A bearcat was rescued yesterday after it strayed from the forest and climbed the exterior wall of a newly-built condominium in Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima yesterday.
The bearcat was spotted scaling the condo and trying to hide on the balcony of one of the rooms at 8pm on Friday. The condo project is located near Wat Kud Kla on Thanarat Road in tambon Moo See.
Pattharapol Manee-on, a veterinarian with the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, was asked to help with the rescue.
He said the bearcat, weighing about 60 kilogrammes, is past its suckling age. He mobilised a team to conduct the rescue yesterday after the department chief, Thanya Netithammakul, was alerted to the matter and ordered his deputy, Pinsak Surasawadi, to take charge of the rescue effort.
Mr Pinsak had asked him to plan how to bring the bearcat down from the balcony. A large air mattress, a boom lift vehicle and tranquiliser darts were brought to the scene.
Mr Pattharapol said bearcats are typically strong, intelligent and agile animals with a sense of smell five times stronger than a dog's. They also adjust well to their surroundings.
The veterinarian said a large haul of food kept by the tenants might have attracted the adolescent bearcat and it may have followed the smell of food to the condominium.
"The animal kept climbing until people on the ground noticed it and called the authorities," Mr Pattharapol said.
After many hours, the authorities stepped on the boom lift vehicle and shot the tranquiliser at the bearcat. But the animal climbed back to the ground and ran into one of the unoccupied rooms where the rescue team closed the doors and captured it with a net.
Mr Pattharapol said the bearcat is now safe. It will be placed under observation until it is ready to be released back into the wild.
Kanchit Srinoppawan, chief of the Khao Yai National Park, said some wild animals, including elephants and leopard cats, are naturally curious and have been known to leave their habitats to explore unfamiliar surroundings.
