Ranger killed by poachers in Thailand

The death of a ranger, killed by rosewood poachers while on a regular tiger monitoring exercise in Pang Sida National Park, Thailand, is  a stark reminder of how dangerous the work that TigerTime supports can be and the lengths that poachers will go to to make money. TigerTime support tiger conservation through this team of rangers in Pang Sida, so this comes as devastating news.

The incident happened on March 14th when an eight person team found fresh evidence of rosewood poaching.  They found eight Thai people hauling out the precious timber and a confrontation occurred during which one ranger, Mr. Tawee Choomyong aged 33, was shot at close range. During the melee the criminals fled leaving Tawee dying and the other three rangers outmanned and unable to pursue.

Due to the topography of the area regular walkie-talkies do not have sufficient range and there are no mobile phone relays in the park.  As a result, news of Tawee’s death and help for his team did not arrive until the following morning.  Police are conducting an investigation into the killing of Tawee and the illegal logging.

The Director-General of the Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation attended Tawee’s funeral along with rangers and FREELAND staff.  The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation sent condolences on behalf of TigerTime and everyone who supports this vital work in Thailand.

Our tiger project needs help at this awful time – we cannot let the poachers win this fight. TigerTime and FREELAND work incredibly hard to protect the wild tiger but we couldn’t do it without your help. Please consider donating here to help us continue our work in Pang Sida National Park.