Spectacular Creatures

Tales passed down from our ancestors tell of an oasis where live an abundance of fantastical creatures — birds whose feathers glow, insects whose wings shimmer, and flowers that breathe colour into the dark forest floor.

Tales we tell of phoenixes and unicorns, mythical beings from our wildest imaginations, long grazed over by generations of storytellers. But the truth is — no myth comes close to the real thing.

Here is a fraction of this life, in the dense jungles of South Thailand's Khao Sok National Park.

This photo essay was made possible by the support of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity and partners. Also available on Google Arts and Culture.