Thailand marks World Wildlife Day in Kanchanaburi

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Gen Surasak Kanjanarat and a group of foreign ambassadors visited Kanchanaburi province to take part in the opening ceremony of an event to mark World Wildlife Day on March 3.

Gen Surasak and the ambassadors from the US, British, Japanese and Indonesian embassies traveled to Huai Sadong Forest Preservation Unit to mark this important day. The event was organized by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) under this year’s theme, “The future of wildlife is in our hands.”

In attendance were more than 1,000 people, including local residents, college students, and officials from the Royal Forest Department. DNP Deputy Director-General Adisorn Noochdumrong said that serious measures have been taken to protect the nation’s wildlife, since the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act and National Park Act were introduced over 50 years ago.

After these laws were enforced, 73 million rai of forests nationwide have come under government protection. In 1983, Thailand also signed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES).

To reinforce the protection of wildlife, the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act was amended for for the third time in 2015. In the same year, Thailand passed the Elephant Ivory Act to prevent the illicit trade of Thai and African elephant ivory.

NNT

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