Latest news with #DNP
Int'l Business Times
10 hours ago
- Health
- Int'l Business Times
Sunbears To Elephants: Life At A Thai Wildlife Hospital
The patient lay prone on the operating table. An IV line snaking from his left leg, near the wound from the tranquilliser dart that sedated him. Yong, a pig-tailed macaque rescued from a life harvesting coconuts, was being treated at Thailand's only NGO-run wildlife hospital. He is one of dozens of animals treated each month at the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) facility. Patients range from delicate sugar gliders intended as pets, to some of the hefty rescued elephants that roam WFFT's expansive facility in Phetchaburi, southwest of Bangkok. The wide variety can be a challenge, said vet Siriporn Tippol. "If we can't find the right equipment, we have to DIY use what we already have or modify based on the specifications we need." She described strapping an extension handle onto a laryngoscope designed for cats and dogs so it could be used during surgery on bears and tigers. A treatment whiteboard gives a sense of an average day: cleaning a wound on one elephant's tail, assessing another's possible cataract and treating a Malayan sunbear's skin condition. Yong was in quarantine after rescue -- coconut monkeys often carry tuberculosis or other infectious diseases -- and needed a full health check. But first, he had to be sedated, with a tranquilliser dart blown from a white tube into his left haunch. Before long he was slumped over and ready to be carried to hospital. Blood was taken, an IV line placed and then it was X-ray time, to look for signs of broken bones or respiratory illness. Next was a symbolic moment: vets cut off the metal rings around the monkey's neck that once kept him connected to a chain. The operating theatre was the final stop, for a vasectomy to allow Yong to join a mixed troop of rescued monkeys without risk of breeding. The light-filled hospital only opened this month, replacing a previous "tiny" clinic, said WFFT founder Edwin Wiek. "I've always dreamed about having a proper medical facility," he told AFP, over the sound of nearby tigers roaring in grassy enclosures. With over 900 animals in WFFT's care and a regular stream of emergency arrivals, "we needed really a bigger place, more surgery rooms, a treatment room," he said. Wiek founded WFFT in 2001 with two macaques and a gibbon. It now spans 120 hectares (297 acres) and houses 60 species. "That hobby got out of hand," he laughed. He has long advocated for stronger wildlife protections in a country well-known as a wildlife trafficking hub in part because of its location and strong transport links. Wiek once had tendentious relations with Thai authorities, even facing legal action, but more recently has become a government advisor. WFFT is now a force multiplier for the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP). "In many cases, when wild animals from elephants and tigers to macaques are found injured and displaced, we coordinate with WFFT, who assist in rehabilitation and medical care," said DNP wildlife conservation director Chalerm Poommai. One of WFFT's current campaigns focuses on the estimated thousands of monkeys like Yong trained to pick coconuts on plantations in southern Thailand. "The animal welfare issue is horrible," said Wiek. "But another very important point is that these animals actually are taken out of the wild illegally. And that, of course, has a huge impact, negative impact on the survival of the species." WFFT is working with authorities, the coconut industry and exporters to encourage farmers to stop using monkeys, and switch to shorter trees that are easier to harvest. There is also work to do equipping the new hospital. A mobile X-ray unit and specialised blood analysis machine are on Siriporn's wishlist. And Wiek is thinking ahead to his next dream: a forensics lab to trace the origins of the animals confiscated from traffickers. "The laws are there, we lack the enforcement," he said. "But with this tool, we could actually do some real damage to these illegal wildlife traffickers." Vet assistants carrying "Yong", a pigtailed macaque rescued from a life harvesting coconuts AFP Thailand is a well-known wildlife trafficking hub AFP Over 900 animals are in WFFT's care with a regular stream of emergency arrivals AFP
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hailey Van Lith Steals the Spotlight With Her Outfit for Sky-Lynx Game
Hailey Van Lith Steals the Spotlight With Her Outfit for Sky-Lynx Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Hailey Van Lith hasn't exactly established herself as a key rotation player for the Chicago Sky this season. Advertisement The 5-foot-9 guard's playing time under head coach Tyler Marsh has been limited. She was a healthy DNP in Saturday's 87-81 victory over the Minnesota Lynx, despite averaging 12.3 minutes off the bench. Van Lith appears to be trending down as well in terms of her role in the rotation, logging just 5.2 minutes per game in her last four appearances. Van Lith, however, has remained ready for when her number is called. This includes ensuring that she's dressed to impress for each of Chicago's games. This was the case yet again for the 23-year-old on Monday as the Sky hosted the Lynx at Wintrust Arena. Van Lith wore a plaid gray blazer over a white oversized button-down shirt. She paired it with a denim mini skirt, which added a youthful and casual element to her look. The former TCU standout then went a bit offbeat by pairing her white pointed-toe heels with sporty black crew socks. Advertisement Van Lith's ensemble stole the spotlight among Chicago supporters. 'Hailey 🙌🙌' a comment on Instagram read. 'HVL 🔥' said another. 'The girls are eating. HVL 🔥🔥🔥🔥" an X post read. Chicago Sky's Hailey Van Lith (right) drew the attention of fans with her latest Krzaczynski-Imagn Images "Omg them shoe Hailey 😲" another said. "Angel x HVL serving 😍🥺👏🏾" declared a supporter. "Dang HVL 😍🔥" a fan wrote. Van Lith has already gotten some game action in Monday's matchup against the Lynx. As of writing, she's played three minutes off the bench in the first half, registering one rebound and one assist. The Sky are up 49-42 at the halftime break. Related: Angel Reese Turns Heads With Outfit for Sky-Lynx Game Related: Angel Reese's Exchange With Lynx Star Before Sky Game Caught on Camera This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
