Wandering wild tiger forces temporary closure of two Kanchanaburi national parks
Kanchanaburi’s Khao Laem National Park in Sangkhla Buri district and the adjacent Thong Pha Phum National Park in Thong Pha Phum district will be closed for 90 days so rangers can drive a wild tiger deep into the forest.
The closure was announced after a 46-year-old Karen villager was attacked by a tiger while he was herding his buffaloes near the Khao Laem National Park last Friday. The victim was rushed to a hospital nearby and is now stable.
Rangers also found two half-eaten bodies of buffaloes and some tiger faeces in the area. The buffaloes had apparently been dead for at least 20 days.
“Representatives of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation have visited the victim and given his family 10,000 baht in compensation for the stress,” said Niphon Jamnongsirisak, chief of Region 3 Conservation Area. “The two national parks will be closed for 90 days so rangers can start driving the tiger deep into the forest.
“Anyone wishing to enter the parks during this time must notify park offices in advance for approval. Violators will be hit with a 100,000 baht fine,” he warned.
