The current view of most people who know about Burma – especially biodiversity scientists – is that Karen State is like the dark side of the moon. There has been no study of the area due to decades of conflict, and scientists have never even taken a brief glance at this State. Many wildlife researchers from Burma and Thailand have published biodiversity information about the surrounding areas, but the biodiversity and richness in Karen State has never been mentioned in such reports.
This story of wild elephants takes place in the rich forests of Karen State. Megatha Forest is set in an unusually diverse landscape made up of mixed-deciduous forest, semi-evergreen forest and bamboo dominant forest. This research was conducted to investigate the conservation status of wild elephants in Kawthoolei (Karen) State, Burma. The project and report have been jointly implemented by KESAN and the Karen Forestry Department offi ce in Dooplaya District, Karen State, Burma.