LAST OF WILDLIFE TRIOLOGY
THIS POST IS THE THIRD IN A SERIES OF WILDLIFE STORIES THAT WERE PUBLISHED IN THE BANGKOK POST. WRITTEN BY USNISA SUKHSVASTI
LAST OF WILDLIFE TRIOLOGY
Male Indochinese tiger at a water hole in the Western Forest Complex
Wild Rivers: A Photographic Odyssey in Thailand is the third in a series of wildlife books — the first two were Wildlife in the Kingdom of Thailand and Thailand’s Natural Heritage – by L. Bruce Kekule, respected wildlife photographer and long time resident of Thailand. His books follow a pattern; First is an English-language edition, followed by a Thai language one.
Wild Rivers (1st Edition) was published in 2008, as dedication to His Majesty the King on the auspicious occasion of his 80th birthday, and the Thai edition (2011) recently out at the same time as the second-edition of the English version, dedicated to His Majesty the King on his 84th birthday, with the aim of sharing the beauty of the country’s natural heritage and its wildlife with the Thai people.
Wild Water Buffalo in the Huai Kha Khaeng River
The book covers six of Thailand’s major waterways: The Phetchaburi River, Khlong Saeng River (a new addition to the first edition), Huai Kha Khaeng, Mae Klong River, Khwae Noi River and the Mae Ping River.
The introduction describes the geographical locations of each river, emphasizing as always the importance of preserving these watersheds and the habitat for resident wildlife.
Black-and-red broadbill in Kaeng Krachan National Park
Each river is illustrated with photographs that he has collected from his forays into the wild over the past 12 years, allowing readers to admire the country’s wild animals in their natural habitat.
The book also includes a chapter on Thailand’s nature photographers where 1o Thai photographers and one foreign photographer have shared some of their most cherished images.
In the ‘Wildlife Photography’ chapter, Kekule shares tips and personal experiences gained from his decades in the field, his choice of equipment, the need for patience, the art of stealth, camera techniques, and even computer skills. He also mentions the hazards and dangers of being in the field, not only threats from large animals but also from the tiniest of creatures like ticks, ants and mosquitoes…!
He ends with a plea for nature conservation in ‘Wildlife in Peril’ to create awareness among readers to the diminishing numbers of animals in the wild due to human ignorance or greed.
Wild Rivers – 2nd Edition dedicated to His Majesty the King on his 84th (7th Cycle) birthday
Wild Rivers – Thai Version (1st Edition) also dedicated to His Majesty the King on his 84th (7th Cycle) birthday
Readers can be sure of a visually pleasing read. Wild Rivers received a gold medal for the “Best in Sheet-fed Offset” and another gold award for “Best 4-color Printing” at the Thai Printing Association’s 4th Thai Print Awards in 2008.
The Thai version titled ‘Sai Natee Haeng Pong Prai was translated by Capt. Araya Amrapala, PhD.
Note: The photos shown here were actually used in the newspaper article when it was published.
