Khlong Saeng ( th, คลองแสง) is a
wildlife sanctuary
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...
in
southern Thailand
Southern Thailand, Southern Siam or Tambralinga is a southernmost cultural region of Thailand, separated from Central Thailand region by the Kra Isthmus.
Geography
Southern Thailand is on the Malay Peninsula, with an area of around , bounde ...
, in western
Surat Thani Province. The wildlife sanctuary is named after the river (''khlong'') ''Saeng'', a tributary of the
Phum Duang River
The Phum Duang River (, , ) (rarely also called the ''Khiri Rat River'') is a river in Surat Thani Province, southern Thailand, the main tributary of the Tapi River.ราชบัณฑิตยสถาน. ''อักขรานุกรม ...
.
The sanctuary includes an area of 1,155 km
2 of
Khiri Rat Nikhom District and
Ban Ta Khun District, north of
Khao Sok National Park
Khao Sok National Park ( th, เขาสก, ) is in Surat Thani Province, Thailand. Its area is 461,712 rai ~ , and it includes the Cheow Lan Lake contained by the Ratchaprapha Dam. The park is the largest area of virgin forest in southern ...
and
Ratchaprapha Dam. Most lowland areas in the Khlong Saeng valley were flooded with the construction of the dam and the creation of
Cheow Lan Reservoir. This now flooded area was the only site in Thailand where
Storm's stork (''Ciconia stormi'') was confirmed to breed in 1986. Khlong Saeng is believed to be the habitat of about 200 wild elephants and 400
gaur
The gaur (''Bos gaurus''; ), also known as the Indian bison, is a bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia, and has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986. The global population was estimated at a maximum of 21,000 m ...
. The population of
clouded leopards and
Asian golden cats is thought to have increased. In 2019, cameras were installed in the sanctuary to take pictures of endangered and protected animals in a 750,000-rai area north of the Ratchaprapha Dam. Photos captured rare animals such as clouded leopards and Asian golden cats. Traces of other rare animals such as black tigers and leopards were also found.
Sources
External links
Forestry department(Thai only)
*Gazette entries for Khlong Saeng (Thai only)
Issue 91, Part 216 (18. December 1974)Issue 100, Part 67 (28. April 1983)Issue 102, Part 154 (24. October 1985)Issue 103, Part 77 (8. May 1986)ASEAN Center for Biodiversity
Wildlife sanctuaries of Thailand
Tenasserim Hills
Geography of Surat Thani province
Protected areas established in 1974
1974 establishments in Thailand
{{Wildlife sanctuaries of Thailand