PHUKET, Thailand June 7 (Reuters) – The last remaining tigers and a bear were rescued from Phuket zoo in Thailand on Tuesday, after the zoo closed last year due to the pandemic.
A lack of tourists plunged the zoo into financial trouble and forced it to shut in late 2021, but several animals were left behind without adequate care.
Altogether 11 tigers and 2 bears needed rescuing, said Edwin Wiek, founder of Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT). The group collected the last three animals on Tuesday.
They will be taken to a wildlife rescue center run by the WFFT in central Petchaburi province as they cannot return to the wild, said Wiek.
Tourism to Thailand suffered an 18-month hiatus due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. The country is targeting 5 to 15 million arrivals this year.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.