Business Wire
11-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
DNP to Open First Overseas R&D Center in the Netherlands
TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (DNP, TOKYO: 7912) will open its first overseas Research and Development (R&D) Center in the Netherlands in September 2025. The new R&D Center will be located at the High Tech Campus Eindhoven (HTCE), and aims to promote global R&D, as well as accelerate innovation. HTCE is one of the leading innovation hubs in Europe, where approximately 300 companies and research institutes, and more than 12,500 researchers, engineers and entrepreneurs come together to develop innovative technologies and products. As an initial project, DNP will promote R&D into Co-Packaged Optics, which integrates optical communication technology with electronic technology to achieve a high information processing performance. Co-Packaged Optics is attracting attention as a next-generation semiconductor technology. In July 2025, DNP signed an agreement with the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) on joint R&D into Co-Packaged Optics. These activities will be promoted in conjunction with the Photonic Integration Technology Centre (PITC), a research organization located on campus that connects basic research to the mass production of photonic chips (optical IC chips). [R&D Contents and Goals] Co-Packaged Optics technology exhibits a high information processing performance, low power consumption, and energy savings, and is expected to be deployed in next-generation semiconductors. In order to accelerate the development of package components for Co-Packaged Optics, DNP will conduct three years of joint research with PITC, and other HTCE-based organizations. The goal is to acquire cutting-edge technologies, such as precision patterning technology for optical materials related to Co-Packaged Optics, as well as to develop new partnerships. [Looking Ahead] Through the new R&D base in the Netherlands, DNP will gain access to technologies and Co-Packaged Optics-related R&D networks, further accelerating the development of package components for Co-Packaged Optics. More Details About DNP DNP was established in 1876, and has become a leading global company that leverages print-based solutions to engineer fresh business opportunities while protecting the environment and creating a more vibrant world for all. We capitalize on core competencies in microfabrication and precision coating technology to provide products for the display, electronic device, and optical film markets. We have also developed new products, such as vapor chamber and reflect array that offer next-generation communication solutions for more people-friendly information society.
Bangkok Post
02-07-2025
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Veteran bureaucrat ready to lead Commerce Ministry
Jatuporn Buruspat, a former permanent secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, has resigned from his civil service post to assume the position of minister of commerce in the Pheu Thai-led government. On his final day at the ministry, hundreds of officials from various departments gathered to bid farewell to the long-serving technocrat. Many held flowers and garlands, offering their best wishes as Mr Jatuporn departed the ministry compound. They shouted 'We love you' while marine‑patrol officers formed an impromptu honour guard as his car left. Mr Jatuporn, 60, told reporters he felt no pressure in switching to another ministry because 'everything I have done is for the people's benefit'. His immediate priority, he said, is to tackle depressed crop prices, beginning with a field visit to Nakhon Si Thammarat province tomorrow to address the rock‑bottom prices of local fruit. 'We cannot lose more time,' he said. 'The work must move quickly and correctly.' Appointed permanent secretary for natural resources in 2019, Mr Jatuporn previously headed almost every key agency under the ministry, including the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), the Royal Forest Department, the Department of Water Resources and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR). Though his civil service term was due to end in October, he opted to resign early to enter politics with the fledgling New Opportunity Party, stunning pundits when he vaulted straight into a Grade‑A cabinet post under the administration of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was suspended from duty this week. Analysts note the party's rumoured ties to a major energy conglomerate, although it currently holds no parliamentary seats. New Opportunity is led by Deputy Commerce Minister Suchart Chomklin, who claims to have the support of about 20 MPs of the 36-MP United Thai Nation party, with which he has been at odds for some time. Mr Jatuporn holds bachelor's and master's degrees in political science from Chulalongkorn University and another master's in forest and environmental resource management from Kasetsart University. He has also held positions on the boards of state agencies, including the Forest Industry Organisation, the Highland Research and Development Institute, the Bioeconomy Development Office and the Greenhouse Gas Management Organisation. In addition, he served as chairman of the corporate governance and sustainability committee at the state majority-owned oil and gas company PTT. His departure sets off a scramble for succession in the top post at the natural resources ministry. Four department heads are tipped as contenders for the post: Attapon Charoenchansa of the DNP, Pinsak Suraswadi from the DMCR, Bhadol Thavornkitcharat from the Department of Groundwater Resources, and Phirun Saiyasitpanich from the Department of Climate Change and Environment. Outsiders, however, point to Raweewan Bhuridej, secretary‑general of the National Land Policy Board and former chief of the environmental planning office, as a dark‑horse candidate. The cabinet reshuffle marks Mr Jatuporn's formal entry into national politics, with expectations that his bureaucratic experience will play a key role in guiding the Ministry of Commerce through pressing economic challenges.
