Two men caught hunting protected wildlife in Salawin National Park
Two men were arrested on February 4 in Mae Sariang district, Mae Hong Son province, after they were caught illegally hunting protected wildlife inside Salawin National Park during a routine patrol aimed at preventing wildfires.
The incident took place around 7.30pm when park rangers from the conservation and protection division of Salawin National Park were conducting an active patrol in a forest area under wildfire surveillance.
The officers encountered two men, aged 57 and 27, carrying firearms and flashlights as they trespassed into protected forest land.
Upon searching the suspects, officers found a .22-calibre rifle, a homemade firearm, a headlamp, and several protected animal carcasses packed inside a backpack.
Among the remains were a white-handed gibbon (a protected species), multiple wild birds including the thick-billed green-pigeon, black-naped oriole, and greater racket-tailed drongo, as well as the bodies of an Indochinese ground squirrel and a grey-bellied squirrel.
The two men reportedly confessed to entering the park with firearms to hunt wild animals for personal consumption.
They were arrested and charged under multiple Thai laws, including the National Park Act B.E. 2562, the Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act B.E. 2562, the Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and Fireworks Act B.E. 2490, and the Forest Reserve Act B.E. 2507.
Both the suspects and the seized items were handed over to officers at Mae Sariang Police Station for further legal proceedings, reported DNP News.
Chaiyan Sriyong, director of Protected Area Regional Office 16 (Mae Sariang branch), stated that Salawin National Park is continuing its strict forest closure policy and wildfire control operations in order to prevent illegal activities and reduce the risk of forest fires and wildlife crime.
In similar news, Kaeng Krachan National Park has launched Operation Huai Khom Krit to combat wildlife poaching and trade, as well as to protect natural resources. The primary goal of this operation is to arrest those involved in illegal activities, ensuring the long-term protection of natural resources and wildlife from unlawful encroachment and destruction.
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