WESTERN FOREST CONSERVATION CLUB
151/11-12 Rajavidhi Rd., Prapathomchedi , Muang , Nakhon Pathom ,Thailand 73000

Solar cell system construction and Maharaja station improvement project
Phase #5

                 During Buddhist Lent holiday 7th - 9th July 2006, WFCC performed the 5th stage of Solar Cell installation Project at Maharaja Wildlife Protection Station which is a part of the on-going project of Maharaja Wildlife Protection Station Improvement. As the result, some construction materials were transported to its worksite by WFCC representatives; Surin and Supachai, and solar cell system inside solar house was partially installed under well cooperation of Maharaja's rangers.

                 As rainy comes earlier than usual this year, as well as to bear increasing visitors and travelers, the only main route of west Thungyai that time got obviously much deteriorated than it was use to be as such previous years. So we took much more time on the way. Fortunately, we had Mr. Thitjit; the head office's ranger, as a companion. So we can finally passed such obstacles to our destination by his help.

                 During the way down from Dika hill, Mr. Supachai the driver stopped the truck as he noticed a wild animal laid across the road. Mr. Thitjit got off the truck to inspect and found it was a dead cat-size LARGE INDIAN CIVET ( Viverra zibetha ). There was no noticeable wound or injury found, and that can be assumed it died for a poisonous snake a few hours before as the corpse at that time still in warm temperature.  

                 LARGE INDIAN CIVET is a mammals; warm-blooded, vertebrate, carnivorous, and suckle on milk. It has black and white throat markings, brown spot on body and white bands alternating with black on tail, and has a bigger size than other civets. Feeds on smaller vertebrates and some invertebrates such as birds, chickens, flogs, toads, fish, rats, crabs, etc., and sometimes feeds on vegetation; fruits, roots, tubers as such. Commonly inhabits from Nepal, India, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Southern China, Vietnam, Malaysia. In Thailand, Large Indian Civet is found almost all over the country but mostly in Southern. It was officially classified as one of preserve animal. 

                 Large Indian Civet likely stays on ground in wild jungle or thick field. Good at climbing, mainly lives alone except during breeding which can be any time of a year. Adult is 2 years old upward. Female can have 2 pregnancies in a year and will have 2-4 juvenile in a pregnant time. The male sometimes help looking after their kids. It's life time can lasting to 10 years.

                 Heavy rain occured everyday during few weeks before, and that made all streams level much higher; especially of Dongwee stream that any truck can not pass by. Fortunately, there was not such that trouble for our mission, just a dizzled rain which, in contrast, kept us fresh. Moreover, even of Songtai stream also much higher as usual, it was not that bad to interrupt our mission.

                 When we arrived Maharaja Wildlife Protection Station at around 5 pm, we unload all stuffs. One of those was a refrigerator WFCC donated to Maharaja wildlife research station by our perception of food shortage as one significant trouble of field researchers. The refrigerator will release the trouble by keeping and reserving some foodstuffs for them so that they can stay longer, with even more capability on the field research. 

                  It began to rain again after dinner and then stronger for about 2 hours. We were worried that the Songtai stream level would have much more increased that we can not drive across to take the way back after another 2 days mission. We laid down, listen to the music rain and fall asleep since 9 pm.

                 In the following morning, 17th July 2006, the level of Songtai stream increased as we anticipated, as well as Dongwee stream that we were then informed by Mr. Amnat who just swam across that it was then at his chest-level.

                 After lunch, batteries and all other materials were transported to solar house. We then discussed about marking position for solar cell panel and about the next stage progressing plan of systematic installation which had flexible schedule to perform in the end of the same month, July 2006. During afternoon that day, it started to rain again until nightfall.

                 There was the final match of football world cup championship lives on air that night. So after dinner, everyone went to bed earlier to wake up for the match after midnight. Luckily, the satellite WFCC had previously donated and installed there still worked properly. Everyone there, even in such a wild jungle, therefore reached the great match as well as the others all over the world.  

                 In July 18th, it was continuous drizzled rain again since morning. The stream level somehow reduced from the day before. We began to leave after breakfast. Although the road was more slippery and there were more troubles than the time we came, the way back took a shorter time since we have unload everything. However, we retained concentration on driving as usual, especially during rainy which we realized we are all in risk in every moment and road condition may totally changed just in a single night.

                 When we reached an intersection of wildlife track, many footprints of tigers found. Those signed some different tigers in different time. Mr. Amnat Funfua who have passed operation training of tiger research by KNR measured the clues and found that one of them had 11 cm. which can be assumed it must be a very big tiger.

                 Apart from footprints, some other clues of tiger found nearby such as scrapes and scats. These were also kept as database for KNR Tiger Research Project in west Thungyai which will be held by Mr. Saksit Simchareon in the end of this year. 

                 We continued driving until reached the position we were reported from Mr. Wichai the ranger of Jakae Wildlife Protection Station about the sign of fighting between guar and tiger before we reached Tikong Wildlife Protection Station. There we found many footprints of both the hunter and the prey, as well as several untidy broken and scratched on plants found around the area. However, no carcass or corpse found nor those smell could be sensed around there. Imagine the guar could survive from the fighting and ran away, but it got hurt and the tiger patiently follow calmly times to times until the guar got too weary. And, finally the tiger reached it somewhere after its dead or maybe he came before and gave dead by his claws. It seems too cold-blooded but just a rule of nature.

                 By noon when we reached the office of west Thungyai, we reported our 5th mission to the head of west thungyai, Mr. Erb Cheong Sa-ard, who was on his duty as the director of the 16th Youth Camp of Nature Thai club. The 3 days camp comprised of altogether 50 attendants. And, it was their first time to held in Thungyai.

                 Across Lam Klong-Ngu stream, we notice its powerful blood-orange current and increasing level at only 4 meters to the bridge. At U-Long Stream, only 1 meter to be overflow over its banks. If only a continuous stormy rain comes during the days, it would probably has flood again like the previous year. We arrived our WFCC office at about 8 pm.

Surin / reported
Translated by Nutthinee Jerchasilp
July 16, 2006

Support WFCC Projects

Suggest WFCC to your friends