Guest guest Posted May 27, 2003 Report Share Posted May 27, 2003 ***************************Advertisement*************************** eCentral - Your Entertainment Guide http://www.star-ecentral.com ***************************************************************** This message was forwarded to you by yitzeling. Comment from sender: This article is from thestar.com.my URL: http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2003/5/27/features/hrkae & sec=fea\ tures ________________________ Tuesday, May 27, 2003 On the trail of the big cat ANY seasoned trekker would shudder at the thought of trekking for more than a week in unchartered terrain in Taman Negara. Touted as the national park with the least road density in the region, access into the heart of the forest is possible only on foot. This is enough to place the research team led by Dr Kae Kawanishi in a class of its own for the sheer man-hours and strenuous trekking regime the members went through to study the tiger in the dense forests. Kawanishi went on to become the first scientist to study the big cat in the tropical rainforests of Malaysia. Kawanishi developed a passion for wildlife conservation from watching documentaries on African wildlife as a child, a fascination which was fuelled by the encouragement she received from her late father. “When I was 10, I wrote to the African embassies in Japan enquiring about how I could become a wildlife conservationist,” she chuckles. At the age of 16, Kawanishi went to the United States to pursue her studies in animal ecology. The lass had no inkling then that life as a wildlife scientist could be pretty tough at times. Kawanishi & #8217;s biggest challenge to date must have been her role as leader of the research team in the University of Florida-Malaysia Tiger Project. What was to have been an 18-month field sampling at Taman Negara stretched into 34 months as the collection of data on the tiger proved harder to come by than expected. The remoteness of the sampling sites and the unforgiving environment posed logistical problems for Kawanishi and her team. “In India, the longest sampling period at any given site was three months, but in Taman Negara we don & #8217;t have roads and we don & #8217;t know where the tigers are moving around,” says Kawanishi. “We took three months just to lay out all the cameras. In India, the biologists could move around in vehicles and check the cameras everyday, but on foot in Taman Negara, we could check each camera only once a month.” At the first sampling site in Merapoh, Pahang, which was picked for its relatively good road access of 13km, the team spent five months carrying out reconnaissance trips to determine the sampling route and identify the best locations to place the cameras. “The first site took longer than the other two sites in Kuala Trengan (Pahang) and Kuala Koh (Kelantan). We started off with 40sqkm and expanded to 100sq km. After we got a feel of the daily operations, we expanded to 200sqkm to obtain better data. Identifying a good trapping site is vital to the success of data acquisition. Cameras were carefully fixed along the game trails of sambar deer and wild boars, natural salt licks and major trails and intersections. Ill-placed cameras would cost the team precious time and resources, not to mention frustration. The team eventually settled down to a daily routine of maintaining the installed cameras. On average, they could only check two cameras a day due to the challenging terrain. Kawanishi & #8217;s team hiked an average of eight hours a day. During the sampling period between November 1998 and August 2001, there were occasions when the team got lost. Trekking through the jungle until midnight, drifting down the river on a make-shift raft to reach base camp, or waiting for daybreak to continue their gruelling schedule ? these are memories that forge camaraderie among the team members, having gone through thick and thin together. Before embarking on this ambitious project, Kawanishi had gained substantial knowledge in the use of camera-trapping. In 1994, she used the technique to detect carnivores such as the jaguar and puma in Tikal National Park in Guatemala. This was followed by a study of tigers in Russia. Dedicated crew Technical know-how aside, Kawanishi attributes the success of the project to the dedication and commitment of her team members, and the cooperation from Perhilitan. “The field crew spent most of their waking hours moving from one trap site to another, carrying heavy equipment, camping gear and ration on their backs. They trekked through undulating terrain, crossed raging rivers, endured the discomfort of soaking wet clothes and shoes, and leech bites, all to ensure that the cameras were functioning properly in the humid environment. “The intensive fieldwork constantly challenged our mental and physical limits. All of us kept going despite fatigue, frustration, pain, and floods because we were sustained by the fellowship and driven by the conviction that this research was important for tiger conservation in Malaysia. “Because of their dedication, diligence, commitment and sense of humour, the project survived many difficult moments,” says Kawanishi. Senior ranger Abdul Malek Sahak, 47, one of the key members in the team, describes his stint as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. “I once trekked for eight days from Krau, Pahang, to Endau in Johor and I thought that was the ultimate. But after this experience, I believe I can face any challenges in life,” says Malek whose intimate knowledge of the forest made him a great asset on the team. Growing up at the fringes of the jungle in Krau, Malek spent his childhood days playing in the forest, collecting honey and later living with the orang asli of the Che Wong sub-ethnic group when he joined the Department of Wildlife and National Park as a ranger. The survival skills which he picked up from the orang asli were put to good use when he joined Kawanishi & #8217;s team. Near mishaps were averted. “More than once, we almost walked into a herd of elephants but Malek & #8217;s keen senses saved the day. As a lead trekker, he pointed out all the dangerous plants and snakes to us,” said Kawanishi. “On another occasion, we had reached the highest point in our study area after five hours of trekking. Using plastic sheets, sponges, rubber bands and branches, Malek managed to collect enough water for us to prepare tea and take a shower even though the natural water source was far away! & #8217; & #8217; recalls the bemused researcher. “It was a miracle that none of us fell sick or were injured, given the duration of the project and the trying conditions under which the team had to work.” As the project entered its final stage in the most remote site in Kuala Koh, both Kawanishi and Malek were physically exhausted. “Malek was advised by his doctor to take a break from the strenuous trekking. He had lost a lot of weight and was getting weaker by the month,” recalls Kawanishi. “I never asked him to continue against the doctor & #8217;s advice.” However, seeing the researcher & #8217;s determination to complete the project, Malek was inspired to carry on. “Deep down, I didn & #8217;t want to give up halfway,” says an equally determined Malek. Kawanishi admitted that she had her moments of despair. “I cried on two occasions, while bathing in the river in the dark so that no one could see or hear me. After reaching the physical limit, which happened almost daily, the rest was all mental. But I couldn & #8217;t risk losing the crew & #8217;s confidence as everyone else was going through the same hardship. “However, the sound of rushing water, the pitch-dark forest, the starry sky, a steaming cup of Milo and the voices of the team members around a campfire soothed my over-stretched soul. It was the jungle and my crew who gave me the strength to carry on,” smiles Kawanishi. Would she repeat a similar project? “Looking back, I don & #8217;t think I could do it again,” Kawanishi confesses. “It's like a one-time deal. The combination of opportunity, timing, funding of over RM1mil, advices from tiger experts in the US and India, the support of Malaysian authorities who believed in the project, and the kind of people I had in my crew happens only once in a lifetime.” But she was quick to add: “Well, maybe just one more study site. I miss doing field work and a part of me yearns to do scientific research.” & #8211; By Hilary Chiew<p> ________________________ Your one-stop information portal: The Star Online http://thestar.com.my http://biz.thestar.com.my http://classifieds.thestar.com.my http://cards.thestar.com.my http://search.thestar.com.my http://star-motoring.com http://star-space.com http://star-jobs.com http://star-ecentral.com http://star-techcentral.com 1995-2002 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. All rights reserved. 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