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BANGKOK – A two-month-old tiger cub was discovered hidden with stuffed tiger toys in the baggage of a woman heading to Iran from Thailand, wildlife protection officials say.
The 31-year-old Thai woman, was arrested after the tiger was spotted by x-ray staff in overweight luggage at Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, destined for the cargo hold.
An official from the Wild Fauna and Flora Protection Division said the cub was drugged and placed in the bag with the toys apparently to make it appear as if it were a stuffed animal.
“He was very calm, half asleep and half awake when we rescued him,” he said.
“He appeared exhausted, dehydrated and couldn’t walk, so we had to give him oxygen, water and lactation.”
The woman, identified as Piyawan Palasarn, 31, faces up to four years in prison and a 40,000 baht ($1,800 approx) fine for two wildlife smuggling-related charges, police said.
She denied the luggage with the cub belonged to her and said another passenger had asked her to carry it for them, said Adisorn Noochdumrong, head of an international wildlife division at the conservation center.
The cub could have fetched about 100,000 baht ($4,500 approx) on the black market in Iran, where it is popular to have exotic pets, Adisorn said. He said he did not know what the woman allegedly intended to do with this particular cub.
It is not yet known whether the animal was taken from the wild or had been bred in captivity.
Manop Lauprasert, of the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network, applauded the successful operation.
“We are all very happy to have saved this tiger cub from entering the illegal trade,” he said.
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