First gaur seen in Salwin sanctuary in 37 years

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In: South-East Asia

PUBLISHED : 29 Oct 2023 at 12:45

First gaur seen in Salwin sanctuary in 37 years
A gaur was captured by a camera trap in the Salwin Wildlife Sanctuary in Mae Hong Son province at 3.01am on Oct 8. (Photo: Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation)

MAE HONG SON: A camera trap caught a gaur in the Salwin Wildlife Sanctuary in this northern province bordering Myanmar on Oct 8. It is the first gaur seen there in 37 years, according to the chief of the sanctuary.

Arkhom Boonnontae, chief of the sanctuary, said footage from the camera trap showed the bull turning up at 3.01am. It was the first gaur seen in the Salwin Wildlife Sanctuary after 1986. The gaur is a wild animal that is very rarely seen in the North, he said.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the gaur as an endangered species. The gaur is also a protected animal under the Wild Animal Conservation and Protection Act, Mr Arkhom said.

The Salwin Wildlife Sanctuary is the only “reserved” forest in the North where a gaur has been spotted, the chief said.