Kuwait Times
24-06-2025
- General
- Kuwait Times
Thailand credits prey releases for ‘extraordinary' tiger recovery
In the thick, steamy forests of western Thailand, 20 skittish sambar deer dart from an enclosure into the undergrowth -- unaware they may find themselves in the jaws of one of the habitat's 200 or so endangered tigers. The release is part of a project run by the government and conservation group WWF to provide tigers with prey to hunt and eat, which has helped the big cat make a remarkable recovery in Thailand. The wild tiger population in Thailand's Western Forest Complex, near the border with Myanmar, has increased almost fivefold in the last 15 years from about 40 in 2007 to between 179 and 223 last year, according to the kingdom's Department of National Parks (DNP). It is an uptick that WWF's Tigers Alive initiative leader Stuart Chapman calls 'extraordinary', especially as no other country in Southeast Asia has seen tiger numbers pick up at all. The DNP and the WWF have been breeding sambar, which are native to Thailand but classed as vulnerable, and releasing them as prey. Now in its fifth year, the prey release is a 'very good activity,' says the DNP's Chaiya Danpho, as it addresses the ecosystem's lack of large ungulates for tigers to eat. Worrapan Phumanee, a research manager for WWF Thailand, says that deer were previously scarce in the area, impacting the tiger population. But 'since starting the project, we've seen tigers become regular residents here and successfully breed,' he says. Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam have all lost their native populations of Indochinese tigers, while Myanmar is thought to have just 23 left in the wild, in large part due to poaching and wildlife trafficking. Over the past century numbers worldwide have fallen from about 100,000 individuals to an estimated 5,500, according to the IUCN, which classifies tigers as endangered due to habitat loss and overhunting of the species and their natural prey. But major tiger recoveries have been recorded in India and Nepal, where in recent years numbers of Bengal tigers have grown to 3,600 and 355 respectively thanks to conservation measures. This photo shows sambar deer in an enclosure before being released. Staff from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Thailand parked on a dirt trail after the release of sambar deer. Sambar deer running for freedom after being released. This screengrab from handout trail cam footage shows a tiger and cub walking in Khlong Lan National Park in Thailand's upper central Khampaeng Phet province. 'Incredibly successful' In a forest clearing in Khlong Lan National Park, DNP staff open the gate of the sambar deer enclosure where 10 males and 10 females have been grazing. The deer watch cautiously as one brave individual darts out, before the rest follow at speed and disappear into the trees. Worrapan says prey release programs -- now also happening in Cambodia and Malaysia -- are part of wider restoration efforts to 'rebuild ecosystems' in Southeast Asia, where they have been adapted for local purposes from similar initiatives that have existed for years in Africa. The breeding and releases also aim to solve the problem of the sambar deer's own population decline due to hunting, says Worrapan. 'The purpose of releasing deer is not solely to serve as tiger prey but also to restore the deer population,' he says, adding that GPS collar-monitoring has allowed researchers to track their lives after release. He says despite having only known captivity, the deer show a strong ability to adapt to outside threats. '(They) don't simply wait passively. They try to evade predators and choose safe areas to thrive.' Chaiya says only a small number of the released deer end up as predator dinner, with most going on to reproduce. The sambar deer and their offspring 'play a role in the food chain within the ecosystem, serving as prey for predators,' he says.—AFP
