Watch out! 3D animals jump out of Khao Yai roads in bid to protect wildlife
A group of eco-tourists has joined a paint company to create 3D optical illusions on the roads in Khao Yai to prevent cars from hitting animals.
The Jud Kang Tent club launched the campaign “Kang Tent Paint Thanon” (Campers Paint the Road) on Tuesday in cooperation with TOA Paint Co Ltd with a pilot project in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Khao Yai National Park.
In the pilot phase, images of banteng and a family of elephants jump out at drivers at the entrance and exit of Sai Sorn Reservoir at the park, where animals usually venture out to get a drink of water.
The aim of the 3D optical illusion is to get drivers to slow down, Jud Kang Tent club’s president Suthas Phawilairat said.
“We hope these paintings will help save the lives of both small and large animals living in the park,” he said. “Each year, more than 10,000 wild animals, including pheasants, snakes, monkeys, deer, wild cats, bantengs, tigers and elephants have been killed by speed driving.”
The project will be extended to cover other national parks, he said.
Nanthaphol Boonleua, TOA’s marketing director, said two kinds of paint have been used in the paintings. The TOA ExtraWet is applied first to ensure maximum adherence to the road surface, while details have been painted with the TOA Roof Paint, which is 100% acrylic and UV resistant. The paint is also environmentally friendly because it contains no mercury or lead.
