Forest encroachment at Thap Lan puts tigers at risk

Forest encroachment at Thap Lan National Park in Prachin Buri – the heartland of Thailand’s tiger population – has become so severe that Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa is considering the possibility of new borders being drawn up.

Varawut said…

“I’m confident the government won’t be disadvantaged by using forest borderlines to solve this problem inside the park. We would accept any borderline that ends the encroachment problem.”

Forest, forest, burning bright

Throughout Thailand, tigers have been driven to extinction. Until recently, there was only one known viable population of tigers in the country, along its western border with Myanmar. Then, in 2017, a population of at least 18 cats was found in Thap Lan National Park. Khao Yai National Park next door lost its tigers due to poaching.

The state’s attempts to re-demarcate the…