{"id":74741,"date":"2025-04-28T09:00:27","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T16:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/?p=74741"},"modified":"2025-04-28T09:02:32","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T16:02:32","slug":"bhutan-cave-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/bhutan-cave-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Bhutan\u2019s cave biology has gone mostly unstudied\u2014until now"},"content":{"rendered":"

Famous for its breathtaking mountain landscapes and cliffside Buddhist monasteries, the small South Asian kingdom of Bhutan is also home to miles upon miles of caves that have been shrouded in mystery\u2026until now.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the first-ever scientific exploration of its kind in Bhutan, a team of researchers and forest rangers led by NAU assistant research professor <\/span>Jut Wynne<\/span><\/b> is uncovering how large and small animals use caves, how many yet-to-be-discovered species insects and spiders live inside and how Bhutanese communities can preserve the caves\u2019 delicate ecosystems for future generations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is an unwritten chapter of the country\u2019s natural history,\u201d said Wynne, who is affiliated with the Department of Biological Sciences and NAU\u2019s <\/span>Center for Adaptable Western Landscapes<\/span><\/a> (CAWL). \u201cThis research will likely reshape our understanding of cave ecosystems across the Himalayas, and perhaps Southeast Asia, with discoveries ranging from new species of subterranean-adapted arthropods to the secretive cave habits of tigers and leopards.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Jut<\/a>
Jut Wynne is no stranger to caves\u2014he’s researched cave biology in the Southwest, in Spain and on Rapa Nui, among other places. Photo: Sangay Tshering<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wynne said the research has been made possible thanks to support from CAWL, the National Cave and Karst Institute, the Royal University of Bhutan, The Explorers Club and Rolex.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The ecologist is no stranger to caves. Before traveling to Bhutan in mid-March, Wynne had made six trips to the isolated Polynesian island of Rapa Nui to study cave-dwelling insects that exist nowhere else in the world, <\/span>most recently as part of a Darwin-inspired research expedition<\/span><\/a>. Wynne\u2019s cave research has also taken him <\/span>across the Southwest and to Belize, Spain and China<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now back in Flagstaff after two weeks of research and meetings with conservationists in Bhutan, Wynne is excited to dig into the researchers\u2019 initial findings. There\u2019s a lot to unpack.<\/span><\/p>\n

New species galore<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

While in Bhutan, one of Wynne\u2019s goals was to unearth as many new species of subterranean-adapted arthropods\u2014insects, spiders and other invertebrates\u2014as possible. While scientists have already discovered about 1.8 million arthropod species, they believe there could be as many as 5 to 30 million more. Some of those undiscovered species undoubtedly live in the caves of Bhutan.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe know virtually no work has been done in Bhutan,\u201d Wynne said. \u201cIf you\u2019re the first team to collect subterranean-adapted species in a cave, and you\u2019re in a place as remote as Bhutan, you\u2019re likely to discover mostly new species.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Wynne said he and his colleagues have already identified more than 60 different species of arthropods from other parts of the world. He believes they\u2019ll soon be able to share information about dozens of never-before-described types of invertebrates from Bhutan as well.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I spy with my digital eye\u2026<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

There\u2019s little doubt that bears, tigers, leopards and other endangered species wander in and out of Bhutan\u2019s caves. But what do they do while they\u2019re inside? A series of trail cameras installed outside of and within caves may provide some insights into that question for ecologists and conservationists.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Hundreds<\/a>
Researchers collected data that will help build Bhutan’s first ever bat call library. Photo: Jut Wynne<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWhile much is known about the subterranean proclivities of African leopards, virtually nothing is known about how leopards and other species use caves throughout Asia,\u201d Wynne said. \u201cThese cameras could shed some much-needed light.”<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With help from savvy locals, Wynne and his colleagues traveled up steep, treacherous roads in the remote villages of southern Bhutan to install discreet cameras near and within the mouths of caves. Over the next six months, they\u2019ll review regular video footage that will help them understand when animals like Asiatic black bears and brush-tailed porcupines visit these caves, why they go there and how long they stay. Doing so will provide Bhutanese forest rangers and conservationists with some of the information needed to help protect wildlife species.<\/span><\/p>\n

