Five poachers jailed for killing and skinning Bengal tigers in Thailand

Five poachers who killed and skinned two rare Bengal tigers inside the Thong Pha Phum National Park between January 8 and 11 last year have been sentenced to four years and 9 months imprisonment each, along with a paltry fine of 750,000 baht. The case has left wildlife lovers in Thailand stunned.

The Thong Pha Phum Provincial Court found all five defendants guilty of attracting or taking wild animals from their territory and behaving in a harmful manner towards them, as well as firing shots – all of which are divisible offences. However, the plaintiffs’ plea of guilty resulted in a halving of their sentence, reported KhaoSod. They were originally given a nine and a half year sentence.

The court ruled that the justification for the suit, which was filed out of anger that the Bengal tigers had eaten their cattle and in defence of their property, was not the right decision.

This…