KAMPHAENG PHET – Officials from Khlong Lan National Park, along with related agencies and a team from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), successfully captured a skinny tiger that had wandered into a village in Khlong Lan National Park in Kamphaeng Phet Province on Tuesday after a five-day operation involving more than 60 officials.
An initial health check revealed that the tiger was a 2-year-old female that was 1.5 meters long and 60 centimeters high. Originally, officials mistook her for a male.
Mr. Phanudech Kerdmali, President of the Seub Nakhasathien Foundation, named the tiger “Bala Gol” or “Khlong Lan”,” which is the name for a tiger in the Karen language. He explained to the villagers that Bala Gol did not want to cause any trouble. She was just hungry because her mother could no longer look after her and she had to go out and find food herself.
“The conflict between wildlife and communities living near protected forests is becoming more frequent. The best solution is to find ways for them to coexist,” he said.
At 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 13, a tiger was discovered guarding a pig carcass. It was around 80 metres from the local’s home. The search crew was about to shoot the tranquillizer, but the tiger alerted in time and jumped free from the encirclement.
The officials then split into teams to monitor the village and surround the 30-rai area of tamarind and bamboo forest where the tiger was suspected. At around 9:50 pm on February 19, a camera trap set up by WWF Thailand recorded the tiger coming back behind the waterfall temple, Khlong Lan Waterfall Meditation Center, to eat the bait that had been set out. The tiger then stepped on a leg-hold trap. The officers then fired the tranquilizer dart.
A veterinarian from the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Breeding Station coordinated with park officials on the scene to quickly move the tiger out of the forest and into a waiting cage. This was done in a hurry as there was a risk of the tranquilizer wearing off during the 100-kilometer drive to the Khao Nang Ram Wildlife Research Station in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Tambon Rabam, Lan Sak District, Uthai Thani Province.
The tiger weighed around 80–90 kilograms. Even though she had gained weight by eating the bait over several days, she was in poor physical condition (body condition score 2–2.5). She suffered a corneal ulcer, left eye blindness, and a tiny left paw cut. Before being driven, the vet gave her antibiotics, vitamins, and treatments for her pale pink gums.
Officials from Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Khao Nang Ram Wildlife Research Station, Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Breeding Station and a veterinarian from the Conservation Area Administration Office 12 (Nakhon Sawan) will take care of the tiger’s care and rehabilitation. Bala Gol will be fitted with a radio collar to track her movements before she is released back into the wild.
