Panther on the loose in Chumpon

A "black panther" — a melanistic jaguar. Wikipedia file photo.

CHUMPHON: -- A huge black panther has been attacking livestock in a village next to a national park in Muang District.

Local resident Sanguan Damsanit told reporters on January 6 that he saw the animal on New Year's Day in a field in Tambon Tha Yang.

Mr Sanguan, 55, said that when he went to round up his eight head of cattle for the night at around 6:30pm, he saw a black panther devouring one of his calves. He estimated the animal's body length at around 1.3 meters and said it stood a full meter tall.

After running back to the village in fear, he and other villagers returned to the area armed with shotguns and machetes to try and catch the beast, but it had gone. In his absence the panther attacked another of his calves, but only wounded it.

The animal is also suspected of having eaten some village dogs.

Thawee Bunyakon, 50, a former village chief from a neighboring village, said that judging from its footprint, the panther was a large adult.

Mr Thawee said panthers aren't usually fierce like tigers and that he had never heard of one in Chumphon before. He said he believed the animal must have lived in the nearby Hua Kroot Hills and been forced down from the hills by extreme hunger.

Alternatively, it could possibly have been a wealthy person's pet that had been dumped in the national park when the owner got bored with it, he said.

Worried that the panther might attack village children, Mr Thawee called in the livestock department to hunt it down.

-- Phuket Gazette 2010-01-11

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I fed him some somtom, patted his head and he started purring. Nothing to be afraid of here people.

Maybe round up a few truckloads of street dogs from the cities and release them in the park. It would solve two problems and they wouldn't have to kill the rare cat.

Soi Dogs for breakky - that works, I could think of a few two legged soi dogs that need to be eaten! I wonder if red attracts him/her. Looks like the red flags have started flying again under the expressway at New Petchaburi Rd. A cosh, a pickup and a quick trip to Chumpon. Might solve a whole heap of issues.

Fantastic!! I really hope they capture it alive. Be such a shame to kill such a wonderful animal.

Just reading the heading at first i thought it was some triad head nicknamed black panther. ohh..its just an animal.

Poor Panther It's just there doing what panthers do. Any clivilized place they would send the Park Rangers out with Tranquilizers. Maybe Trap him then take him to the zoo. I hope it dosn't end up dead

Went to Capture it with shotguns and machete's

Worried that the panther might attack village children, Mr Thawee called in the livestock department to hunt it down.

I wonder why experts from the zoo aren't called in

new crackdown on street dogs?

Worried that the panther might attack village children, Mr Thawee called in the livestock department to hunt it down.

I wonder why experts from the zoo aren't called in

Because the zoos of Thailand do not have experts. TMost asian zoos are horrible places for animals. Perhaps what you meant were some of the very skilled, competent professionals found at some of the Thai wildlife refuge and rehab centers. The Thais that work these places are some of the kindest and gentlest souls around and they also know what they are doing. Unfortunately approaching them might prove to be an embarrassment for the implicated ministry.

new crackdown on street dogs?

It will go down as the only crack down to actually achive anything

Went to Capture it with shotguns and machete's

Thai style to "capture" endangered species...

But hasn't the army and police ordered some millions of rubber bullets? Hope they don't mix them up...

Worried that the panther might attack village children, Mr Thawee called in the livestock department to hunt it down.

I wonder why experts from the zoo aren't called in

How about the Chiang Mai Night Safari personal.They'll have that dead in 24 hours.

black power lol

Don't know why, but that term "crack down" always invokes an image of some fat buraeucrat re-ensconcing himself in his chair. The crack in his butt is the only crack that goes down...

new crackdown on street dogs?

It will go down as the only crack down to actually achive anything

A beautiful animal.

As Huey stated, its just doing what comes naturally.

Hopefully it will elude capture since it sounds like they are desperate to kill it.

Run Mr. Panther, run!

Probbly better off dead than immured (nice word, that) in a concrete zoillogical cell.

Poor Panther It's just there doing what panthers do. Any clivilized place they would send the Park Rangers out with Tranquilizers. Maybe Trap him then take him to the zoo. I hope it dosn't end up dead

Worried that the panther might attack village children, Mr Thawee called in the livestock department to hunt it down.

I wonder why experts from the zoo aren't called in

They're all exhausted after that baby rhino incident.

Worried that the panther might attack village children, Mr Thawee called in the livestock department to hunt it down.

I wonder why experts from the zoo aren't called in

what experts from what zoo.??

Fantastic!! I really hope they capture it alive. Be such a shame to kill such a wonderful animal.

I agree, hopefully it's captured or relocated without having to kill him

Worried that the panther might attack village children, Mr Thawee called in the livestock department to hunt it down.

I wonder why experts from the zoo aren't called in

Because the zoos of Thailand do not have experts. TMost asian zoos are horrible places for animals. Perhaps what you meant were some of the very skilled, competent professionals found at some of the Thai wildlife refuge and rehab centers. The Thais that work these places are some of the kindest and gentlest souls around and they also know what they are doing. Unfortunately approaching them might prove to be an embarrassment for the implicated ministry.

of course... you really don't think the ministry is going to admit it has no experts of it's own..

That was unnecessary

Worried that the panther might attack village children, Mr Thawee called in the livestock department to hunt it down.

I wonder why experts from the zoo aren't called in

They're all exhausted after that baby rhino incident.

Certainly the answer to the Soi Dog issue one of them could clear up Pattaya in an afternoon.

Maybe round up a few truckloads of street dogs from the cities and release them in the park. It would solve two problems and they wouldn't have to kill the rare cat.

Yeh good idea in theory, and I like the part about keeping this awesome big cat alive. Thing is I dont think the dogs would need to worry too much, these cats like healthy lean meat, once it claps it's eyes on one of yer average soi mongrel's it'd probably take pity and share it's kill with them

A couple of things that don't seem to fare too well in Thailand: endangered animals and refugees.

I think they are like this, only darker...

The problem with this story is that the photo is of a jaguar, which are native to the Americas, not here.

There are melanistic leopards, of course, and you would think they would show a photo of that.

BTW, how does one delete a duplicate post?

It is most likely a "black" leopard or just simply a leopard in a black phase with indistinct patters of black rosettes on dark background fur. That is what the picture is of.

we need Edwin the Dutch man from khow lu chang wild life sanctuary in Phetchaburi any who may have the phone number please ring.