A fierce tussle has ensued in southern Thailand, with environmentalists and wildlife activists determined to save the swiftlet, a sparrow-like bird, from the jaws of poachers and tour operators. While in Thailand the habitat of swiftlets is restricted to the spectacular limestone caves of the Phang-Nga Bay, they are also found in Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Swiftlets use glutinous saliva to design cup-shaped nests for their offsprings. This saliva, a tasteless jelly of zero nutritional value, is mixed with a broth to prepare the bird's nest soup