Pha Daeng National Park has alerted local villagers after discovering large tiger footprints in a cassava field in Chiang Dao District, Chiang Mai Province. The tiger is believed to have fled wildfires from a neighboring country.
On 2 April 2025 at around 15:00, Mr. Wichan Kamsri, head of the Pha Daeng protection unit 1 (Mueang Na), together with forest fire watch staff, was conducting wildfire suppression when they received a report from residents of Ban Nong Khiao (Nong Wua Daeng hamlet), Moo 12, Muang Na Subdistrict, Chiang Dao District, Chiang Mai. The residents who were working in a cassava field reported finding animal tracks resembling tiger footprints. The information was passed to Mr. Prakasit Rawiwan, head of Pha Daeng National Park, who dispatched a central patrol team to investigate.
Upon arrival, the team found the reported footprints in a cassava field and an avocado orchard about 500 meters from Ban Nong Khiao (Nong Wua Daeng hamlet).
Initial examination showed multiple large tiger footprints pressed into the ground. The paw width was about 9 cm, the footprint width approximately 13.5 cm, and the length about 15 cm. The data was forwarded to the Doi Chiang Dao Wildlife Research Station for species identification. Based on these characteristics, the tracks are believed to be those of a full-grown tiger, likely a roaming individual that fled wildfires from Myanmar. The forested area near Ban Nong Wua Daeng borders Myanmar, which is about 7 kilometers away.
Pha Daeng National Park has intensified public awareness efforts, urging villagers and nearby communities to stay vigilant. Residents are asked to report any additional signs immediately. Those who raise free-ranging livestock are advised to securely confine their animals in sturdy enclosures.
Meanwhile, park officials have been instructed to monitor the area around the clock to prevent panic and reduce chances of direct encounters between people and wildlife, enabling residents to live normally. Camera traps and thermal detection drones will be deployed continuously to track the tiger's location.