Five Rare Big Cats Spotted in Kaeng Krachan National Park

Key summary

Mongkol Chaiyabakdi, chief of Kaeng Krachan National Park, reported on the morning of October 25, 2024, that five big cats were found near Ban Krong road kilometer marker 3 inside the park in Phetchaburi province. The group consisted of two black leopards and three spotted hyenas (referred to as 'seua dao' in the source text), observed between 09:00 and 10:00 hours. Independent wildlife photographer Natsanlee Surapolanan, known by her nickname 'Nong', captured partial footage of a female black leopard and one male spotted hyena, while two other animals were not photographed. The location is approximately 5 kilometers away from the dolomite mining project site that has faced opposition. Ms. Surapolanan intends to donate all recorded images and video clips to the national park for public education and future conservation research.