Due to the alleged illegal smuggling of tiger cubs, a tiger park in the north-eastern province of Mukdahan threatens permanent closure. Mukda Tiger Park & Farm, also known as Mukda Suan Sua, has been charged by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation and has been ordered to close for 30 days.
The DNP also plans to withdraw the park's operating permit, which could lead to permanent closure as this is not the park's first offence. Officials seized 5 live tigers and a cut tiger head from the park in December, as per Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, a non-governmental organization dedicated to the rescue of domesticated and captive wildlife. Following DNA tests, these were confirmed that the tiger cubs were not the offspring of the park's parenting tigers, raising suspicions that they had been smuggled in. As a result of the findings, the park was shut for a month in January.
DNA tests on two more tiger cubs, "Khao Mao" and "Khao Pluak," also shown that they were not born at the park. The cubs were claimed to be the offspring of parenting tigers "Do Do" and "Ma Feung" by the park operator, but DNA tests prove otherwise. These cubs were also smuggled into the facility, as per the DNP.
According to a Bangkok Post report, the Wildlife Conservation Office's Sompong Thongsrikhem says the latest violation could result in the park's permanent closure. The DNP has the ability in wildlife protection law to permanently close a facility that has been temporarily closed two times in a 12-month period. He expects the park to close completely this year. If convicted of wildlife smuggling and perjury, the park's owner faces up to 5 years in prison.
Due to the alleged illegal smuggling of tiger cubs, a tiger park in the north-eastern province of Mukdahan threatens permanent closure. Mukda Tiger Park & Farm, also known as Mukda Suan Sua, was also notified by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation and has been ordered to close for 30 days.
The DNP also plans to withdraw the park's operating permit, which could lead to its permanent closure as this is not the park's first offence. Officials seized 5 live tigers and a severed tiger head from the park in December, referring to Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, a non-governmental organization dedicated to the rescue of domesticated and captive wildlife. Following DNA tests, these were established that the tiger cubs were not the offspring of the park's parenting tigers, raising suspicions that they had been smuggled in. As a result of the findings, the park was shut for a month in January.
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