By the time our powered schooner got to the sentry post of the
Sanctuary adjacent to the Kyaintali Creek, we began to breathe in fresh
smells from the forest. We saw several huts in the sentry post not far
away from the edge of the creek. Surrounded by thick jungles and high
mountains, the Yadanmyaing village is 33 miles away from Gwa township
and we proceeded to the edge of the sentry post for 13 miles bt powered
schooner along the creek.
The location of the sentry post is more than 10 miles from the nearest
village and is situated near the boundary of the Sanctuary. Named as the
Kyainkhakhon post, it is one of the three sentry posts in Rakhine Yoma
elephant sanctuary. It is built along the Kyaintali Creek for easy
accessibility to the Rakhine Yoma Sanctuary.
Importance of locality
As the creek streams along the whole south side of the Sanctuary, the
sentry post plays an important role in preventing the danger of collapse
of the creek edges. Other two important sentry posts are the Bogale and
Kyachaung posts. The three sentry posts protect all wild animals
including other wild animals roaming about in this sanctuary.
This sanctuary is the first of its kind in Myanmar, according to
administrator U San Win of the Rakhine Yoma Sanctuary. “ We just want to
let the public know this sanctuary is very important for wild
elephants. If we cannot control the situation, the wild elephants in the
Rakhine Yoma will be threatened with extinction. This sanctuary is also
important for wild animals of rare species. Rich grazing for wild
animals There are many rare animal species in this sanctuary: 40 kinds
of mammals including rare Myanmar wild elephants, tigers and bison , 63
kinds of amphibians and reptiles, 26 kinds of butterflies, 28 kinds of
freshwater fish and 12 kinds of insects. Naturally-grown trees of 75
kinds include ironwood trees and large timber trees, 11 kinds of
orchids, 9 kinds of bamboo, four kinds of cane and 47 kinds of medicinal
plants, according to some records.
The Rakhine Yoma elephant sanctuary is ecologically evergreen
environment which is covered by 70% of the bamboo forest. On east side
of the Sanctuary borders townships of Kyankin, Myanaung, Ingapu and
Laymyetnar and on the south with Gwa township and on the north side with
Thandwe township. In 1997 the sanctuary was set aside for wild
elephants and legalized in 2002. The area of this sanctuary is over
430,000 acres wide.
Research
While we stayed at the Kyainkhakhon post, we went into thick forest for
about eight miles along the Kyaintali Creek. Our three schooners faced
strong torrents and sometimes we had to wade through the shallow water.
Along the way we went across several small streams with their respective
background information on their names.
The location of Rakhine Yoma elephant sanctuary is among the high
mountains: narrow creeks and small streams with big blocks of rock in
between. The sanctuary is hard to reach on foot but through narrow
creeks and small streams.
An atmosphere of serenity
Pointing at high mountains and a grove of bamboo , U Saw Htoo Tha Po,
the keeper at the Yoma elephant sanctuary said the atmosphere of
serenity still remains intact: rich pasture for wild elephants naturally
and geographically; a place of no threat for wild animals; an area
specifically demarcated for the sanctuary; no deforestation; and
ecological systems have not dramatically changed.
U Saw Htoo Tha Po, senior coordinator at Wildlife Sanctuary(Myanmar
Program), gets deeply involved in the protection of wild elephants and
related research. Our 15-member group found the footprints and faeces of
wild animals on the way and picked them up for putting on record and
doing research. About a hundred of wild elephants are believed by
authorities to be roaming about in this sanctuary. This number is
inconsistent with scientific way of counting. U Saw Htoo Tha Po
explained that scientific research is required to count wild elephants.
Making a list
He has been trying hard to know in coming years to locate where wild
elephants graze in the Sanctuary. After knowing the location of grazing
ground, the number of wild elephants should be put on record by doing
research. Many small groups will have to cover the sanctuary of 400,000
acres within a fortnight by doing research five times during a period of
three months. Collecting data get involved in using DNA analysis of
their faeces to distinguish between individual animals. The faeces must
be sent abroad for further analysis which will cost much. For the time
being as they are focusing on the protection of wild animals, the above
analyses could be carried out within a period of several years, U Saw
Htoo Tha Po pointed out.
Rare species such as elephants, bison, and birds roaming about in this
Sanctuary have been under threat by poachers, according to Sanctuary
administrator U San Win. Wild elephants are being killed by poachers in
the forest reserves of Gwa and Taungnyo adjoining the Sanctuary. “
Hunters from the townships of Kyankhin, Myanaung, Ingapu, and Laymyetnar
in Ayeyawady region are found to have invaded to hunt wild animals and
poison fish; hunting causes a lot of problems in the region,” according
to U San Win.
Beyond control
According to the set-up of the Sanctuary, there are 81 employees; but
there currently 25 with 15 going out on patrol. Due to lack of public
service personnel, we find it difficult to go on with present
workforce, he continued. With support from Wildlife Sanctuary( Myanmar
Program), the employees keep patrolling together with newly-recruited
local employees Wild animals are being protected in cooperation with
Myanmar program. The number of rangers are 25 only; they are divided
into three groups with each group including eight rangers. They have to
patrol the whole area for 20 days only. Sometimes these rangers happen
to confront with 20 or so hunters armed with bayonets, guns and a herd
of hunting dogs and they have to retreat.
Revelation of evidences
When rangers are on patrol, they sometimes find and seize racks, huts
and percussion lock firearms from the hunters. Bison’s flesh is found
selling in a village near the Sanctuary, it is tantamount to the kill of
hunters, employees say. To solve the problems , recruitment of more
employees, the extension of more sentry posts, educating local populace
and joint patrol with police force are essential elements for effective
actions. Rangers on patrol are required to be armed, some advised.
The sanctuary under threat While wild elephants in the Rakhine Yoma
Sanctuary are now under threat, a wild elephant is being killed every
week across the country, say the keepers for Myanmar Wild Elephants.
According to the Forest Department ,140 elephants were killed by
poachers from 2010 to 2017. “Even though the Rakhine Yoma Sanctuary is
under threat, proper maintenance of the Sanctuary will be beneficial for
nature-based tourism. It will pay the way for studying the local fauna
and flora; it will also create job opportunities for local populace,”
the sanctuary administrator U San Win pointed out.
“As this Sanctuary is a natural habitat for wild elephants, conservation
of this wide area is urgently needed” said U Saw Htoo Tha Po, who has
been doing research on wild elephants in Rakhine Yoma.
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