Endangered gaur sighted in northern Thailand after 37-year absence

Picture courtesy of Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation

A gaur, an endangered wild animal, has been sighted for the first time in 37 years at the Salwin Wildlife Sanctuary in Mae Hong Son, a northern province on the Thai-Myanmar border. The sanctuary’s chief, Arkhom Boonnontae, confirmed the sighting, noting the rarity of such occurrences in northern Thailand.

The camera trap that captured the elusive bull gaur clicked into action at 3.01am on October 8. This marked the first sighting of a gaur in the Salwin Wildlife Sanctuary since 1986, making the event particularly significant. The gaur, a species seldom seen in the north, is considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, reported Bangkok Post.

Arkhom emphasised the importance of this sighting, noting that the gaur is protected under the Wild…