19-12-2023 (BANGKOK) Twelve tigers and three leopards were saved from a tiger farm in northern Thailand, which faced allegations of illegal wildlife trading. The operation, led by Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) and supported by veterinary teams and wildlife experts, marks the first phase of the largest NGO-led tiger rescue mission in the country’s history. The farm is expected to be the source of the rescue of a total of 35 tigers.
The initial rescues focused on the animals requiring immediate medical attention. Twelve elderly tigers and three ailing leopards were sedated, underwent health evaluations, and were then transported in cages on specialized wildlife ambulances.
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Among the first to be rescued was an emaciated elderly tiger named Salamas. While most of the tigers were sedated for their safety during transport, Salamas, who was in a fragile state, was enticed with food to enter the transport cage. Rescuers initially feared that she might be too weak, but to their relief, she summoned the strength to stumble into the cage. Despite her alarming condition, there is optimism among rescuers for Salamas’s recovery. Other rescued big cats include a female tiger known as ‘A-1’ and a twenty-year-old male tiger named Rambo, who struggles with breathing difficulties. These animals, who have spent their lives in small, concrete enclosures, will now have the opportunity to experience grass beneath their paws and sunlight on their fur in their new sanctuary at WFFT.
Upon arrival at WFFT, the rescued tigers and leopards will receive immediate medical care, joining nine other tigers previously rescued when a Thai zoo closed during the pandemic. The Tiger Rescue Center at WFFT, located in Phetchaburi, offers over seventeen acres of nearly natural habitat, allowing the tigers to roam freely, swim in lakes, and interact with others of their kind. In preparation for this latest rescue, WFFT expanded the center and constructed additional habitat spaces.
Thailand is home to approximately 1,700 tigers held in captivity within facilities commonly referred to as ‘tiger farms.’ These farms, ranging from small to large-scale, breed tigers for sale to unethical zoos or as exotic pets. Moreover, captive tigers are also exploited for their body parts, which are used in traditional Chinese medicine. Thailand’s geographical location makes it a hotspot for illegal transfers of captive tigers across borders, with the province where the twelve tigers were rescued being particularly vulnerable to illegal wildlife trade.
In the wild, Thailand is home to two critically endangered subspecies of tigers—the Indochinese tiger and the Malayan tiger. Their populations are estimated to be as low as 189 individuals remaining in the wild.
