Rare majestic predator appears at butterfly viewing area in Thailand park. See it
From March to May, tourists from around the world flock to Thailand's largest national park to catch a glimpse of hundreds of species of butterfly.
The park has become a destination for casual tourists and wildlife enthusiasts alike, but on June 25, it wasn't butterflies that shocked visitors.
Around 5 p.m., images of a rare predator were taken from the 11.1-mile water checkpoint in the park, a place commonly called the butterfly viewing spot, according to a Facebook post from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
A black panther made an unexpected appearance at the site, officials said, appearing not only during the day, but in a typically busy spot.
Images were taken of the animal peeking through the forest foliage, then walking out onto a road and away from the viewer, according to the post.
Officials did not share how long the panther was in the area, or whether the images were taken by a park ranger or visitor.
Black panther sightings are becoming more common in the park, including panthers seen with cubs, according to previous reports, a testament to conservation efforts by wildlife officials, they said.
Black panthers are not a separate species, but rather a name given to melanistic leopards, found in Africa and Asia, and melanistic jaguars, found in South America, according to Britannica.
Leopards, the ones found in Thailand, are listed as a vulnerable species, meaning their numbers are dwindling but they are not yet endangered, according to the International Union on Conservation of Nature Red List.
Black panthers can range in size from 110 to 200 pounds, according to Britannica, and can have visible spots like their lighter relatives when viewed in sunlight.
While the elusive cats have become habituated to humans in Kaeng Krachan National Park, visitors are encouraged to keep a safe distance from black panthers, avoid making loud noises and never feeding the animals, officials said in the post.
Kaeng Krachan National Park is in central Thailand, on the northern end of the Thai peninsula. It is about a 115-mile drive southwest from Bangkok.
Chat GPT, an AI chatbot, was used to translate the Facebook post from the Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
30 minutes ago
- New York Post
Canadian tourist Dorian Christian MacDonald, 38, found dead after ‘drowning accident' on Dominican Republic beach
A Canadian tourist was found dead in the water at a Dominican Republic resort in what loved ones described as a drowning accident last week. Dorian Christian MacDonald was last seen walking along the beaches of Puerto Plata just after 2 a.m. during his solo trip to the northern coast of the Caribbean Island on June 20, according to CTV News. MacDonald was staying at a hotel in the resort town of Maimon Bay when he went for the overnight stroll — an hour before police received calls reporting him missing. 5 Dorian MacDonald was found dead in the waters of the Dominican Republic on June 20, 2025. Tara McKenzie/Facebook The 38-year-old's body was discovered in the water during high tide just after 4 a.m., the outlet reported, citing local officials. An official cause of death wasn't announced, but a family friend reported that MacDonald had drowned. 'Dorian died suddenly in a drowning accident. He was only 38 years old. And now, the world feels a lot quieter and a whole lot less vibrant just knowing he's no longer a part of it,' Tara McKenzie wrote on a GoFundMe. 'The painful reality is now facing the unthinkable task of trying to bring him back to Nova Scotia in a timely manner—to his Mom, his sisters, his family, his people. As much as we know how much he loved DR, we need him home,' McKenzie added. The fundraiser is intended to raise money to bring MacDonald's body back to Canada. 'We don't get to even begin saying goodbye properly or grieve as we should until then,' McKenzie said. 5 MacDonald was staying at a hotel in the resort town of Maimon Bay when he went for the overnight stroll — an hour before police received calls reporting him missing. Tara McKenzie/Facebook 5 The beach of Maimon Bay in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Universal Images Group via Getty The grieving friend said it would cost $10,000 to $20,000 to get MacDonald out of the 'cold system' of red tape, paperwork, international flights, body preparation and funeral arrangements. McKenzie paid tribute to her 'brother from another,' sharing 80 photos and text messages of the two dating back to 2016. 'I didn't want to ever have to write this.. So I don't know what exactly to say yet…I'm definitely still massively in denial that a presence as infectious as yours could actually be truly gone from this world…You were a part of my life, past, present and I prayed future…' she wrote in a Facebook post. MacDonald's death is the latest involving tourists to strike the Caribbean nation's beaches. University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki disappeared while swimming during her spring break trip to Punta Cana in the early hours of March 6. The 20-year-old was with Joshua Riibe, a St. Cloud State University student, at the time. The couple had met at the beginning of the trip. Riibe, 22, was detained by authorities and questioned in Konanki's disappearance. 5 Tara McKenzie and Dorian MacDonald pose in an undated picture. Tara McKenzie/Facebook 5 McKenzie paid tribute to her 'brother from another,' sharing 80 photos and text messages of the two dating back to 2016. Tara McKenzie/Facebook The parents of the missing Washington DC native asked officials to declare their daughter dead and clear Riibe of any wrongdoing in Konanki's death, which a judge obliged with on March 30. Konanki's body has not been recovered.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
