Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) recently shared photos of a Malayan tiger roaming in the Bang Lang National Park in Yala, a very rare sight these days.
Taking to its official Facebook page, DNP’s Public Relations Department asserted that in Thailand, the Malayan tiger is only found in Bang Lang National Park and Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary in the southern part of the country bordering Malaysia.
While the tigers found in the central and western parts of Thailand look similar, they’re actually another subspecies, the Indochinese tigers.
Classified as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, the Malayan tiger was spotted by DNP thanks to the implementation of a “Smart Patrol” system which was designed to help track and monitor wildlife and prevent threats to protected forests.
Specifically, the Malayan tiger was captured on trap cameras set up by DNP to survey the forest and gather more information about the animal.
The sighting is noteworthy as the Malayan tiger was actually the first of its species captured on camera by DNP officials, further showing how few of them are left in the wilds of Thailand.
DNP named the Malayan tiger “Bang Lang 01” after the name of the national park and because it was the first of its species caught on trap camera there.
So, what do you guys think of the photos? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
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