Building a bat call library<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

While in Bhutan, Wynne spent time documenting where and how bats live inside the caves. His team set up bat call detectors near their study caves and even at their guesthouses as they traveled across the country. As they were mist-netting bats most nights, they also recorded calls from bats as they were released.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The data they collected will be used to help develop a bat call library for Bhutan\u2014which didn\u2019t exist before this study.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mapping the caves<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

As Wynne and his colleagues collected arthropods, noted natural features and recorded bat and other animal observations, Patricia Kambesis of Western Kentucky University followed them every step of the way. Considered one of the world\u2019s foremost cave cartographers, Kambesis will develop maps of all four caves the researchers visited, which will help them visualize cave microclimates and show exactly where animals roam and roost within the cave systems.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Mountains<\/a>
Bhutan is famous for its breathtaking mountain landscapes, like this one along the Wang Chu River in Chhukha. Photo: Jut Wynne<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIf I just tell you, \u2018I saw an Abert\u2019s squirrel in Coconino National Forest,\u2019 how helpful is that? Not very helpful, because the Coconino National Forest is huge,\u201d Wynne said. \u201cBut if I had a map, I could tie the squirrel to a specific place within the forest, and that would be much more helpful. It\u2019s the same with caves\u2014we need to know specifically where we found something within a cave; that way, we can make more specific management recommendations to those responsible for protecting these resources.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Protecting future cave-dwellers<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

Caves are sacred to the Bhutanese, a mostly Buddhist population. At the mouth of one cave, a local resident told Wynne that many Buddhists believed seven months of meditation in that place was just as powerful as seven years of meditation in Tibet. At another cave they studied, a monk had been meditating there since 2016.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a result, many choose to display their religious devotion by leaving offerings inside the caves. They\u2019re often made of flowers, food, candles or incense\u2014materials that could potentially negatively impact the animals living there.
\n<\/span>
\n\u201cIf I put on my science hat, I\u2019d say we shouldn\u2019t be doing that,\u201d Wynne said. \u201cBut these aren\u2019t my caves; they belong to the people of Bhutan, and they\u2019re honoring these sacred sites with offerings.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Wynne\u2019s job over the next several months will be to analyze how human disturbance of these caves\u2014from offerings to wooden ladders to footsteps through mud\u2014and come up with conservation recommendations that strike a compromise between protecting biological resources while respecting the country\u2019s Buddhist culture.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Group<\/a>
The researchers are working with local conservationists to preserve fragile cave ecosystems in a culturally sensitive way. Photo: Jut Wynne<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cOne fundamental precept of Buddhism is to do no harm and recognize the importance of all beings,\u201d he said. \u201cI think if the locals knew some of these activities were detrimental, they\u2019d reconsider. Maybe they\u2019ll be willing to make offerings only in specific areas of the caves or avoid entering caves during certain times of the year to protect bats.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Wynne said that by mapping the kingdom\u2019s caves, cataloging its cave-dwelling species and monitoring wildlife behavior, the research team will help underscore the urgency of cave protection both locally and worldwide. As the globe warms, populations increase and tourism to the Himalayas continues to pick up, cave habitats like those in Bhutan face escalating threats.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur goal is to share the discoveries of this research, emphasize the importance of Bhutan\u2019s fragile biodiversity and explore the potential for meaningful protective cave management,\u201d Wynne said. \u201cInsights from the team of international researchers and local conservationists will serve to lay the foundation for safeguarding these sensitive ecosystems.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Northern<\/span><\/p>\n


\nJill Kimball | NAU Communications
\n(928) 523-2282 | jill.kimball@nau.edu<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Famous for its breathtaking mountain landscapes and cliffside Buddhist monasteries, the small South Asian kingdom of Bhutan is also home to miles upon miles of caves that have been shrouded in mystery\u2026until now. In the first-ever scientific exploration of its kind in Bhutan, a team of researchers and forest rangers led by NAU assistant research…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":95,"featured_media":74745,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-74741","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research-academics"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74741","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/95"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74741"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74741\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74745"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74741"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74741"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74741"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}