Rare majestic predator appears at butterfly viewing area in Thailand park. See it
From March to May, tourists from around the world flock to Thailand's largest national park to catch a glimpse of hundreds of species of butterfly. The park has become a destination for casual tourists and wildlife enthusiasts alike, but on June 25, it wasn't butterflies that shocked visitors. Around 5 p.m., images of a rare predator were taken from the 11.1-mile water checkpoint in the park, a place commonly called the butterfly viewing spot, according to a Facebook post from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. A black panther made an unexpected appearance at the site, officials said, appearing not only during the day, but in a typically busy spot. Images were taken of the animal peeking through the forest foliage, then walking out onto a road and away from the viewer, according to the post. Officials did not share how long the panther was in the area, or whether the images were taken by a park ranger or visitor. Black panther sightings are becoming more common in the park, including panthers seen with cubs, according to previous reports, a testament to conservation efforts by wildlife officials, they said. Black panthers are not a separate species, but rather a name given to melanistic leopards, found in Africa and Asia, and melanistic jaguars, found in South America, according to Britannica. Leopards, the ones found in Thailand, are listed as a vulnerable species, meaning their numbers are dwindling but they are not yet endangered, according to the International Union on Conservation of Nature Red List. Black panthers can range in size from 110 to 200 pounds, according to Britannica, and can have visible spots like their lighter relatives when viewed in sunlight. While the elusive cats have become habituated to humans in Kaeng Krachan National Park, visitors are encouraged to keep a safe distance from black panthers, avoid making loud noises and never feeding the animals, officials said in the post. Kaeng Krachan National Park is in central Thailand, on the northern end of the Thai peninsula. It is about a 115-mile drive southwest from Bangkok. Chat GPT, an AI chatbot, was used to translate the Facebook post from the Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Overweight passenger hauled off plane over ‘f–king selfish' aisle seat demand
What an airhead. An overweight UK tourist was dragged off an airplane in Thailand after he demanded an emergency aisle seat to accommodate his larger frame, as seen in viral footage. 4 Authorities yank the disruptive passenger out of his air chair. ViralPress Advertisement The kerfuffle kicked off when the unnamed hellion claimed he didn't have enough room in his window seat on a Thai Lion Air flight departing from Bangkok on June 25, Viral Press reported. When the airhead asked to be switched to an aisle seat in the emergency exit row — which had more leg room — flight attendants refused, prompting him to throw a tantrum at 30,000 feet. 4 'At first, I thought we couldn't take off because the man had fallen ill,' the traveler who filmed the video recalled. ViralPress Advertisement 'At first, I thought we couldn't take off because the man had fallen ill,' the traveler who filmed the video recalled. 'It turned out he just thought the economy seat was too crowded and insisted on moving to the emergency exit.' Things got so heated that authorities were called to escort the problem passenger off the plane. But unfortunately, that was just the tip of the iceberg. 4 The man (pictured) threw a tantrum after crew members refused to transfer him to an aisle seat in the exit row. ViralPress Advertisement In the wild footage, Thai police are seen yanking the stubborn flyer — who was wearing a bright orange Garfield shirt — out of his seat. However, the traveler then proceeds to lie down and obstruct the aisle in protest, prompting frustrated reactions from his fellow flyers. 'He is so f–king selfish,' accuses one perturbed passenger, while another yells at him to 'get out of the way.' Eventually, police managed to carry the uncooperative fellow off the plane by his arms and legs like a table. Advertisement All told, his outburst delayed the flight by a full hour before the airplane eventually took off. This isn't the first passenger to be escorted off an airplane after they demanded special treatment. 4 Authorities drag the man by his arms. ViralPress In April, a pair of 'disruptive passengers' were ejected from a Viva Aerobus flight in Mexico after barging past crew members and yanking other passengers' luggage out of the overhead. That same month, an unruly passenger forced a Milan-bound plane to return to New York after he bum-rushed the cockpit because, among other complaints, he didn't receive his preferred in-flight meal.
