The five defendants were all found guilty by the Thong Pha Phum Provincial Court of shooting at, luring, or removing wild animals from their habitat, acting cruelly toward them, all of which are separate offenses. KhaoSod stated that the plaintiffs’ punishment was reduced in half as a result of their guilty plea. Initially, they received a nine and a half year sentence.
The court determined that the plaintiffs’ basis for filing the lawsuit, which was done out of retaliation for the Bengal tigers eating their cattle and to protect their property, was incorrect.
This serious issue is not only illegal, endangering the ecosystem and upsetting the natural order. Officials seized four guns, extra firearms, and further equipment, including 176 rounds of ammunition, two bottles of gunpowder, and one bag of gunpowder, from the five suspects to establish their intent to hunt wild animals and their capacity to survive for an extended period in the forest.
The bodies of the two Bengal tigers were discovered by the authorities in excellent condition, each with a complete coat from head to tail. In order to prevent decaying, their flesh and bones were burnt, which suggests that the five accused were hoping to make money off the corpses. The court determined that all five alleged poachers were aware of the lucrative market for Bengal tiger carcasses.
The statement has conservationists and animal lovers appalled, and many have vented their displeasure on social media. For the sake of preserving the declining populations of these magnificent animals, many are calling for harsher penalties for poaching.
There are various estimates of how many Bengal tigers are still alive in the world today. The range of estimates is 2,500 to 3,330.
