A series of short high-pitched calls broke the silence and a pair of adult sarus cranes seemed to respond to the calls of other birds.
Wooden boats are available for visitors to rent at the Wetland and Eastern Sarus Crane Learning Centre. The service is available for two rounds daily from 6am to 8am and 4pm to 6pm. The fee is 300 baht. The centre also has an exhibition which displays information and pictures of sarus cranes and the conservation project. There is also a souvenir corner where you can find Sarus Rice, a brand of organic rice grown by farmers whose paddy fields are within 1km² of the reservoir.
The two cranes stood inside a designated area surrounded by a mesh fence at the Wetland and Eastern Sarus Crane Learning Centre, about 20km southwest of downtown Buri Ram.
The majestic creature has the height of an adult human. They stood tall and not far from one another. The bird has grey plumage, long legs, a long neck and a sharp beak. The upper part of the neck and face has red colouring while the top of the head is bare. The round eyes are dark orange.
"You can get closer to the fence. They won't bite," said a staff member from the centre.
I walked slowly to get a closer look. Instead of flying away, one of the birds moved toward me. I was amazed that it was not afraid of humans.
"They get used to people because we raise them in Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo before releasing them," he said.
The learning centre is located on a 25 rai site on a bank of the Huai Chorakhe Mak Reservoir. The centre opened in 2019 to mark the success of the sarus crane breeding project by the Zoological Park Organisation (ZPO).
The sarus cranes are among 15 species protected by the 1992 Wildlife Protection Act. The sarus crane was last seen in the wild in 1968 and it is believed that the birds have been extinct in the wetlands of Thailand for about 50 years now. In 1989, Thailand received a couple of cranes from Cambodia and they were raised at Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo. The vet team successfully bred the birds in captivity, causing the population to reach 100 in 2011.
In March of the same year, the ZPO decided to release 10 birds at Huai Chorakhe Mak Reservoir in Buri Ram. The reason to select that area was that the wetland is close to Cambodia, the birds' previous home. However, their survival rate was low.
The sarus crane is the tallest flying bird. Its height is between 150cm and 180cm and it can weigh anywhere from 5kg to 9kg. Meanwhile, its wingspan ranges between 220cm and 250cm. Both male and female have the same grey plumage so the learning centre has put a yellow ring on the left leg to indicate female and a red ring on the right leg for male.
ZPO discovered this was the case because what had made them extinct in the first place remained a problem. One of these factors is hunters while the other is the use of chemicals in rice paddies. The hazardous residue flowed into the wetland and endangered the birds and their food supply such as fish, frogs, reptiles and aquatic plants. Drought has also impacted the bird's feeding areas.
To find a solution, ZPO initiated the Sarus Rice project five years ago. It initially partnered with the Sawai So community to encourage farmers to grow rice in an organic way. About 80 people participated and a total of 1,500 rai of rice fields near the reservoir became a non-toxic zone. The project later expanded to other communities and more sarus cranes were released in other reservoirs including Sanam Bin and Huai Talat lakes in Buri Ram.
"Since 2011, we have released 119 sarus cranes to Huai Chorakhe Mak," said Nattawat Paewkrapoke, an assistant researcher at ZPO based at the learning centre. The research team has kept track of 80 birds until today and the survival rate is satisfactory.
"The bird has a long life. Its lifespan is between 40-60 years. In addition, the sarus cranes are also a symbol of eternal love and fidelity as they are monogamous and only have one mate for life," he said.
Visitors can observe the birds at the centre with their bare eyes or use binoculars to see the birds in the wild. An alternative is to rent a boat and see the birds in their habitat during sunrise or sunset.
Apart from the sarus crane, Buri Ram is also home to well-known destinations including Khmer sanctuaries in Prasat Hin Phanom Rung and Prasat Muang Tam, an international sports arena and man-made attractions such as the cold-climate flowers grown in Play La Ploen in Khu Muang district.
The City Pillar shrine looks like an old Khmer ruin but it is actually a replica. The shrine was built in 2005 to replace the older and smaller one. It was designed by the Fine Arts Department to highlight Phanom Rung Historical Park as a top destination in the province. Next to the pillar shrine is a Chinese shrine, which also houses Chao Pho Lak Muang, or the city guardian.
The province will also kick off a 10-day Songkran Festival without water at Chang Arena from April 6-15. The event will feature a street food fair, a 4.4km light decoration along Road 2445 to the monument of King Rama I, the Twinkle Tunnel of 2 million light bulbs and a unique light show created by 3D mapping technology, a first in Buri Ram.
