https://www.scmp.com/rss/524111/feed The latest news and top stories on the Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation. A Thailand-based governmental body, the Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) is an agency of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment with headquarters in Chatuchak District Bangkok. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Associated Press Associated Press Debris from the demolition of the White House East Wing that was dumped at a nearby public golf course has tested positive for lead, chromium and other toxic metals, the National Park Service said. An interim report by a Virginia engineering firm says the toxic metals, along with PCBs, pesticides, petroleum by-products and other chemicals were detected at levels above laboratory reporting limits in soil at the East Potomac Golf Links, a historic golf course that US President Donald Trump plans... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352545/trump-admin-sued-over-dumping-white-house-debris-tests-show-toxic-metals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352545/trump-admin-sued-over-dumping-white-house-debris-tests-show-toxic-metals?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 23:00:09 +0000 Theodora Yu Theodora Yu Hong Kong authorities have vowed to follow up on a case of a detached MacLehose Trail sign after a woman shared a photo of herself posing with the wooden marker on social media that went viral and sparked online discussions. The woman shared the photo on her RedNote account on Monday, the fourth day of the five-day Labour Day “golden week” holiday. The image showed her holding the trail sign beside its metal stand. She later wrote it had already fallen and she only picked it up for the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3352480/tourists-photos-removed-hong-kong-trail-sign-draw-backlash-online?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3352480/tourists-photos-removed-hong-kong-trail-sign-draw-backlash-online?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 07:42:12 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele A viral video of three elephants sent from Malaysia to a zoo in Japan has sparked public anger after online users said the animals appeared distressed when visitors called their names in Malay – which many viewers interpreted as a sign of homesickness. The footage showed the three pachyderms – Dara, Amoi and Kelat – responding to the Malaysian visitors, while another widely shared clip led social media users to claim one of the elephants appeared to be “weeping”. Other clips and images... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352142/trumpet-call-malaysians-demand-japan-return-elephants-after-viral-weeping-videos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352142/trumpet-call-malaysians-demand-japan-return-elephants-after-viral-weeping-videos?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 08:13:23 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Thailand has begun using a birth control vaccine on elephants in the wild to try and curb a growing problem where human and animal populations encroach on each other – an issue in areas where farms spread into forests and elephants are squeezed out of their natural habitat. The initiative is part of efforts to address confrontations that can turn deadly. As farmers cut down forests to make more farmland, elephants are forced to venture out of their shrinking habitats in search of food. Last... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3343552/thailand-launches-wild-elephant-birth-control-stop-deadly-farm-raids?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3343552/thailand-launches-wild-elephant-birth-control-stop-deadly-farm-raids?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 01:53:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Malaysia has announced an immediate and full ban on the importation of electronic waste, as the government vowed the country would not be a “dumping ground” for the world’s waste. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said in a statement late on Wednesday that all electronic waste, commonly known as e-waste, would be reclassified under the “absolute prohibition” category effective immediately. This removes the discretionary power previously given to the Department of Environment to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342472/malaysia-bans-e-waste-imports-not-worlds-dumping-ground?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342472/malaysia-bans-e-waste-imports-not-worlds-dumping-ground?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 05:48:54 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse An elusive wild cat long feared extinct in Thailand has been rediscovered three decades after the last recorded sighting, conservation authorities and an NGO said on Friday. Flat-headed cats are among the world’s rarest and most threatened wild felines. Their range is limited to Southeast Asia and they are endangered because of dwindling habitat. The domestic cat-sized feline with its distinctive round and close-set eyes was last spotted in a documented sighting in Thailand in 1995. But an... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3337829/thailand-rediscovers-extinct-flat-headed-cat-after-30-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3337829/thailand-rediscovers-extinct-flat-headed-cat-after-30-years?