Three spotted leopards and two black leopards were seen walking together along a mountain road in Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi province yesterday, in what has been described as an exceptionally rare sighting in Thailand’s protected forests.
The sighting was reported by Mongkol Chaipakdee, chief of Kaeng Krachan National Park, who said he received a report that five young leopards had been seen between 9am and 10am near the 3-kilometre marker on Ban Klang Road, close to the Khao Sam Yot Park protection unit.
According to the report, Natnalee Suraplanant, an independent wildlife photographer, managed to capture a female black leopard and a male spotted leopard in photographs and video footage. The other three leopards — one black and two spotted — quickly disappeared into bushes beside the road.
Based on their physical characteristics and behaviour, Mongkol said he believed the five leopards were siblings and about three years old. He added that the presence of the five big cats was an important indication of the ecological richness and safety of this World Heritage Site.
Mongkol also said the location where the leopards were spotted was about five kilometres from a proposed dolomite mining site. He said the images provided valuable ecological information for assessing the biological value of the surrounding area and monitoring the movements of these protected animals.
The images will be stored in the park’s sighting database to support follow-up monitoring of the leopard population and help protect the animals and preserve their habitat.
