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| นิตยสาร สารคดี: ฉบับที่ ๒๒๒ เดือนสิงหาคม ๒๕๔๖ | ISSN 0857-1538 | |||
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| Story by Petch Manopawitr | |||
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It could happen so fast-the process of a species becoming endangered. Before 1940s, the colourful Gurney's Pitta was likely to exist in great number. Hundreds of the bird's specimen are kept at museums around the world, 62 at Britain's Natural History Museum alone. After 1946, however, no sighting of the bird was reported. At one point, the bird was actually assumed to have gone extinct. Until its rediscovery in 1986 by two ornithologists, Phillip D. Round and Uthai Treesukhon. News was not all good, however. Followed the joy of rediscovery was concern about how to ensure the survival of this endangered bird. The environment was hostile, to say the least. The 35 pairs of Gurney's Pitta were found in a lowland rainforest at Khao Nor Chuchi, Krabi province, where poaching, deforestation and bird hunting was commonly practiced. |
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A year after the recovery, the government announced the bird's habitat a conservation forest. Three years later, the then Royal Forestry Department and the Conservation Biology Centre, Mahidol University set up the Khao Nor Chuchi Lowland Forest project to help save the bird, which is restricted to lowland forest. Two years later, the Gurney's Pitta was accorded the status as one of the country"s reserved animals, which deserves maximum protection. Ten years have passed. The attempt apparently failed to protect the bird. The project folded in 1989. The number of Gurney's Pittas was reduced to about 13 pairs. Why did it fail? Many reasons were cited including the fact that the conservation zone did not comprise the area where most of the birds resided, the inability to enforce the laws and conflicts between government officers, non-governmental organization staff and local villagers. |
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But why the fuss over the survival of this particular bird? For one thing, the fate of the Gurney's Pitta epitomises the problems of animal conservation in Thailand. Not only is details about the species is needed to map out a plan to conserve it but it is imperative to ensure cooperation from every party and stakeholder involved in the matter. Also, the lowland rainforest where the Gurney's Pitta lives is also home to many rare birds including the Black Hornbill, Red-crowned Barbet and Large Wren. To save the habitat means saving these birds and other fauna and flora that is found there as well. A year after the Khao Nor Chuchi Lowland Forest Project closed down, a few international ornithological societies started campaigning for the conservation of the Gurney's Pitta. During the British Bird-watching Fair in 2000, more than 3,000 people signed their names and made donation for the cause. |
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Since 2002, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Oriental Bird Club (OBC) and Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) have worked together with the local Bird Conservation Society of Thailand to make another attempt to save the remaining few Gurney's Pittas. This time, they plan to establish a bird-conservation network encompassing every stakeholder into the project, be they government officers, forestry staff, local villagers, academics and conservationists. A plan was drawn for an initial implementation period of five years. While the aim is to conserve and if possible increase the number of the Gurney's Pitta in the area, the action plan will seek to promote sustainable development for people in the community. In short, it aims at sustaining both the bird and people. At this stage, the coalition has come up with more than 40 projects for implementation. Whether it will succeed, nobody can tell. The only thing we know is the survival of a species is at stake. |