Huai kha khaeng: National park officials have confirmed that a tiger attack led to the death of a park ranger. The Department of National Parks has presented evidence substantiating that Mr. Sakkarin Wichajarn, a wildlife sanctuary officer at Huai Kha Khaeng National Park, was killed by a tiger.
According to Thai News Agency, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has clarified details concerning the circumstances surrounding Mr. Sakkarin's death. This clarification was issued to address the comments and questions circulating on social media, particularly those questioning whether a wild animal was responsible for the attack, based on the nature of tracks and animal behavior noted at the scene.
The Department provided several points to support their findings. First, the questionable drag marks at the scene were analyzed by the tiger research team and matched the characteristics of marks a tiger would leave when dragging prey. Second, despite the absence of blood or signs of struggle at the sleeping area, tiger behavior often involves ambushing prey, which could mean a struggle was not evident if the prey was caught by surprise. The traces found were consistent with the scenario of a tiger attack, particularly if Mr. Sakkarin was asleep when the attack occurred.
Furthermore, forensic evidence supports the conclusion of a wild animal attack. An autopsy from Sawang Pracharak Hospital cited the cause of death as a cervical spine fracture and animal bite. Similarly, the post-mortem examination by Lan Sak Police Station reported the cause of death as a wild animal attack. Mr. Sakkarin's death certificate also confirmed death due to a cervical spine fracture from an animal attack.
The Department urges the public to rely on forensic evidence, official investigations, and scientific data on tiger behavior to understand the incident correctly. This clarification aims to prevent misinformation from spreading on social media and to ensure the public bases its understanding on evidence and investigation results from relevant authorities.