CHIANG RAI – Residents in the upper central province of Kamphaeng Phet are on edge after a large tiger, believed to have come from Mae Wong National Park, wandered near homes for several days. The animal reportedly broke into a backyard pen, killed an adult boar, carried off a piglet, then returned later to drag the mother’s carcass into a nearby sugarcane field.
The incident happened in Village 5, Ban Tak Fa, Pang Ta Wai Subdistrict, Pang Sila Thong District. Locals said the tiger has been seen circling the community for about three to four days, raising concerns for families and livestock owners.
On February 28, around 10:00 p.m., a tiger entered a pen where a villager kept boars. The animal attacked the mother boar inside the enclosure and took one piglet away. After that, it left the area when people approached with light, but the mother boar later died from the injuries.
Then, around 3:00 a.m. on March 1, the tiger reportedly came back again. This time, it dragged the dead boar, said to weigh about 80 kilograms, into a nearby sugarcane field. The return visit alarmed villagers even more, especially because people said officials were already keeping watch close to the pen.
At the scene, the pen gate showed damage, and the ground had visible signs of struggle. Blood stains appeared across the area. In addition, large paw prints led away toward the sugarcane field, supporting the report that the tiger hauled the carcass out of the yard.
The boar owner, a 79-year-old resident, told the Manager Online he heard loud squeals while resting near the pen. When he rushed out, he saw the tiger attacking the mother boar. The animal ran off into the dark after noticing people and lights.
By March 2, many villagers believed the tiger was still staying close. Some locals thought it might be guarding what remained of the carcass in the sugarcane field, waiting to return and feed again. Because of that, owners of other animals, including buffalo, worried the tiger could strike again.
One buffalo owner in the village said his pen sits near the attack site. As a result, he began staying up at night, keeping lights on and watching the animals closely, following advice shared by officials.
Residents who followed the tracks and listened to accounts from the boar owner described the tiger as unusually large. Based on what they saw, some estimated it measured close to 2 meters long and about 1 meter tall.
They also noted that the attack site sat roughly 2 kilometers from areas where multiple tracks had been spotted earlier, and it was not far from homes with other livestock.
Local leaders said teams from wildlife conservation units under the Protected Area Regional Office 12 (Nakhon Sawan), along with Mae Wong National Park staff, entered the area to patrol around the village. They also warned residents to stay cautious and avoid going out alone at night.
Officials set up camera traps to help locate the tiger and track its movements. They also brought in specialists to examine footprints, identify the animal, and assess its behavior. Early assumptions suggested the tiger could be a younger animal expanding its range beyond the park boundary. For now, the goal is to guide it back into the deeper forest as soon as possible.
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