Tiger Cub Found in Woman's Luggage at Airport

Upon opening the bag a tiger cub estimated to be no more than three months old was found, drugged and in poor health. The woman denied that the bag was hers and stated that “another passenger has asked her to carry it for them.” Palasarn was arrested for wildlife smuggling, which carries a maximum of four years in prison and a $1,300 fine.

Adisorn Noochdumrong of the Thai Wildlife Protection Department stated that it is not unusual for exotic animals to be smuggled from the area into Iran because there they are sold on the black market to people who aspire to own such a “pet.” It was estimated that those interested in owning an exotic feline like a tiger would pay as much as $3,500.

The cub was dehydrated, exhausted and could not even walk at first. It was handed over to Bangkok’s Wildlife Health Unit on Monday where it was being closely monitored. Workers gave the cub oxygen, water, and milk, and it slowly began to show signs of improvement. Now the cub is walking around a little bit and workers are hopeful that the cub will make a full recovery. Officials are curious about the cub’s origin so DNA testing has been ordered to declare further details about where the cub may have been taken.

Thai officials were concerned that if the cub had made it through surveillance undetected it might not have survived the flight into Iran, which could have lasted five hours. Nirath Nipanant, chief of the airport’s wildlife checkpoint was especially angered by the woman’s attempt and her blatant disregard for the animal’s welfare. He stated that he would like to see the law changed so that instead of a maximum of four years, violators would face up to ten years for illegal wildlife smuggling, especially of an endangered species.

In Asia, the tiger population has been severely threatened because of poachers who kill the animals for their pelts and body parts. The skins and body parts are sold to souvenir dealers who cater to travelers and tourists.