Since 2006,
Khao Nang Rum Wildlife Research Station (KNR) in cooperation with Wildlife
Conservation Society (WCS) Thailand Program have established tiger and prey
population standard monitoring system in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary
(HKK), gaining satisfactory results. Therefore,
the knowledge in monitoring system should be passed on to students and academic
researchers who play an important role in saving wildlife through science in
order to enhance effectiveness of wildlife conservation in the future. The 9th
Training Course on Tiger Conservation Techniques was established for B.Sc.
students from Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart
University with the purposes are 1) to obtain understanding in principles, rationale
and operation of the SMART Patrol System, 2) to encourage students’ understanding in technique of data collection and analysis of
occupancy for estimating threat, tiger and other focal wildlife
distribution, 3) to increase their understanding in techniques of data collection and analysis for estimating
tiger and its prey population and 4) to enhance their skills in a practical way and gain more experiences from
field operations by working in cooperation with the HKK researchers and patrol rangers.
The training consists of two parts
which are field training during June 29 - July 8, 2015 at Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Uthai Thani
Province and software operation training during August 4-8, 2015 at Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University. There were
totally 39 participants consisting of 24 wildlife
and range science students, 14 parks, recreation, and tourism students from Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University and 1 student from
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science,
Chulalongkorn University.
Participants
received the training materials at the registration which supported by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Thailand Program.
Lecture and
test of map reading, compass and GPS using for data collection during patrol,
occupancy survey and line transect survey.
Dr. Anak
Pattanavibool, a lecturer from Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University gave concept and approaches of tiger and prey conservation.
Learn and
practice on data collection by filling
out patrol data forms under the SMART patrol system which is an
important part of tiger and wildlife protection from various threats within
protected areas.
Learn how to
collect data of focal wildlife (e.g. tigers) and threat distribution by using
occupancy survey which is a standard method in estimating wildlife within the
large landscapes.
Participants observed the HKK patrol’s monthly meeting. Then Mr.
Somphoch Maneerat, the superintendent of Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary
talked about the patrol in wildlife sanctuaries.
Participants joined the patrol with rangers for 4 days in the
field. They practiced on how to collect data by filling out patrol data
forms (Smart Patrol) together with collecting data for occupancy survey.
Learn and practice on how to collect data along line transect
for distance sampling technique. In addition, participants conducted a line transect survey of
tiger prey (i.e. gaur, banteng, sambar deer, red muntjac and wild pig) density for
2 days in the field.
Lecture about tiger monitoring in Huai Kha Khaeng and Thung Yai
Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuaries by Mr. Somphot Duangchantrasiri, head of Khao Nang Rum Wildlife Research Station
(KNR). Follow by a lecture about survey of tiger population by using Camera
Trapping technique by Mr. Krearkpon Wongchoo, KNR research assistant.
For the second period, the participants learnt how to use 1)
SMART program for Smart patrol database,
2) PRESENCE program to assess wildlife distribution 3) DISTANCE program to estimate
the density and population of tiger preys and 4) Capture-recapture and SPACECAP
programs to estimate the density and population of tiger.