RATCHABURI: Authorities seized 39 protected animals from a house in Ban Kha district and arrested the owner on suspicion of selling the creatures on Facebook.
A team of national park officials, police and soldiers searched the house and found 24 elongated tortoises, four soft-shelled turtles, three porcupines, six birds of protected species, and one macaque inside the house. Many empty cages were also found.
Chanathip Inpankham, 38, the owner of the house, said he liked raising wild animals and did not know they were protected species.
The raid came after officials posing as buyers offered to buy protected animals that had been displayed on Facebook. Authorities said Mr Chanathip had opened the Facebook page under the name "kwamrak an hodrai" (cruel love) to sell wild animals.
Mr Chanathip claimed he merely exchanged wild animals online and did not offer them for sale. He was handed over to Ban Kha police to face charges of possessing and trading protected wild animals without permission.
