Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
lax - just walk around the animal section of Bangkok's Chatuchak Weekend Market to
see how openly the rules are flouted. Due to habitat loss, pollution and poaching, a de-
pressing number of Thailand's mammals, reptiles, fish and birds are endangered, and
even populations of formerly common species are diminishing at an alarming rate. Rare
mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, shells and tropical aquarium fish are routinely
smuggled out to collectors around the world or killed to make souvenirs for tourists.
Many of Thailand's marine animals are under threat, including whale sharks, although
they have been seen more frequently in Thai waters recently, and sea turtles, which are
being wiped out by hunting for their eggs, meat and shells. Many other species of shark
are being hunted to extinction for their fins, which are used to make shark-fin soup.
The rare dugong (similar to the manatee and sometimes called a sea cow), once
thought extinct in Thailand, is now known to survive in a few small pockets, mostly
around Trang in southern Thailand, but is increasingly threatened by habitat loss and the
lethal propellers of tourist boats.
The Thai government is slowly recognising the importance of conservation, perhaps in
part due to the efforts and leadership of Queen Sirikit, and many of the kingdom's zoos
now have active breeding and conservation programs. Wildlife organisations such as the
Phuket Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre are working to educate the public about native
wildlife and have initiated a number of wildlife rescue and rehabilitation projects.
Plants
Southern Thailand is chock-full of luxuriant vegetation, thanks to its two monsoon sea-
sons. The majority of forests away from the coast are evergreen rainforests, while trees at
the ocean edge and on limestone formations are stunted due to lack of fresh water and ex-
posure to harsh minerals.
The most beautiful shoreline trees are the many species of palm trees occurring in
Thailand, including some found nowhere else in the world. All have small tough leaves
with characteristic fanlike or featherlike shapes that help dissipate heat and conserve wa-
ter. Look for the elegant cycad palm on limestone cliffs, where it grows in cracks despite
the complete absence of soil. Collected for its beauty, this common ornamental plant is
disappearing from its wild habitat.
Thailand is also home to nearly 75 species of salt-tolerant mangroves - small trees
highly adapted to living at the edge of salt water. Standing tiptoe-like on clumps of tall
roots, mangroves perform a vital ecological function by trapping sediments and nutrients,
