Chasing the Dragon's Tail

Chasing the Dragon's Tail by Alan Rabonowitz

Can you imagine someone smoking opium, chasing the opium smoke which rises like dragon's tail?

Recently, I found myself addicted. While in Bangkok, I chanced upon a library and found a book. The book was not made of opium. Neither was it about opium but I found myself addicted - I simply cannot put the book down.

The book, titled 'Chasing the dragon's tail', is written by Alan Rabinowitz, an American Zoologist. Alan wrote beautifully of his adventure living and working in the complex world of Thailand and its forest. The Royal Thai Forestry Department invited Alan to conduct a research on Thailand's wild animals at Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary for conservation purpose. The book is packed with interesting facts about wild animals, humorous cultural shock and Alan’s often dangerous adventure in the forest.

Alan learned to speak Thai language and like Thai food. But the only food he never learned to like was the salted fish which ‘looked and smelled like it had been run over by a truck and left to rot for days.’

Alan spent his time in the forest, looking for signs of animals, understanding wildlife community before he trapped the animals and radio collared them to study their behavior. From the shape & distance of the animal’s footprints and tracks, he could tell the type of animal, how old it was and if the animal was wounded.

One morning shortly after Alan set up his house in the forest, he found at his front door, a long, distinctive paw scrape on the ground, stench of fresh urine and an animal’s track four inches long and three and half inches wide. Alan knew this animal, having frequently seen its tracks in the forest. It was a big male leopard! Apparently, during the night, the leopard has walked up to Alan's door and left its calling card, declaring its territory. Guess how Alan responded? He knelt down, made a long deep scrape in the dirt with his hands. Then stood up, urinated and said “Okay you've told me. But I’m here to stay.”

Most Thai people seldom interact with westerner. Therefore, it was as much a culture shock for Alan, as for the Thai people. Especially the tribal people like Hmong and Karen - the villagers were suspicious but curious about Alan. Never seen a white man before, the children wanted to touch Alan's chest hairs. One woman even ripped out some of his hairs, saying her boy was sick and she needed it for her spirit altar.

Alan had many near misses in the forest. One morning he was out alone checking the animal trap and the bait. He accidentally triggered the mechanism and the fifty pound iron trap door came sliding down. He blocked it in time, with his own leg and suffered a crack bone. Another day, he and his worker were following two elephants but later found themselves surrounded by a herd of 15. The bull elephant was fierce, it had to protect a baby among the herd. Not knowing the exact location of its enemies, the elephant kept waving its trunks in the air to catch their scent. Alan and his worker flattened themselves against the ground. He was scared but exhilarated. That was why he had come to this forest. After ten frightening minutes of false charges, the elephant herd moved off.

Alan’s stint in Thailand was not without disappointment. While he was trying hard to save the forest and the animals, others were actively destroying them – illegal logging and poaching were rampant. Live endangered animals or animal parts and skins continued to be sold at the market. Nevertheless, after two years of hard work, Alan put together useful data, if used properly, would help protect and manage the forest and the animals.

Are you thinking if the book’s title “Chasing the Dragon’s tail” got to do with opium? Yes! Alan could not break the barriers with the tribal people simply with his hairy chest. He had to accept the village’s hospitality of opium smoking.

Check out the book. It also comes with photographs of Alan and his adventure. I’m sure you will be addicted too.