NAKHON RATCHASIMA — A young male tiger seen walking close to cars on a mountain road in Thailand’s Thap Lan National Park this week likely wandered out of its territory after being displaced by an adult male, park officials said Saturday.
Tourists captured video of the tiger on December 6 near Pha Rak Saladdai and along the road leading to the Khao Saladdai radar station, an area straddling Prachinburi and Nakhon Ratchasima provinces. Rangers from Thap Lan National Park and district officials later inspected the site to ensure the safety of visitors and staff.
Phrawattisat Chanthep, chief of Thap Lan National Park and the Khao Saladdai radar station, said the tiger is about 2 years old and the offspring of a well-known female tiger identified as No. 106. The animals normally roam deep inside Lam Plai Mat forest, part of the wider Dong Phayayen–Khao Yai forest complex.
He said the young tiger likely moved toward the forest edge because an adult male had taken over its father’s territory, prompting the juvenile to search for a new home range. Lacking experience, it appeared unafraid of vehicles and wandered onto the mountain road.
Rangers have temporarily restricted access to the area and stationed officers with vehicles and survey equipment to warn remaining visitors and to create human activity that will encourage the tiger to retreat deeper into the forest. Officials expect the situation to resolve within two to three days.
“This is not the first time tigers have been seen here, but people need to understand they generally fear humans,” Phrawattisat said. “Adult tigers ready to hunt will avoid areas where they hear cars. Still, we ask residents and tourists to avoid the area for now.”
He added that the sighting is a positive indicator of a healthy forest ecosystem and ongoing tiger conservation success. Rangers will continue monitoring the animal to ensure the safety of both the public and wildlife.
The movement of the young tiger also suggests the wildlife corridor between Thap Lan National Park and Khao Yai National Park is functioning well. The two protected areas are connected by an over-road ecological passage above Highway 304 in Prachinburi’s Na Di district.
On December 7 , the Facebook page “This Is Khao Yai” posted a new video showing a wild tiger walking near the roadside as tourists drove up Khao Saladdaiใ The tourist who recorded the video said he was still stunned, as he never expected to encounter a wild tiger this close. Officials believe it is the same juvenile tiger recorded by another visitor a day earlier.
Thap Lan National Park, Thailand’s second-largest national park, spans parts of Prachinburi and Nakhon Ratchasima provinces and forms a key section of the Dong Phayayen–Khao Yai Forest Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Known for its vast dry evergreen forests, diverse wildlife and critically important tiger habitat, the park includes several protected corridors that allow animals to move safely between major forest blocks in the region.
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