Tiger From Mae Wong Park Kills Dog, Officials Say It Returned to Forest
A tiger from Mae Wong National Park killed a dog in a Nakhon Sawan village but has returned to the forest, officials said, urging residents to avoid traveling at night and secure their livestock.
Residents of Mae Kasai subdistrict in Nakhon Sawan are alarmed after a large tiger from Mae Wong National Park emerged from the forest and killed a dog in their village. Authorities acknowledge the tiger escaped from the forest to hunt near the settlement but confirm it has returned to the forest. Officials have set up field patrols and urged residents to avoid traveling at night, stressing this is a different tiger from the one that fatally mauled a wildlife officer at Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary on August 10.
Following reports from villagers three days ago, Chayaprorn Amradis, director of the Protected Area Administration Office 12, dispatched staff to inspect Mae Kasai subdistrict in Mae Pern district, Nakhon Sawan, which borders the western forest zone between Mae Wong National Park and Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary in Uthai Thani province. Officials confirmed the tiger was real and exists in their database, but verified it is a different animal from the one that killed the ranger. Based on evidence, this is a young tiger aged around two years—the offspring of a tigress named Kanista documented by authorities.
The young tiger likely strayed while foraging and wandered deeper into the village, or may have followed prey. However, officials explain that tigers instinctively recognize ecosystem boundaries and will return to the forest on their own, as they naturally fear humans. Park officials have been deployed to educate residents and recommend improving lighting around livestock enclosures and homes, reinforcing animal pens, and exercising caution during nighttime travel. Residents are encouraged to travel in groups, and authorities will continue patrols to provide reassurance and security. Officials believe the tiger has already returned to the forest and urged residents not to panic.