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 10:08:48 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Thai marines have rescued five starving animals – two lions and three bears – abandoned in cages at a bombed-out Cambodian casino complex amid a deepening border fight between the neighbours. Security forces were conducting a sweep of the seized building on Sunday in Trat province when they made the grim discovery, prompting them to send a veterinary team to the site the following day. Officials from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) evaluated the condition... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3337641/thai-marines-rescue-starving-lions-bears-cambodian-border-casino?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3337641/thai-marines-rescue-starving-lions-bears-cambodian-border-casino?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 10:20:36 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Thai marine park officials are on the hunt for a visitor who was caught on camera feeding a plastic wristband to a sea turtle. If caught, the culprit could be looking at a fine and even jail time. A tourist who had visited Mu Ko Similan National Park sent a message to the park’s social media page on Saturday to report on the visitor’s action, according to the Bangkok Post. The tourist said that while snorkelling in the park around Islands 5 and 6, the visitor was seen offering a yellow plastic... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3334048/visitor-thailand-who-fed-turtle-plastic-wristband-sought-park-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3334048/visitor-thailand-who-fed-turtle-plastic-wristband-sought-park-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 05:52:29 +0000 Reuters Reuters New Zealand authorities said on Sunday that extra aircraft were being sent to fight an out-of-control wildfire that has burnt through around 1,100 hectares (4.2 square miles) of national park in the country’s central North Island. Firefighters began battling the fire in Tongariro National Park, a popular hiking spot, on Saturday afternoon and around 40 hikers had to be airlifted to safety. However, firefighting efforts were suspended overnight for safety reasons. Fire and Emergency New Zealand... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3332109/40-hikers-rescued-new-zealand-amid-out-control-wildfire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3332109/40-hikers-rescued-new-zealand-amid-out-control-wildfire?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Nov 2025 12:00:38 +0000 Andy Cornish,Marine Thomas Andy Cornish,Marine Thomas The government is keen to expand ecotourism offerings, including our unique island and coastal resources, and it is not difficult to understand why. Our coastline covers an impressive array of marine ecosystems, from the estuarine mudflats of Deep Bay and the sheltered coves of Mirs Bay to the rugged and highly exposed outer islands in the south and east. These ecosystems are home to nearly 6,000 marine species, making Hong Kong one of the most biodiverse marine regions in China. Our rich marine... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3330262/how-hong-kong-can-dive-ecotourism-while-protecting-nature?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3330262/how-hong-kong-can-dive-ecotourism-while-protecting-nature?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse For two years, Malaysian conservationists tracked a tiger named “Bulan” as she raised four cubs. Then a fatal traffic accident made her another statistic in the country’s dwindling population. Malaysia’s national animal is in trouble. Poaching, food loss and diminishing habitat have slashed the population from 3,000 in the 1950s to less than 150 roaming free today, according to official estimates. The government said last month it was ramping up efforts to combat wildlife crime, introducing... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3330328/malaysias-tigers-crisis-due-poachers-habitat-loss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3330328/malaysias-tigers-crisis-due-poachers-habitat-loss?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Oct 2025 14:20:01 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) has ordered the retraining of five lions that fatally mauled a veteran zookeeper at Safari World in Bangkok. The case has since prompted the closure of the park’s predator zone and sparked a review of safety practices at wildlife attractions across Thailand. Jian Rangkharasamee, a 58-year-old keeper who had worked with lions and tigers for two decades, was killed on Wednesday after reportedly stepping out of his... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3325362/lions-killed-zookeeper-thai-safari-park-be-retrained?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3325362/lions-killed-zookeeper-thai-safari-park-be-retrained?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Sep 2025 10:36:00 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A zookeeper was killed in a lion attack in Thailand, officials said on Wednesday, raising questions over safety and the legitimacy of the safari park’s lion ownership. The mauling happened at Safari World Bangkok, which calls itself one of Asia’s largest open-air zoos and offers lion and tiger feeding trips for around 1,200 baht (US$37) per person. “The deceased is a zoo staff member who usually fed the lions,” said Sadudee Punpugdee, wildlife protection director of the Department of National... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3325075/lions-kill-zookeeper-thai-safari-park-after-he-steps-out-car?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3325075/lions-kill-zookeeper-thai-safari-park-after-he-steps-out-car?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 11:47:34 +0000