Ringin in the Kelah

obmar · Site Admin Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 5697

Ringing in the kelah
SAGER AHMAD

Park rangers at the Sungai Relau Nature Park have devised a way to tell the river kelah that food is being served. An excited SAGER AHMAD joins in to feed this protected species

WHEN you visit Sungai Relau Nature Park near Merapoh in Pahang, you may see a “circus” or a scientific “experiment” — depending on how you look at it.

Here, you can watch how bells are used to “summon” the ikan kelah (mahseer) at feeding time. From afar, the bells sound like an ice-cream man has wandered into the jungle by mistake.

But for the fish, it means the “caterers” have arrived. This is when you will see the kelah behaving like kampung chickens responding to the call of “kruukh-kruukh” to peck at food tossed to them. Similarly, the kelah will swim up excitedly at the sound of “tling, tling, tling!”. It’s amusing to watch and one can help wondering how and why this works.

Ikan kelah, a foot-long freshwater carp from the family Cyprinidae, has distinctly large scales and a coloured fin (red, golden or silver). They are found in India and many parts of South Asia.

It is a protected species and in our country, can be found in remote rivers like Sungai Nenggiri in Ulu Kelantan and the upper reaches of Sungai Pahang.

When park rangers throw food pellets into the river, the fish will swim up and jostle each other for a bite. The fish can even be fed mouth-to-mouth and have been known to pick pellets right off the rangers’ mouths!

The kelah here are “conditioned” to react to the sound of the bell just like Russian scientist, Prof. Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (1849-1936) did to his dogs.

(In his landmark study on dogs, he would feed them after ringing a bell. The dogs would salivate in anticipation of food. Pavlov found that the dogs salivated every time they heard the bell even if he did not give them any food. The phenomenon is known as classical conditioning).

Opened in 2001, the Kelah Conservation Project in Sungai Relau is a joint effort of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and the Forestry Department (Perhilitan). It started because the kelah habitat and population were being threatened by river pollution. Sungai Relau, Sungai Juram and its tributary, Sungai Tanum are conducive for breeding the kelah.

Visitors are allowed to feed the fish and can venture into the water with pellets in their hands or with bottles which they slowly tip over to pour the pellets out. It’s truly a thrilling experience to feed the frenzy of fish swimming at your ankles.

Second Entrance

The visit to the Sungai Relau Nature Park was part of a familiarisation trip organised by Keretapi Tanah Melayu, Pahang State and various Government agencies under the Moh Melawat Pahang promotion.

The campaign was aimed at promoting the various tourist attractions in and around the Kuala Lipis district.

Sungai Relau is located in Taman Negara or National Park. It is the second entrance to Taman Negara from the Pahang side and is accessible through Merapoh, the nearest village to the west of Taman Negara. This gateway was opened 14 years ago. The most popular entrance though, is via Kuala Tahan in the south, passing through Temerloh and Jerantut. The other entrances are via Tasik Kenyir in Terengganu and Kuala Koh in Kelantan.

Park rangers said Sungai Relau got its name from the word “relau” (furnace) as there was once an iron mine on the river bank near Merapoh.

Now Sungai Relau is the preferred stepping off point for climbers attempting to scale Gunung Tahan, the highest point in Peninsular Malaysia standing majestically at 2,187m.

Climbers are required to take a guide and the return journey covering 89km would take between four days and a week compared to over a week via the Kuala Tahan trail. On their return, they would each get a certificate from the park headquarters.

Forest Treasures

The 20 minutes journey by road from Merapoh to the Sungai Relau Nature Park is a roller coaster ride up and down hills on good paved road cutting through the lush tropical forest.

But the journey is worth it as Merapoh has all the elements for a great nature holiday. There are rivers, waterfalls, caves and the formidable Gunung Tahan.

You can also engage in many water-based activities or go jungle trekking. Try kayaking downstream from nearby Kuala Juram to the ranger’s post at Kuala Yu. Along the way, you will come across the Jeram Buta wild rapids. The river is clean, clear and cold.

But the adventure starts even as you drive from Merapoh to the park. Keep alert and you’d spot hornbills flying past and blobs of elephant droppings on the roadside. According to rangers, the shy pachyderms will use the road at night when they go searching for food, usually bamboo shoots and young saplings or to the river to bathe.

Along the way is a 30m high observation tower. The view from up there is simply breathtaking and the air invigorating. The climb up the tower is also educational as there are colourful panels placed at intervals all the way up describing the flora and fauna found in the forest.

Behind the Sungai Relau Rest House are numerous forest trails but the easiest is the Negeram Trail that goes 4km into the jungle. Enjoy the treasures of the tropical rainforests with its myriad insects and birds, and listen to the fascinating sounds of nature.

The Interpretative Trail from the Sungai Relau Information Centre has self-explanatory stations with information on wildlife and jungle trees and plants. Animals like the tiger, tapir, elephants and sun bear have been sighted.

That afternoon, we got a glimpse of the mighty Gunung Tahan before it “disappeared” behind the clouds that were building up. We were told that the best time to see the mountain was in the morning.

The highlight of our journey was no doubt the sight of the kelah in Sungai Relau. Some of us got excited and, fully clothed, we went into the knee-deep water to get up close to the fish.

Getting There

From the north, exit the North-South Highway at Simpang Pulai near Ipoh. Then take the road to Kampung Raja in Cameron Highlands and on to Gua Musang and Merapoh, a journey of 3.5 hours.

From the south, drive to Bentong, then Kuala Lipis and onwards to Merapoh. The journey takes about three hours.

Sungai Relau is 7km from Merapoh and 33km from Gua Musang, Kelantan.

Where To Stay

Rooms or hostels are available at Sungai Relau and Kuala Juram. An alternative is the campsite with many gazebos and seats.

Rooms are spacious and some are air-conditioned. They come with attached bathrooms and three single beds each.

Hostel beds are RM10 per night, rest-house rooms are RM50 (air-cond) and RM40 (fan) and campsite fee is RM1 per person per night. There are public toilets and kitchen but no utensils or cooking gas.

Food is not available, so you have to bring your own provisions and cooking utensils. A community kitchen/eating area, public toilets and 24-hour electricity supply are adequate facilities for back-to-basic holidays.

Contact Taman Negara Sungai Relau, Merapoh 27210 Kuala Lipis. Tel/Fax: 09-912 4894.