Venturing Into The Deep Forest To Set Up Camera Tr..

Venturing into the deep forest to set up camera traps in the jungle may sound like a fun camping holiday. On the contrary, the rainforest can be a harsh environment. Our wildlife warriors hack through thick undergrowth, wade through rivers and climb obstacles covered in mud, sweat, leeches, surrounded by mosquitoes and sometimes attacked by bees, all while carrying 25kg backpacks all day, every day for several days.

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Farhan, one of our field biologists, relates one of his scariest experiences:

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‘One time my orang asli assistants and I set out to conduct a wildlife survey and check on two camera traps. Whilst preparing our gear, we heard something like an explosion from afar. Even though we felt uneasy, we still had to carry out our task. The mission was to gather data and return to base.

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After trekking for almost an hour, my assistant’s senses sharpened. He had picked up evidence of fresh cuts on trees, the position of leaves and signs of disturbances in soil cover. That meant we were not alone.

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“Hoi!” he shouted. “Phai Nai?! (Translated: “Going where?!”), came a reply. To our horror, a Siamese poacher emerged from the bushes in front of us with the long barrel of his gun aimed in our direction. No time to waste. In a split second, we turned and found ourselves racing like Olympic sprinters downhill towards the river praying for our lives! We only stopped running when we realised that no one was chasing us.’

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Farhan has dodged blowpipe darts, encountered poisonous snakes, fallen off a 4-metre rock cliff with his 25kg backpack and almost ‘discovered’ by a Malayan tiger while sleeping in his hammock.

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‘I love my work because I believe in protecting Malaysia’s uniquely lush and amazing forests and the animals that live within it. I think perhaps this is why conservationists are sometimes regarded as ‘crazy people with crazy jobs’!

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Support our conservation work at wwf.org.my/SaveMalayanTigers

Source: https://www.facebook.com/wwfmy/photos/a.159457438241/1015963..

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WWF Malaysia

WWF-Malaysia is a national conservation trust that currently runs conversation projects covering a diverse range of environmental protection & nature conservation in Malaysia. Our mission is to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.

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