The 1.5-year-old male tiger cub that attacked a Huai Kha Khaeng park officer is the son of tigress Apinya. On the day of the incident, the cub encountered the officer asleep, leading it to mistake him for prey. Authorities are closely monitoring the cub; if it attacks again, it will be captured for behavioral adjustment to ensure safety.
On 5 Aug 2026, a tiger at Huai Kha Khaeng National Park attacked Mr. Sakrin Wichajan, a government employee working in the wildlife sanctuary, who died from injuries sustained during the incident while on duty in the morning.
On 6 Aug 2026, Mr. Atthapol Charoenchansa, Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, assigned the Protected Areas Regional Office 12 (Nakhon Sawan) and the Wildlife Conservation Division to hold a briefing about the tiger attack on the park officer at Huai Kha Khaeng on 5 August. The briefing was attended by Ms. Chayaporn Amradit, Director of Protected Areas Regional Office 12 (Nakhon Sawan), Mr. Sukhee Boonsang, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Division, and Mr. Permsak Kanitchat, Head of Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, at the Thung Faek Forest Protection Unit, Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Uthai Thani Province.
Ms. Chayaporn Amradit, Director of Protected Areas Regional Office 12 (Nakhon Sawan), stated that analysis of camera trap data—collected and studied continuously for over 30 years—allows precise identification of individual tiger stripe patterns. This confirmed the attacker was one of three male cubs of tigress Apinya, a family living and hunting naturally over about 40 square kilometers in the area.
Based on scientific behavior analysis and wildlife instincts, the incident is considered a natural accident. The 1.5-year-old tiger cub is in adolescence, learning to hunt, with curious and playful behavior while beginning to hunt independently. At the time, the officer was lying flat asleep, which the cub misinterpreted as natural prey, prompting the attack. Normally, if a tiger sees a standing, moving, or vocalizing human, it is startled and flees immediately. This behavior does not qualify as "man-eating" since there is no repeated aggression or preference for humans as prey. The tiger family remains within their territory, showing no signs of panic, fleeing, or causing trouble to nearby residents.
Moving forward, the Department of National Parks has installed automatic camera traps to closely monitor the cub’s behavior. If it can hunt prey naturally, it will remain in the ecosystem. Tracking devices will be added for long-term behavioral study. Should repeated attacks on staff occur, the cub will be captured and behaviorally rehabilitated based on scientific principles. Staff have been instructed to exercise utmost caution, avoid allowing wildlife close contact, avoid solitary work, always have partners, improve secure living quarters, and increase lighting in dark areas. Sleeping must occur in secure buildings. Furthermore, Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary has temporarily closed tourism and nature study activities until behavioral studies and safety assessments are complete.
Current tiger population data show approximately 100 adult tigers over one year old in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, with around 30 cubs still at survival risk. About 40 tigers also inhabit neighboring forests like Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary. The area’s habitat capacity and prey availability remain sufficient to support a healthy and safe tiger population.