A tiger has been confirmed in the Doi Inthanon area after three cows were found killed in Chom Thong district, Chiang Mai, prompting authorities to ban entry into nearby forest areas. Officials said the animal attacked livestock in Ban Mae Pa Ko, Ban Luang subdistrict and warned residents not to enter the forest under any circumstances. Drones and veterinary teams have been deployed to locate the tiger as a matter of urgency.

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On 24 February 2026, Krissayam Kongsatri, director of the 16th Protected Areas Regional Office, revealed that an inspection of the scene uncovered some paw prints measuring 6–7 centimetres and the carcasses of three cows with bite wounds to the neck. He confirmed the attacks were carried out by a tiger. The discovery followed reports from the village headman, who said that on 22 February 2026 a large tiger, was seen walking along a cattle trail at a distance of about 30 metres.

Pictures courtesy of Amarin

On 23 February 2026, two cow carcasses were found, with a third discovered the following day. Authorities described the presence of a tiger in the area as highly unusual, noting that Doi Inthanon National Park has no prior record of wild tigers occurring within its boundaries.

Officials have also checked nearby tiger-holding facilities in Doi Lo district, Chiang Mai and the Chiang Mai Night Safari, confirming that no animals have escaped. Pornarin Khumthong, director of the Wildlife Conservation Division, inspected the Momchao Ying Rangsi Nophadol Yugala Wildlife Breeding Centre in Doi Lo, where seven registered tigers are kept, and confirmed all seven remain securely in their enclosures. In Chiang Mai and Lamphun provinces, only two individuals are registered as tiger owners, with the other located in Mae Taeng district, Chiang Mai.

In response, the 16th Protected Areas Regional Office has ordered aerial drone surveillance to pinpoint the tiger’s location and dispatched veterinary and monitoring teams to the site. Doi Inthanon National Park officials are assisting villagers in moving livestock into secure pens and have issued public warnings to avoid forested areas.

Amarin reported that authorities cautioned that a tiger roaming outside its original habitat may be under stress and particularly aggressive, posing a potential threat to human life. Residents have been urged to report any unusual sightings to officials immediately. Investigations and monitoring operations are ongoing as teams work to track and contain the animal while ensuring public safety.

Key Takeaways

• Officials confirmed a tiger killed three cows in Ban Mae Pa Ko, Chiang Mai, between 22 and 24 February 2026.

• Paw prints measuring 6–7 centimetres and neck bite marks on the carcasses verified the predator as a tiger.

• Authorities have banned forest access and deployed drones and veterinary teams to locate the animal.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now Amarin 25 Feb 2026

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If you go down to the woods today you are in for a big surprise – not a teddy bears’ picnic, but a tiger roaming Doi Inthanon after cattle were killed.

While this could be an unregistered escapee, officials seem to be quite clear it is a wild animal moving through the forest ecosystem.

Let’s hope it can be safely trapped and relocated before any further harm is done, both to livestock and to the tiger itself.

This is very strange. Tigers do migrate in search of territory and prey but I feel this is much more likely to be an unauthorised release as the article seems to hint at. The level of habitat fragmentation and the nearest viable population would suggest it was.

6 or 7 cm indicates a juvenile, unless the author doesn't know the difference between inches and cm. It 's probably coming from Salawin NP in Mae Hong Son..

11 hours ago, Briggsy said:

This is very strange. Tigers do migrate in search of territory and prey but I feel this is much more likely to be an unauthorised release as the article seems to hint at.

Not from the bottom of Thailand to the top they don't.

It killed 3 cows with the state of Thai beef cattle roaming the countryside, it probably killed 3 to try and get some meat from them, for 1or 2 feeds. Thai beef cattle are hardly ever fat .

Whatever it is, its a Tiger and thus takes priority

36 minutes ago, kickstart said:

It killed 3 cows with the state of Thai beef cattle roaming the countryside, it probably killed 3 to try and get some meat from them, for 1or 2 feeds. Thai beef cattle are hardly ever fat .

Carnivores like tigers go for the innards first. That where most of the fat and other nutrients in prey animals is to be found. They particularly like to eat the partially digested grass that can be found in their prey's digestive system.

