Mekong - U.S. Partnership
On October 16, Thailand’s new elite wildlife ranger team, the “King of Tigers,” graduated from the groundbreaking 8-week intensive tactical training course to combat crimes against nature. The graduates are now tasked with enforcing Thailand’s laws pertaining to environmental crime including poaching, wildlife trafficking, illegal logging, and illegal fishing.
The King of Tigers is Thailand’s first elite rapid response team capable of addressing all crimes against nature. The rangers received tactical training in terrestrial and marine patrolling, investigation, and teaching techniques to ensure the sustainability of the unit. Participants also received a lecture from Mahidol University/Southeast Asia One Health University Network (SEAOHUN) on the risks of contracting zoonotic disease when handling wildlife.
The training course, provided by the USAID-funded Asia’s Regional Response to Endangered Species Trafficking (ARREST) Program, with joint funding from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), supported Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) to implement this crucial capacity building initiative. The new comprehensive course is now part of the ARREST Protected-area Operational & Tactical Environment Conservation Training (PROTECT) series, which has trained nearly 2,000 participants in Asia to date.
Related Website: Asia’s Regional Response to Endangered Species Trafficking (ARREST) Program
Source: USAID/RDMA Regional Environment Office Weekly Update
