all accounts the park is absolutely
stunning, with large herds of
elephants to be seen grazing, along
with a huge variety of other wildlife
including the aforementioned gaurs
as well as tigers, and a unique to
Thailand 12,000 rai grass prairie,
which is a designated food zone for
the wild animals.
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