If you are looking for a place to go during the long holidays next month, Buri Ram might just be your choice. It is only a five-hour drive from Bangkok or about a one-hour journey by plane.
The bronze statue of King Rama I riding a war elephant is located in the downtown of Muang Buri Ram. Historical records show that the king founded the city and named it Muang Pae in 1776 when he was a military commander. The monument was built in 1999 to honour the king and is located at a roundabout where Highway 288 intersects with Road 2445. The area around the statue is under renovation today and will be finished before the Songkran festival kicks off on April 6. The province plans to have a big ceremony with traditional dance performers.
Opened some 30 years ago, Kauaitieo Nakhon Sawan is the name of this restaurant. It is a decent place to have breakfast due to its variety of food, including noodle dishes, khao mu daeng or mu krob (rice with red pork or crispy pork), khao man gai (chicken rice) and rice with side dishes. The restaurant is also open early at around 6am. Another highlight of this restaurant is its countless collections of old and new traditional musical instruments, banknotes, coins, dolls and McDonald's memorabilia. It is the hobby of both the owner and his daughter. The items are for display only.
You may also visit Play La Ploen Flora Park, the first and only flower park in the Northeast, to see tulips or other cold-climate flowers. At present, you may have another good reason to revisit the site as Play La Ploen is supporting Play La Ploen Herbal Community Enterprise (PHC) to grow cannabis in an indoor greenhouse. It is open to visitors to observe the plants as well as to tour around the one and only Cannabis Learning Centre. PHC also produces products that have cannabis extract or leaves among other herbs and flower ingredients. Those products are available at Arokaya Wellness Sala located next to the Cannabis Learning Centre.
The space in front of Chang Arena, a football stadium, is the outdoor sport zone. Every evening, kids and youths will show up to ride skateboards. There are also facilities for team sports such as volleyball and basketball. A night market is also nearby.
The giant seated Buddha statue is named Phra Suphatarabophit. It is located on the top of the extinct Khao Kradong volcano in Khao Kradong Volcano Forest Park, about 265m above sea level. You can walk up the long staircase (297 steps) or drive to reach the hilltop. The viewpoint in front of the Buddha statue will give you a bird's-eye view of the surroundings. Another stop you can make is at the suspension bridge where you can see the top of the volcano, which is more of a dry pond today.
Prasat Muang Tam is about 8km from Phanom Rung Historical Park. Known as an earlier example of Khmer temple architecture, the site was built in the 11th century as a Hindu sanctuary for Shiva. The temple has a unique architecture. It comprises a cluster of five towers surrounded by two walls and four L-shaped ponds. The sanctuary is still well preserved. You may find detailed pediments and lintels depicting the story of Shiva, Krishna and other Hindu deities. Prasat Muang Tam and Prasat Hin Phanom Rung can be visited all year round.
Prasat Hin Phanom Rung or Phanom Rung Historical Park is one of the Kingdom's most magnificent Khmer monuments. It was built in the 12th century, during the reign of King Jayavarman VII, by Hindu worshippers. Located on the top of an old volcano, about 350m above sea level, the site is known as being a good spot to observe solar phenomena such as when the Sun can be seen through 15 aligned doorways of the sanctuary. The event occurs four times a year. The next closest event will be during sunrise between April 3-5. If you miss this chance, there will be another opportunity between Sept 8-10. For those interested in sunset, the best dates are between March 5-7 and Oct 5-7. Prasat Hin Phanom Rung and its nearby Prasat Muang Tam and Plai Bat Sanctuaries are on the Tentative List of Unesco's World Heritage Sites.
TRAVEL INFO
- The Wetland and Eastern Sarus Crane Learning Centre is open daily. There is no entrance fee. To book the boat service, call 094-284-8087. Amari Buriram United Hotel can offer a picnic set for those who want to observe sarus cranes in their habitat while having light meals. The fee is 500 baht per trip. Call 044-111-444.
- Play La Ploen flower park is open daily. It also offers outdoor activities for kids, accommodation and a large cafe where you can stop by for shopping Otop (One Tambon One Product) items, snacks and handicrafts. Visit playlaploen.com or 087-7891-039.
- For more information about Prasat Hin Phanom Rung, visit virtualhistoricalpark.finearts.go.th/phanomrung/index.php/en.
- For Prasat Muang Tam, visit virtualhistoricalpark.finearts.go.th/prasatmuangtam/index.php/en.
- For more information, call the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Buri Ram office at 044-634-722.
