 |
| Great Hornbill |
 |
| Great Hornbill |
Khao Yai is no doubt the best national park in Thailand for regular visitors where it is relatively easy to see number of interesting animals.
Established in 1962 as Thailand's first national park, it is the third largest national park in Thailand. Situated mainly in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Khao Yai extends into Prachinburi, Saraburi and Nakhon Nayok provinces. Khao Yai checkpoint is just 2.5 hours away from Bangkok.
The park covers an area of 2,168 km², including rain/evergreen forests and grasslands. 1,351 meters high Khao Rom is the highest mountain within the park. The average altitude of the national park ranges from 400 to 1,000 meters asl.
Khao Yai is part of Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex, a World Heritage Site declared by UNESCO, covering 5 protected areas from Khao Yai to Cambodian border. The other protected areas are; Pang Sida National Park, Thap Lan National Park, Ta Phraya National Park and Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary.
Wildlife
Some often seen mammals include elephant, macaque, barking deer, sambar deer, gibbon, porcupine, civet. Other not too easily seen mammals are bear, gaur, otters, dhole, jackal. There haven't been any sign of tiger activity in the park for a while, but camera traps has revealed a significant tiger population in neighbouring Thap Lan and Pang Sida National Park. There used to be a one single siamese crocodile in the national park along the one of trails, but it is gone since a while back.
The national park is home to around 300 resident and migratory birds and has one of Thailand's largest populations of hornbills. Some of the interesting birds that can be found in the park are barbets, scarlet minivets, broadbills, pittas, mountain scops-owls, great slaty woodpeckers, collared owlets, blue-winged leafbirds, Asian fairy bluebirds, trogons, drongos and magpies. Many ground dwelling birds such as silver pheasants, junglefowls, green-legged partridges and Siamese fireback are common on the roads and trails. Best time to visit Khao Yai for birdwatching is during the dry months and during March April when the big bird migration happens.
Khao Yai is also a good destination for watching reptiles. The best time is around March-April but with still good activity until October, during the cold seasons it takes a bit more effort to spot them. Reticulated python, Ahaetulla prasina, Chinese ratsnake, Chinese water dragon, water monitor and crested lizards are only few of many species that can be found in the park.
 |
| As it states, Khao Yai is a World Heritage National Park |
 |
| Oriental Pied Hornbill |
 |
| Bay Banded Cuckoo |
 |
| Bay Banded Cuckoo |
 |
| Barking Deer |
 |
| Great Hornbills |
 |
| Pig tailed Macaque |
 |
| White handed Gibbon |
We had an excellent experience with the WH Gibbons. There may have been nearly a dozen in the trees surrounding us. We must have been on the edge between two territories and the different troupes [if that is the right word] were agitated and hooting and 'carrying on'. The gibbons have two colour phases as these photos show.
 |
| baby |
 |
| just hanging... |
 |
| our actual view unaided by optics |
 |
| Family portrait |
 |
| Family portrait - complete |
 |
| poor capture of an Ashy Minivet |
 |
| Puff throated Bulbul |
 |
| Smooth Otter near Park Headquarters |
 |
| Otter food |
 |
| more otter food... |
 |
| Sambar fawn |
 |
| and with mum |
 |
| Mother Sambar |
 |
| Giant Black Squirrel |
 |
| Giant Black Squirrel - this animal is approximately the size of a domestic cat |
 |
| female Taiga Flycatcher - a winter migrant |
 |
| River at Headquarters |
 |
| Skink sp |
 |
| Butterflies? |
 |
| ? |
 |
| Tom getting into the swing of things....[see what i did there?] |
 |
| Sign advising that is you dance with a deer you must let them lead... |
 |
| resident race of Ashy Drongo |
 |
| Contemplative Pig tailed Macaque. These animals are common around campsites and have learned not only to scavenge but to steal and, in some circumstances to attack. One annoying Polish guy in uor first day trip was attacked and had some fruit of his stolen. Sadly he wasn't bitten. Our Guide, Nine [not sure about spelling] was careful to wait until the Macaque had finished before he removed the plastic bag from the ground. "He bite, he bite!' |
 |
| Phylloscopus Warbler - Yellow browed? |
 |
| Add caption |
 |
| Add caption |
 |
| Add caption |
 |
| Add caption |
 |
| Little Cormorant |
 |
| Waterfall in Park |
 |
| Blue Whistling Thrush |
 |
| Pig tailed Macaque |
No comments:
Post a Comment