For a Fistfull of Ringgit: Poachers in Kemensah

16th May 2010, Kemensah, Selangor.

I don’t consider myself  a brave guy especially when you’re outnumbered but what I saw really got my blood boiling. Poachers up to no good along the trail that I do my weekly birding! This was simply TOO MUCH. I stopped the Jeep  right where they were setting the traps to question these guys and told them what they were doing was wrong.  They didn’t look the violent type so I told these guys to take down their traps and go. If things turned nasty I knew  that civilization wasn’t too far away. Bird traps covered under  pieces of cloth. Below: this is what they look like. They have a live bird, in this case a Hanging Parrot to lure other Parrots into the cage. This was shot as it was being lowered down from the tree. I was told by a friend who ran an orchard in Kemensah that at the peak of the fruit season (especially Rambutan) he had seen poachers hauled  in about 20-30 Hanging Parrots per day. I don’t know whether I was being brave or just plain stupid when I  took my camera and tripod and started shooting amidst these guys. I knew  I had to LOOK brave and after viewing  ‘Pendekar Bujang Lapok’  countless number of time ( and I still laugh everytime), I knew the sort of face to put on (see below, used without consent!)  Used the face on far left. Jokes aside, I was just glad that they decided to call it quits, maybe off to another location in Kemensah! Maybe next time I shouldn’t be too ‘gung ho’ in my reaction. I also saw the movie ‘Gorillas in the Mist’ and the outcome could may well be different.