Thai Man Caught Raising Tigers on Roof

A Thai man has been arrested for illegally raising six tigers on top of a Bangkok apartment roof. Environmental police found four adult and two juvenile tigers on a rusty caged compound on the rooftop of a four-story apartment in a residential neighborhood in Pathum Thani province Monday.

The apartment’s caretaker told police that the man owned the animals but was authorized to raise only tow of them. The 28-year-old Surasak Bunthienthong has been initially charged with illegal possession of protected wild animals.

An investigation showed the apartment was a transit spot for tiger trading in Thailand, where tigers are illegally sold for skin, fangs, and organs.

Bangkok is a hub for the multi-billion dollar illegal animal trade where many exotics are taken from the country and shipped to outside buyers. Several seizures have been made at Bangkok’s international airport while much trading is done along Thailand’s borders.