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Flora and Fauna
The Western Forest Complex is located on the crossroad of four
biogeographical zones: Indo-Chinese, Sino-Malayan, Indo-Burmese, and Eastern
India. These biogeographical overlaps have provided a unique assemblage of Asian
species and much of the basis for the designation of
Huai Kha Khaeng and
Thung Yai Naresuan wildlife
sanctuaries as UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1991.
The size of the Western Forest Complex - 18 730 square km
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endows it with a wealth
of plants and animals including 153 mammal species, 490 bird species, 41
reptiles and 108 species of fish. It is also a vital source of water. The conservation value of
the Complex
has already been weakened by reservoirs (Si Nakharin and Khao Laem), by a
through road to Three Pagoda Pass and by associated human settlements.
The Kayah-Karen mountain
rainforests ecoregion ranks among the highest for bird and mammal species
richness in Indochina. But Thung Yai Naresuan - Huai Kha Khaeng
are one of the few protected areas in
Thailand large
enough to support some wide-ranging mammal species in the long term. The
sanctuaries are
unique in supporting a diverse group of large mammal fauna, including tiger, 10
species of primates (all five of the region’s macaques), three bovids, elephant, tapir, and four of Thailand’s five deer
species. The 27 carnivores recorded in the sanctuaries
represent 75% of the total carnivore population of Thailand and 63% of the
carnivores of mainland Southeast Asia. The rich bird fauna represent about one
third of the birds of mainland Southeast Asia and 57% of the resident forest
birds of Thailand.
In the southern part of the Western Forest Complex,
Kaeng Krachan - the largest national park
in Thailand - supports 41 mammal species. The population of elephants constitutes
one of the largest elephant populations in the country. In recent years,
monitoring of tiger and prey species has been conducted along the Phetchaburi
river inside the park. There are 220 bird recorded including four hornbill
species and fresh water crocodile is found only in one other protected area in
Thailand.
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For more detailed information on flora and fauna of the Western Forest Complex see the
protected areas pages. |
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