(Thumbnail Image: The New York Times)

BY MADISON MACK

“Recovering from its ordeal, this magnificent tiger cub is regaining its strength after being drugged and stuffed in a suitcase.”

A Thai women flying from Bangkok to Iran was arrested after Thai authorities discovered a tiger cub hidden in her luggage alongside a stuffed tiger toy. The woman now faces up to four years in jail for smuggling wildlife.

The chief of the airport’s wildlife checkpoint tells the Irish Independent he was shocked.

"Had the animal passed the oversize baggage check and gone through four to five hours of travel, its chances of survival would have been slim."

Thailand is a major transit point for wildlife trafficking throughout Southeast Asia. According to the UK’s Telegraph poaching and trade are critically threatening endangered Tiger populations in Asia.

“Tiger numbers have plummeted all over Asian thanks to poachers who sell the animal’s body parts for souvenirs or use in traditional Chinese medicine. This cub could have been sold on for around 10,000 Thai baht, that’s just over 2,000 pounds.”

Wildlife groups are using the high-profile nature of the incident to call for stricter punishment for wildlife traffickers including increased prison terms and fines. A spokesman for the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC tells MSNBC...

"If people are trying to smuggle live tigers in their check-in luggage, they obviously think wildlife smuggling is something easy to get away with and do not fear reprimand. Only sustained pressure on wildlife traffickers and serious penalties can change that."

A writer for the Bangkok Post agrees but says consumer demand for the animals fuels the trade and the government needs some back up.

“Governments must do more to stop this scourge … The [National Conservation Department] urgently needs more resources devoted to stopping the trafficking of wild animals in Thailand."

The confiscated cub is recovering in a rescue center and is expected to be transferred to the a wildlife sanctuary soon.