The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation recently shared some exciting news on Facebook. On March 4, they reported that a rare pheasant known as the great argus was spotted walking through the forests of Kaeng Krung National Park in southern Thailand. This sighting took place back in January, and was recorded thanks to previously installed trail cameras.
The great argus is a shy bird that loves to hide in thick forests, making it a challenge to observe in the wild. What makes this sighting even more special is that the great argus is considered an at-risk species. To help us learn more about elusive creatures without disturbing them, researchers use camera traps which catches the wildlife in their natural settings.
For a bit of history, zoologist George Gray first introduced the great argus in 1849. This stunning bird, scientifically known as Argusianus argus, belongs to the pheasant family and is native to Southeast Asia. It’s also charmingly nicknamed the "hundred-eyed giant" because of its beautiful feather patterns that resemble the eyes of Argus from Greek mythology.
In their post, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation mentioned that a series of trail cameras were set up as part of a collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). We didn’t find out exactly which camera models they used, but 7 clips captured a great argus pecking around before disappearing into the forest. Next to a male bird sighting, there was also a clip of a female bird wandering around.
These trail camera recordings are not just fun to watch; they give valuable insights into the great argus' population, behavior, and habitat. All of this supports conservationists in planning strategies to protect the rare species, as the Department noted on Facebook.
The camera recordings also provide vital information about the ecosystem’s health in Kaeng Krung National Park. This data will help wildlife officials now to develop new strategies for future conservation efforts.
