Cool Science
Camera Trap Photo Helps Bust Tiger Poacher
November 18, 2015
WCS has released a statement praising the Government of Thailand for its swift action, arresting an alleged tiger poacher for having the skin of an animal that had been killed in a wildlife sanctuary.
The female tiger was identified thanks to a camera trap photo (above left, edited here for color). Tigers have unique stripe patterns, kind of like our fingerprints. When compared with the skin (right, also edited here), our experts were able to help show this was the same animal, which had been photographed in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary.
The female was with cubs at the time of the camera trap photo. They would be about two years old now, though their fate remains unknown.
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