Choeng Doi Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre

Choeng Doi Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre

Rare animals in the wild, ruined temples in the forest, nature trails, a convenient location and free entrance, we’re baffled as to why the excellent Choeng Doi Wildlife Rehabilitation Center sees so few visitors. Officially titled the Nature and Education Centre, the site’s extensive, forested grounds lie at the foot of Doi Suthep, to the west of Chiang Mai city, backing on to the eponymous National Park with the sprawling grounds of Wat Umong covering the area immediately to the east.

We’re uncertain as to what goes on behind closed doors but one of the Nature Centre’s most obvious projects is the rehabilitation of several rare mammal species prior to their, ideally, ultimate release into the adjacent national park. These include rare Eld’s deer and muntjaks, (barking deer) plus banteng – a wild cattle species – while numerous bird and reptile species are indigenous to the area as are long-tailed and pig-tailed macaques. The deer and cattle are free to roam but during this reintroduction period are regularly fed at feeding stations by park rangers.

Once common throughout Southeast Asia, banteng – known as wua daeng or ‘red cows’ in Thai – are today a critically endangered species. Happily, increased protection and conservation and reintroduction projects such as Choeng Doi have seen a remarkable turn around in the wild cattle’s fortunes and now populations are on the increase in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries with World Heritage-listed Huay Kha Khaeng housing some 1500 banteng – Southeast Asia’s largest population. Smaller herds are still found in Cambodia, Sabah and parts of Indonesia although cross-breeding with domestic cattle is common in certain areas.

While females and young can resemble domestic cattle in size and form the huge bulls are both distinctive and impressive. The Choeng Doi patriarch has a slightly unnerving tendency to frequent the carpark and can get quite inquisitive, (as to the contents of your bag for example), but is a gentle and docile creature despite his impressive size. Some of the younger cattle, as well as the deer can vary between skittish and oblivious but with any and all of the animals present, just stay calm and avoid sudden movements or noises which could startle them.

The area is also popular with bird watchers and several hides have been set up in the forest and by a small lake with resident populations of white-crested laughing thrushes, greater racket-tailed drongos, peafowl and various kingfisher species being common sightings.

Do, however, keep an eye on the paths though as pit vipers are also present and the mottled brown Malaysian pit viper in particular can be tricky to spot. (There are plenty of trails so it’s best just to avoid going off-piste.)

One of the features which livens up any forest walk is the series of ruined, Buddhist temples and chedis which you’ll suddenly come across hidden among the trees on your hike. We’d guess they’re 14th or 15th century temples and were presumably once connected to adjacent Wat Umong. It’s hardly Angkor Wat but some include photogenic, spreading roots giving it a slight Ta Prom feel and they make good spots for breaks as well as vantage points for checking out the birdlife.

A short hiking route

Before you leave the carpark check the ground as during the dry season it’s a popular spot with the delightful, orange-winged butterfly lizards. (They nip in and out of small holes in the ground so you’ll have to be quick.) Head up the main track until you reach a right turn. Straight on takes you up the hill to a bird-watching tower, which is worth a detour, otherwise, turning right takes you past the entrance – also on the right – to the first ruined temple and ancient chedi – Prathat (or Phra That) Therachan. This overlooks a small lake but it’s steep so you’ll need to return to the track and head downhill to a feeding station just north of said lake. (There’s usually plenty of deer and cattle around here for obvious reasons.)

Continue up the low hill on the far side you’ll pass a designated nature trail heading off to the left. We got a bit lost up there the last time we went but apparently the trail has been recently cleared and signposted so you can do a loop up and down a narrow ravine and return to the main track further on. Carrying straight on takes you past some national park buildings and another hide to a second series of ruins, also on your right. We’ve seen several names for these extensive ruins but Google Maps lists, the first one at least, as Wat Reusi Chiwak. (The trail does continue into the grounds of Wat Umong but there’s usually a locked gate between the two to prevent the wildlife wandering into the temple.)

A second site lies immediately lower down the gentle slope and from here you need to bear right. This is the confusing section with numerous trails and ruins but basically you need to head south towards the small lake so Google Maps may be useful at this point. If you go wrong you’ll reach the Wat Umong grounds fence so just back track while there are a few national park and monk’s structures dotted around the forest so with luck you can always ask. If you’re really stuck just backtrack to the ruins and go back down the track to the west end of the lake past the feeding station.

This should bring you out by eastern end of the small lake which you passed earlier. There’s another hide while walking down the eastern edge of the lake and turning left after a small bridge will see you back at the Choeng Doi carpark.

Depends on how many breaks you take, how much birdwatching you do and how lost you get on the return part of the loop but we’d allow 1 to 2 hours in all.

Additional attractions in the vicinity.

To pad out your morning (best time for birds), you have 2 more options. The short, sealed road leading up to the Choeng Doi entrance and parking area passes some gates on the right. This is a back entrance to the grounds of Wat Umong so heading down there takes you past the turtle lake and up to the monastery proper. Well worth a visit but if it’s getting hot or you’re running out of energy than just carry on down the access road to the junction where on the corner you’ll see the very fancy Number 39 Coffee Shop and Bakery. It’s not the cheapest coffee in Chiang Mai but tables are set round a cute, turquoise pond and they even have a house singer. It’s well known, so makes a good spot to book a taxi if that’s your means of locomotion.

This makes for a great morning out and we really don’t know why it’s so off-the-beaten-track but the tranquility is appreciable and of course the fewer visitors, the better the chances of seeing wildlife.