Rare footage of a family of wild tigers feeding on prey in Isaan’s Dong Phayayen – Khao Yai Forest Complex has been captured by Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. With only 250 wild tigers estimated to be left in Thailand, the chances of capturing footage of tigers are next to none.
The short clip shows a family of 2 tiger cubs, their parents and 2 more tigers playing together in the forest. Later in the clip, the tigers are pictured feasting on a large animal carcass.
National park officials used camera traps to capture a total of 15 images of tigers in the 6,155 square kilometre forest complex so far this year. The pictures include images of 3 mother tigers, who gave birth and raised their cubs in the national park.
In 2005, the area was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, covering 5 protected areas in the Dong Phaya Yen Mountains and Sankamphaeng Range, namely Khao Yai, Thap Lan, Pang Sida and Ta Phraya National Parks and Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary.
The complex is home to more than 800 species of animals, including 112 species of mammals, 392 species of birds and 200 species of reptiles. Of these, 19 are vulnerable, 4 are endagered and 1 is critically endangered.
The footage comes just in time for Global Tiger Day, celebrated on July 29. To celebrate, the department will host an event called “Global Tiger Day 2022 – Tiger Next Gen” at the wildlife management development centre in Suphan Buri province.
As the world celebrates the Year of the Tiger in 2022, the illegal wildlife trafficking trade and habitat encroachment continues to threaten the big cat’s chances of survival. Thailand is cracking down on illegal tiger smuggling, but tiger cubs are still being smuggled into Thailand’s borders, mostly from Laos and Myanmar.
In April, Thai police confiscated a 4 month tiger cub smuggled into the country from Laos at a car park in Nonthaburi province. The police posed as interested customers and the traffickers agreed to sell them the cub at a price of 400,000 baht. Police arrested 3 men in relation to the incident and handed the cub over to the Wildlife Conservation of Thailand.
SOURCE: DNP