Tiger carcasses found in Bangkok taxidermist’s premises
Bangkok, Thailand, 6th February 2012—When Thai police spotted a man with blood-spattered hands walking to a store in a Bangkok suburb they knew something was amiss, but little did they guess that it would lead them to house filled with animal carcasses including two dead Tigers.
Police stopped and questioned the man on Saturday night (4th February), who told them the bloodstains were from animals he had been stuffing.
At the house where he worked, police went on to discover a whole Tiger carcass, another chopped up and placed in three plastic bags and many other animal parts.
Tigers are fully protected in Thailand, and any trade in their parts is prohibited.
Two employers and five workers at the house in Bang Chan were arrested and are being questioned in connection with the Tiger carcasses.
The owner of the house claimed he had permits to carry out taxidermy work for several zoos and shopping outlets, but has yet to produce these documents or explain where the Tigers were acquired.
The discovery was made by the local police and the Natural Resource and Environment Crime Suppression Division of the Royal Thai Police.
In a second search of the house today, police found more animals in various stages of processing. These included Gaur, crocodiles, snakes, parrots, egrets, elephant parts and the remains of many other yet-to-be identified species.
All the animals have been confiscated and investigations are underway into where and how the wildlife, especially the Tigers, were obtained and who commissioned the taxidermy.
The find comes less than a month after Thai Customs officials discovered four boxes of Tiger skin, bones and skulls in the post, destined for China.
“The Bang Chan find provides authorities with a unique opportunity to shut down an illegal trade chain. Those arrested should know both the suppliers and the buyers: we hope to see authorities make full use of this situation,” said TRAFFIC Southeast Asia’s Deputy Regional Director Chris R. Shepherd.
