• LIFE

  Still bobbing and weaving

  Life, L. Bruce Kekulé, Published on 30/01/2012

  » As the sun starts its daily ascent from the eastern horizon, the early morning air is crisp and cool. It's November and not a single cloud is to be seen in the clear blue sky. Heavy dew blankets everything in Mae Lao-Mae Sae, a wildlife sanctuary situated in the northern province of Chiang Mai. Mist rises from the forest as the morning heat builds. The scent from pine trees, some hundreds of years old, is refreshing. A sea of fog covers the lowland valleys and the view from the mountaintop is truly breathtaking.

• LIFE

  Patrimony imperilled

  Life, L. Bruce Kekulé, Published on 27/02/2012

  » Some 60 million years ago, the tectonic plate on which the Indian subcontinent rests precipitated a collision that creating a ripple effect across Southeast Asia, the uplifting of land causing the formation over time of many mountain ranges. Most of these run from north to south creating a blanket upshot across northern Thailand as well as areas in Myanmar and Laos. This terrain is divided into many mountains and valleys with rivers that bring life to the region and its people.

• LIFE

  Amazing Biodiversity in jeopardy

  Life, L. Bruce Kekulé, Published on 26/03/2012

  » On Dec 8, 1941, the same day of the Pearl Harbor attack in Hawaii (Dec 7 in the US), the Japanese Imperial Army invaded Thailand with thousands of troops and settled in. Sometime in 1942, a decision was made to build a railway from Bangkok to Burma and beyond through the thick malaria- and tiger-infested jungles in Kanchanaburi province using Allied and Asian prisoners of war as construction labour.

• LIFE

  The lonely crane incident

  Life, L. Bruce Kekulé, Published on 30/04/2012

  » Some 10 years ago, tremendous excitement prevailed when a common crane (Grus grus) showed up at Nong Bong Khai Non-hunting Area (otherwise known as Chiang Saen Lake) located in the northern province of Chiang Rai. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) is responsible for the area and its management, and the bird sanctuary is a year-round attraction for nature lovers.

• LIFE

  The plight of the Forest Patrol Ranger

  Life, L. Bruce Kekulé, Published on 26/09/2012

  » Nit packed his bag and said goodbye to his wife and two daughters. It would be the last time he saw his family. He jumped on his new motorcycle and left the village heading to the national park headquarters, some 30km away. On the way, he made a quick stop at the market to buy some rice and food for a week's trip into the forest. His salary was about $150 a month, and he wondered how the family was going to make ends meet.

• LIFE

  Snakes Alive

  Life, L. Bruce Kekulé, Published on 31/10/2012

  » A magnificent serpent some 5m in length slides along the forest floor looking for another reptile to eat. Its movement is swift but steady. Senses are on high alert as a rat snake moves ahead. The big snake rears up and strikes, pumping venom into the smaller one. The two wrestle for a short while but soon it is all over as the "king" swallows the victim headfirst.

• LIFE

  Web of intrigue

  Life, L. Bruce Kekulé, Published on 28/11/2012

  » It is said that arachnophobia, or the fear of spiders, is common among people around the world who have an inherent aversion to these creepy crawlies. Just the thought of coming into contact with one is something most of us dread.

• LIFE

  Bagging the savannah's big five

  Life, L. Bruce Kekulé, Published on 30/01/2013

  » As we motored back to the lodge after my last game drive in Kenya's Samburu National Reserve last month, a feeling of disappointment began to overcome me. With no leopard in the bag, I would not get the so-called "Big Five"_the most dangerous animals on the African continent made up of elephants, rhinos, buffalos, lions and leopards. Of these, it is the leopard that is the most notoriously difficult to obtain and is the secret to a successful safari.

• LIFE

  Asian wildlife through the lens

  Life, L. Bruce Kekulé, Published on 27/02/2013

  » Thailand's wildlife and forests have evolved over millions of years into some of the most beautiful and interesting in the world. Photographing these ecosystems and rare animals such as the Siamese crocodile, tiger, leopard, gaur, banteng, wild water buffalo, elephant and tapir, plus a multitude of other mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects in their natural habitats is a daunting task to say the least. A multitude of different aspects contribute to the difficult and sometimes dangerous pastime of wildlife photography.

• LIFE

  A haven in the clouds

  Life, L. Bruce Kekulé, Published on 27/03/2013

  » Imagine a huge limestone karst massif with vertical cliffs towering up into the clouds and Doi Chiang Dao in the northern province of Chiang Mai comes to mind. This enormous horseshoe-shaped mountain was formed over 200 million years ago during the mid to late Permian era.

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