Lawachara National Park. Bangladesh. Howling hoolocks and other stuff

Just on the outskirts of Sreemongal is the Lawachara National Park, extending over an area just under 5 sq. miles, made up of deciduous and evergreen trees it was declared a national park by the Bangladesh government on 7 July 1996.

There are three walking trails you can take, as short as half an hour to as long as three hours, our guide decided we would do the long one, cheers mate!

It was an early start so as to see the rare and endangered Hoolock gibbons, apparently it was best to be there before 7am as after that time they are all off hunting. As soon as we arrived, you could hear them howling away ( yes even I could hear them).

"Softly softly, catchee monkee" as the saying goes, though for the purist amongst us, yes I know these are not monkeys.

The Hoolock gibbon is in Bangladesh on the critical endangered list, with a mere 40 living in Lowacherra out of a country population of less than 400. The hill tribes in certain parts of Chittagong hunt and eat them, as well as poachers who traffic them

High in the trees quietly sitting and watching us a mother and her baby looked down upon us.

.....and so off we jolly well did fuck, for a three hour stroll through the woodlands of the park

One thing in abundance that one will see are the enormous orb spiders – black, red and yellow monsters that hang from massive webs between trees

They are said to be completely harmless. Fuck that, I was freaked out.

Ich scheiße in meine Hosen

But I was ok around the Clipper Flutterby

Located within the boundaries of the park are two tribal settlements, this village is home to the Khasi tribe.

The forest villagers have to register their presence, in return they are afforded certain rights within the park such as collecting wood for fuel and building materials, hunting, harvesting of betel leaf and other forest products.

I got the impression that this was a village that was fairly affluent, it was very clean, the buildings nor what one would expect, and all equipped with fully functioning mains electricity....and washing lines

Whereas most of the population of Bangladesh is either muslim or hindu the Khasi people are christian, they even have their own language which is different from Bangla

Their church simple but fit for purpose

It must be through evolution, and genetics, but I can never get my head around how the people in remote areas can go around barefoot, let alone climb trees, I go "ooh, oww, ouch, fuck, shit bollocks" walking on a pebble beach.

At the end of the 19th century a rail line was constructed linking the Assam tea fields to the port of Chittagong. Still in use today.

It is reported that activists are concerned that the railway causes an average of 3 animals to be killed every day and are advocating for the rail line to be re-routed. Never gonna happen

The locals don't seem at all bothered.

I mean c'mon these pig tailed macaques are lovely and cuddly aren't they?

Just don't get too fucking close!

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