1 hour ago, Alan Zweibel said:

Carnivores like tigers go for the innards first. That where most of the fat and other nutrients in prey animals is to be found. They particularly like to eat the partially digested grass that can be found in their prey's digestive system.

no actually cats wants meat, hyenas and crocs wants the innards

1 minute ago, mordothailand said:

no actually cats wants meat, hyenas and crocs wants the innards

For what it's worth, here's what chatgpt says:

🐆 Typical eating order for big cats (lions, tigers, leopards, etc.)

1️⃣ Soft, nutrient-rich organs (first priority)

They almost always start with the abdomen and internal organs, especially:

• Liver

• Heart

• Lungs

• Kidneys

• Sometimes the stomach and intestines

These organs are:

• Easy to access once the belly is opened

• Packed with fat, vitamins, and minerals

• Easier to chew and digest than muscle

2️⃣ Muscle meat

After the organs, they move to:

• Thighs and hindquarters (big muscle mass)

• Shoulder and back muscles

This provides most of the calories.

3️⃣ Head and neck

Often eaten later or by subordinate animals:

• Facial muscles

• Tongue (very nutritious)

• Brain (if they crack the skull)

4️⃣ Bones, skin, and cartilage (last or never)

• Large cats usually don’t eat thick bones or hides unless starving

• They may gnaw softer bones for marrow

---

🧠 Why this order?

• Energy efficiency: Soft tissues give the most nutrients for the least effort.

• Competition: In group hunters like lions, dominant individuals take the best organs first.

28 minutes ago, Alan Zweibel said:

For what it's worth, here's what chatgpt says:

🐆 Typical eating order for big cats (lions, tigers, leopards, etc.)

1️⃣ Soft, nutrient-rich organs (first priority)

They almost always start with the abdomen and internal organs, especially:

• Liver

• Heart

• Lungs

• Kidneys

• Sometimes the stomach and intestines

These organs are:

• Easy to access once the belly is opened

• Packed with fat, vitamins, and minerals

• Easier to chew and digest than muscle

2️⃣ Muscle meat

After the organs, they move to:

• Thighs and hindquarters (big muscle mass)

• Shoulder and back muscles

This provides most of the calories.

3️⃣ Head and neck

Often eaten later or by subordinate animals:

• Facial muscles

• Tongue (very nutritious)

• Brain (if they crack the skull)

4️⃣ Bones, skin, and cartilage (last or never)

• Large cats usually don’t eat thick bones or hides unless starving

• They may gnaw softer bones for marrow

---

🧠 Why this order?

• Energy efficiency: Soft tissues give the most nutrients for the least effort.

• Competition: In group hunters like lions, dominant individuals take the best organs first.

i got the info from nature TV channel, and from watching them (cats hyenas crocs etc) eat, i think they (commentators) are right. vultures also seem to gravitate towards intestines, except one that almost only swallow bones whole

10 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Not from the bottom of Thailand to the top they don't.

I am not sure why you have introduced "the bottom of Thailand" into the conversation. There are wild tiger populations in the Western region, Tak, Kamphaeng Phet, Mae Hong Son and probably over the border in Myanmar. Perhaps you could clarify what you meant.

3 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

I am not sure why you have introduced "the bottom of Thailand" into the conversation. There are wild tiger populations in the Western region, Tak, Kamphaeng Phet, Mae Hong Son and probably over the border in Myanmar. Perhaps you could clarify what you meant.

Correct sir. My apologies.

6 hours ago, Briggsy said:

I am not sure why you have introduced "the bottom of Thailand" into the conversation. There are wild tiger populations in the Western region, Tak, Kamphaeng Phet, Mae Hong Son and probably over the border in Myanmar. Perhaps you could clarify what you meant.

so are tigers in thailand only in western and northern thailand ?

actually this is a first i heard there was wild tigers in thailand

7 hours ago, mordothailand said:

so are tigers in thailand only in western and northern thailand ?

actually this is a first i heard there was wild tigers in thailand

No, but the Western Complex is the nearest and frankly probably only feasible area a tiger could migrate from and find itself in Doi Inthanon National Park.

There are wild tigers in Thailand but they have been poached or hunted for a long time, their prey is much reduced and their habitat is highly fragmented. This means viable populations find it very hard to survive. (One or two tigers in a forest is not a viable gene pool!) Tigers in the wild are now missing from the majority of Thailand's National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.