Intriguing draw Shrimps climb banks on their way to lay eggs deep in a jungle in Ubon Ratchathani When dusk falls they converge in millions every night along a stretch of the stream as it runs through Nam Yuen District and crawl up the rocky banks to lay eggs, a ritual that attracts curious onlookers in hordes. Street lamps are turned on to illuminate the entrance and parking area near the stream while security and volunteer staff go on alert keeping an eye on visitors and protect the freely roaming creatures from any harm. August and September nights this stretch of the Lamduan rapids is busier at night time than during the day as people from far away converge for a glimpse of this strange phenomenon. It is believed that because the current in the stream is strong, the shrimp climb the banks and walk upstream to lay eggs deep in the jungle in Dongrek mountain range that separates Thailand and Cambodia. They lay eggs in places they were born. "We try to protect them. Fortunately they are not large, just a centimetre or so long so they are safe and don't up on the dinner table. I am still trying to come up with a way to effectively prevent visitors from doing them any harm," said Wichit Jiramoungkolgran, the chief of Wildlife Conservation and Development Centre in Ubon Ratchathani said. Visitors usually arrive with torches but the moment they train their light on the creatures they tend to flee the scene. "They are sensitive to light and retreat quickly. And once they do that it will take a while before they return," said the chief. If you train your torches on the water you will see thousands of red dots staring back in defiance; it's light reflecting off the eyes of shrimp converging in the stream. According to Wichit, the best way to admire them is by sitting by the stream bank in complete darkness, say for 20 minutes, and then turning on your torch: you will see them all around you, some literally at your feet. |