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Chiang Mai Night Safari Project opening to controversy
The government says the critics are wrong _ wildlife conservation is a priority in Thailand and the Night Safari will play an important role.
Prime Minister Taksin Shinawatra, after visiting the Singapore Night Safari, had an idea that Chiang Mai should have such a tourist attraction to accommodate local and foreign wildlife lovers. He appointed Dr Plodprasop Surasvadi, the former permanent secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, to supervise the establishment of the Chiang Mai Night Safari Project (CMNSP). Bernard Harrison and Friends Ltd. of Singapore, the designers of the Singapore park, were also commissioned to design the Chiang Mai project, at a cost of around 20 million baht. Construction began in 2003 and the park is scheduled to open late this year or early next year.
The CMNSP site is located at the outskirts of the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, another major natural tourist attraction. The project area covers about 725 rai in Hang Dong and Muang districts of Chiang Mai. The average altitude is 546 metres above mean sea level.
The main objective of the project is to create a world class night zoo for Thai and foreign tourists, the first in Thailand and only the third in the world. The first was in Singapore and the second in Guangzhou, China. There may soon be a fourth built in Malaysia.
Another objective was to develop eco-tourism in the area around the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. It's also hoped that the park will be an important mechanism to promote public awareness and understanding of wildlife conservation.
The predominant architectural style is of the Lanna period. The park will boast a reception hall with a natural education centre, souvenir shops and several types of restaurants. After viewing northern Thai classical dance performances, at dusk tourists will be taken in 80-seat opened-sided trams to the first of the 3-part safari, the Savannah Safari, which is set on about 375 rai. Here visitors can see animals in the open field _ African elephants, tapirs, giraffes, zebras, ostriches, hyenas and even white rhinos. There will also be about 50 elephants for riding.
The second part of the safari is the Predator Prowl, set on about 187 rai. Tourists will be taken in closed air-conditioned trams to see carnivorous animals such as lions, tigers, Asiatic black bears, jackals, wild dogs and crocodiles.
The last part is Swan Lake, on about 62.5 rai, where mute swans and whooping swans are on display. The lake is surrounded by the Jaguar Trail, which will be travelled mostly by South American animals such as the Brazilian tapir, sloth bear and small clawed otter.
The project is being built with state funds, but after the seventh year at the latest is meant to be self-sustaining. There will be about 102 full-time personnel and 56 part-time. Locals will be given priority for employment.
The project investment was about 1.3 billion baht, while the profits of the project in the first year are estimated to be about 232 million baht. This is projected to increase to 261 million in the fifth year of operation and to 302 million baht in the 10th year.
Entrance fees have not yet been officially determined, but according to one source will run about 400 baht for foreign tourists, 200 baht for Thais and 100 baht for Chiang Mai residents.
All allegations are untrue
Though it has yet to open, the CMNSP is already deep in controversy because of deals worked out by the government to trade Thai elephants and tigers for species from other countries (see main front page story). Local and international animal welfare and conservationist groups are opposed to taking koalas and other marsupials from Australia in exchange for 9 young Asian elephants and trading about 300 animals from Kenya for Asian tigers and the services of Thai elephant trainers (mahouts).
Dr Plodprasop, now a vice minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office, told Sunday Perspective:"We have all the answers for those who might be puzzled about or against our project. All the allegations are untrue. We do care about the animals and the environment," he said.
Dr Plodprasop said that on the whole, the night safari was meant to be a wildlife conservation project, and will focus on the study and breeding of endangered species.
He added that the project would have the most modern animal hospital in Southeast Asia, run by Chiang Mai University. Faculty and students from the veterinary college will oversee healthcare of the animals. It will provide a good opportunity for students to practice their skills in the field, said Dr Plodprasop.
Dr Plodprasop said in the initial stages the CMNSP did not intend to take animals from Africa, but a meeting late last year between Justice Minister Suwat Lipatapallop, who was supervising tourism at the time, and Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki to promote tourism between the two countries resulted in an agreement that Kenya would provide about 300 wild animals of 40-50 species to Thailand. He said that only 4-5 species were subject to trade restrictions under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES).
Originally the project planned to buy exotic animals born under captivity in Thailand for exhibition and build up the animal population with their offspring, but the Kenya offer was too good to pass up.
Dr Plodsaprop said it was not true, as some have claimed, that Kenya is getting the short end of the deal. In addition to the five Asian tigers and the mahouts, also included in the deal was training in Thailand for Kenyan government officers in tourism, and particularly eco-tourism, and related activities such as hotel management.
Allegations that the project would take water from nearby villages are also untrue, he said. The night safari will use water from 15 deep artesian wells which have been dug on the project grounds. Five reservoirs on the site were already in existence before the project and were modified to store enough water for the dry season. Dr Plodprasop said the project was willing to dig additional artesian wells for the villagers.
A home for wayward elephants
Dr Plodsaprop revealed that the government has also set aside about 600 million baht to run an Elephant Park on about 6,000 rai next to the CMNSP. The purpose of the park is partly to provide a home for the domesticated elephants which roam all over the country with their mahouts.
The Forest Industry Organisation cannot solve the problem alone, said Dr Plodsaprop.
"When the new project runs, no elephants will roam the cities begging. The owners of the elephants will be invited to join the project or to sell their elephants."
The park will also serve to heighten the public's awareness and knowledge of elephant conservation, and will include an authentic Karen village. The elephants will be set in their natural habitats, roaming freely on a large tract of land, with a healthy and natural diet. Their feeding grounds will be rotated and tourists will be allowed to observe the elephants' daily life.
"We need a large area because elephants need room to move," he said. He added that the project is not only for elephants but other wildlife as well. He said the National Park Department and the Royal Forestry Department now have an abundance of illegally trafficked wildlife which has been confiscated and kept under captivity, such as gaurs and benteng (both are types of wild cattle), gibbons, monkeys, several species of deer, birds and more than 200 bears of three species. Breeding centres nationwide can also supply many kinds of animals such as endangered white-winged woodducks, several species of pheasants and talking mynahs.
Dr Plodprasop said all the animals in the project would be tagged for identification. All animals before coming to the project would be kept under a close quarantine process.
The grounds of the park will be reforested in areas where necessary, and vegetation to provide an appropriate diet for all animals will also be cultivated as needed. The environment will be rehabilitated in other ways to accomodate the animals, such as in making checkdams over the streams, small reservoirs, swamps and manmade saltlicks.
In addition to providing an environmentally suitable home for the animals, said Dr Plodsaprop, the CMNSP and the Elephant Park are meant to generate income, especially for the residdents of 30 nearby villages. In all, the parks will employ about 600 people. Dr Plodsaprop said he welcomed constructive comments on the projects from all concerned.
Bangkok Post 10 June 2005 www.bangkokpost.com
Supradit Kanwanich
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