Dead Thai deer found with seven kg of plastic waste in stomach
- 5 years ago
SAN THA, THAILAND — A wild deer living in a Thai national park was found to have seven kilograms of trash in its stomach.
Kriangsak Thanompun, a director from the Khun Sathan National Park in northern Thailand said the male deer had been eating plastic for a "long time" before it succumbed to death.
The deer was found on November 25, by a patrolling officer, the BBC reports. According to the Bangkok Post, the animal appeared to have some hair loss and deterioration at his hoofs and was thin in appearance.
An autopsy conducted on the wild deer found items such as rubber gloves, instant noodle packets, coffee packets, plastic bags and even underwear stashed in its stomach.
Officials believe all that trash had blocked up the poor animal's gastrointestinal tract, though a further investigation will be launched.
Thailand is a major producer of plastic waste due to strong demand in the nation, though it lacks an effective waste management system to recycle plastic, according to the Bangkok Post.
Roughly 75 billion pieces of bags are thrown away in Thailand every year, the BBC reports, citing Greenpeace.
Thanompun told BBC Thailand that the park plans to implement a scheme to get locals in the area to help collect discarded plastic and other waste.
Kriangsak Thanompun, a director from the Khun Sathan National Park in northern Thailand said the male deer had been eating plastic for a "long time" before it succumbed to death.
The deer was found on November 25, by a patrolling officer, the BBC reports. According to the Bangkok Post, the animal appeared to have some hair loss and deterioration at his hoofs and was thin in appearance.
An autopsy conducted on the wild deer found items such as rubber gloves, instant noodle packets, coffee packets, plastic bags and even underwear stashed in its stomach.
Officials believe all that trash had blocked up the poor animal's gastrointestinal tract, though a further investigation will be launched.
Thailand is a major producer of plastic waste due to strong demand in the nation, though it lacks an effective waste management system to recycle plastic, according to the Bangkok Post.
Roughly 75 billion pieces of bags are thrown away in Thailand every year, the BBC reports, citing Greenpeace.
Thanompun told BBC Thailand that the park plans to implement a scheme to get locals in the area to help collect discarded plastic and other waste.