Riding motocross or enduro in Thailand is unlike many western countries in that you are almost free to ride anywhere you like, if there's a trail - ride it and if there isn't - make one.
Depending on the time of year or the type of vegetation in certain areas, there are endless opportunities for exploring. Motocross and enduro bikes are capable of pushing through and riding over most terrain allowing riders to pretty much go wherever they want to go.
I enjoy exploring forested areas, hillsides and mountain regions with the hope of finding somewhere new or undiscovered. While many rides end up being just rides, others do allow me to stumbleupon, waterfalls, caves, ruins, wrecks and viewpoints. Since access to such places are remote and difficult to get to they are mostly untouched.
However, even the most remote parts of the forest and mountains attract certain groups of people, usually foragers and hunters. Rubbish such as plastic bottles or snack packaging is the first give away when deep in the woods but sometimes the find is a little more telling!
On one particular ride through dry bush, something caught my attention. It was dark, hanging from a tree just above head height and was moving. At first I thought I had caught a glimpse of a monkey but as I rode closer I realised it wasn't.
Hanging in a snare was a white breasted waterhen. These birds are fairly common around lakes and ponds in Thailand but are also protected. The particular area was called Bodin, just to the east of Bangkok.
The snare had been rigged to a nearby tree. The chosen tree was thin and therefore flexible allowing the trapper to bend it down and assemble the trip mechanism.
Although the bird wasn't trying to escape or flap it was still very feisty and every attempt to grab it received a vicious peck from a sharp beak.
As I allowed the bird to calm I was able to make a grab. I could see from different angles that the hung leg seemed disjointed from the main body and possibly dislocated - obviously a flexible tree pulled tight, loaded and sprung would cause a lot of damage to an animal of this size when released.
The lasso had knotted tight around the waterhens ankle and at full reach it was difficult to untie it. I resorted to cutting the line with my pocket knife before kneeling down to release the bird.
Ask soon as I had hold of the bird gripping both of its wings, it seemed to just let me do what I wanted to do. I don't know if it had given up and was waiting for the inevitable or if it could sense I was there to rescue it!
As we neared the ground, the bird found a burst of energy and was ready to run. I was still unsure of any possible injury but didn't want to keep it any longer. However, the moment I let it go it was clear the waterhen could not run or even walk. The leg that had been trapped had no moment and I was left thinking, if I leave it, it won't survive and if I take it, there's a chance it will heal...
The decision was made... A slow and uncomfortable ride back to the truck saw an injured bird get carried inside my shirt - which was tucked into my trousers to stop it falling out the bottom. I didn't have a bag to put it in and I couldn't ride, change gear and accelerate with one hand - the 'shirt pocket' it was! Imagine a joey in a kangaroo pouch!
Finding a safe place on the side of my lap the bird just seemed to hide in the darkness of my shirt before I put him in my gear box back at the car. I guzzled lots of water before falling into it! A waterhen afterall!
The trap itself was quite clever yet basic. A cleared channel on the ground and stick fence ushered the birds/animals through an opening/clearing/gateway that was tripped. With no alternative route, they were forced to push through and therefore trip the lasso.
On a totally separate ride out in the farmland between fields and along tracks I came across what was a slightly more worrying trap. It was knee high and strung 2.5-3 meters across the track - the perfect height to get caught up in motorbike wheels and cause an accident. Although being an animal and getting caught would probably have a slightly worse outcome!
I spotted a metal wire with dozens of metal nooses just in front of me and managed to stop just in time. Since each noose was of considerable size, I am not sure what they were trying to trap. There are no rabbits in the area and the largest mammals I am aware of in these parts are chipmunk type squirrels but I would have thought a smaller noose would be more effective. I guess there are larger animals!
In a similar area I also found weighted traps. A thin fishing line would be tied around a heavy rock on one end while the other end would be noosed and placed over a hole ready to catch whatever goes in or comes out. Once trapped and the noose pulls tight, there's no escape from the heavy rock weighing them down.
Seeing these rocks wrapped in coloured fishing wire alerted to me that someone had been doing something. As I slowed down I could see a struggle up ahead. Not being able to run away the common butterfly lizard had nowhere to go but did make a dash to my tyre in an attempt to hide under it.
I realised for what and for who the traps were for and could see an uncomfortable line lassoed around the waist of the lizard.
I grabbed him quickly before he caused injury to himself and released the noose. Even after removing the line, I could still see the marks left around its wasit from just how tight it had pulled.
As soon as I let him go and wondered around removing/collecting/destroying the other traps I found another common butterfly lizard in the grass that had managed to drag its weight several foot. I released it as well but couldn't find any others to help.
Even though all these small prey catches don't seem like a sufficient meal or worth a catch, they are apparently considered a delicacy among some and wild game like the white breasted waterhen and the common butterfly lizard have their meat sliced into thin strips and are then sun dried to be eaten as a snack with local homemade whiskey.
Although I can see the need in some parts of the world to hunt and that is it a hobby or desire for some to hunt, I myself do not and if given the chance to help the animal or bird caught, then I certainly will.
In regards to the waterhen that made it home in the box, I managed to track down an organisation in Bangkok that offered free treatment, rehabilitation and release of injured wild animals. An x-ray the following day showed that it only had a dislocated leg/hip and that a week to 2 week rest should be sufficient before it would be released again.
I hope you enjoyed this post and please follow for more like it in the future.
All content is original: the photos (unless stated), the writing and the adventure!
Oh man seriously? Things like this in 21st century? So sad :( Thank you for helping those poor animals. Is there any chance this barbarian way of hunting will be banned in the country?
It is already banned in Thailand but laws such as these are rarely enforced. In fact there have been some very high profile public faces that have been caught poaching endangered animals such as panthers in the national parks and paying brown envelopes to park rangers to take them out to track the animals!
So sad :( I knew this was happening in Africa (illegal hunting in national parks) but I didn´t know it was happening in Asia too. Just heartbreaking...
Great job @thinkit .. Don't you have to be careful of the people setting the traps getting mad at you if they catch you helping the animals ?
I suppose that should be of some concern yes but I guess there is a point to be argued either way! perhaps its the hunters that don't set traps that shoot that I should be more worried about!
Disturbing traps I think will enrage the trapper to get a gun.. Or a trap for you..
There is almost zero chance I will revisit such places again as they are one time trip visits and I hope, even in a hunters mind there is a huge difference between shooting small game and a human!
You should be alright.. I would have saved the animals too... most people have compassion for living things..
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Poor bird...
And lucky in the same time that you were around!
Im sure there were days that others werent so lucky :(
Probably...