(Bangkok Post photo)The Bang Lang National Park staff in Yala who cut off the head of a dead gaur were performing their duty, as required by law, to prevent it from being stolen and sold on the black market, the Wildlife Conservation Office (WCO) said yesterday. It was responding to an outcry among netizens over a claim that the national park staff wanted the head of the female gaur, called Mali, which died after being rescued from a bog, as another decorative piece on the wall of their office. She also made it clear that the head will be well preserved and kept at the park as a national asset. It will be put on display for visitors interested in learning about the local wildlife and animal populations. When it comes to learning more about specific breeds of gaur, the head can help both students and experts determine the morphology of the wild animal.

Source: Bangkok Post July 30, 2017 22:52 UTC