‘Forest Hawks’ plan swoop on illegal wildlife racket
The national park authority has set up a special suppression team to tackle the illegal wildlife trade, particularly online selling.
The team, dubbed the Forest Hawks, will clamp down on illegal trading that is currently spreading rapidly online, said Thanya Nethithammakul, director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
The move comes after the Facebook page of the group Rao Rak Koh Yao (we preserve Koh Yao islands) recently reported that a hornbill mother on Koh Yao was killed in her nest and her two chicks stolen. The group called for the department to find the chicks and crack down on the illegal wildlife trade.
One of the hornbill chicks was found in a bush near the nest a few days later and is now under the supervision of the Phangnga wildlife breeding centre.
“We are concerned about illegal wildlife crime and there needs to be cooperation from all stakeholders. Anyone who knows anything about such crimes can contact us directly,” he said.
“The Forest Hawks are ready to tackle both online and offline wildlife crimes.”
Social media has been a key channel for the illegal wildlife trade, Mr Thanya said.
A source in the Forest Hawk team said they will monitor any potential wildlife crimes on Facebook.
He hoped the team will help ease the concerns of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora about the country being an illegal wildlife crime hub.