The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation warned New Year revellers on Monday not to take their pets, mostly cats and dogs, into national parks across the country as it fears diseases could be passed on from them to wildlife.
Songtham Suksawang, director of the National Park Office, expressing concern over the possibility of pets transmitting diseases to wildlife, said forest officials have noticed such outbreaks whenever the country has long public holidays, especially during New Year, when visitors bring their pets and feed them inside national parks, an action that breaches regulations.
"People tend to bring their dogs and cats the most," Mr Songtham said. He advised tourists not to take their pets into the parks and instead keep their animals at nearby pet clinics, which provide overnight stay services.
"If we find any visitors bringing their pets into the parks, we will fine them and ask them to leave immediately.
"We can do so because we're enforcing the law," he said.
Some pet owners are thought to want to avoid the cost of leaving their animals at clinics over New Year, especially if they are away for some time, as the cost of leaving them there could prove expensive.
According to Section 16 of the Park Act, anyone taking their pets into national parks must seek permission from a minister concerned. Any wrongdoer will be fined a maximum of 500 baht, Mr Songtham said.
Pattarapol Maneeon, an official with the department's veterinary team, said germs are present in both pets and wildlife without any noticeable symptoms but whenever germs get passed on from pets to wildlife or vice versa, symptoms will show up and in many cases lead to their deaths.
Mr Pattarapol referred to the case of a national park where cats and deer were living together for six months that led to the transmission of diseases. A group of deer became weak and sick and laboratory results showed toxoplasmosis infection that prevented pregnancy in those animals.