Around this time four years ago, the mood among wildlife officials in Thailand was somber. The case against Bach “Boonchai” Mai, the alleged leader of a major international wildlife trafficking ring, on trial for his suspected role in smuggling 14 rhino horns, had fallen apart after a key witness recanted his testimony in court. Conservationists bemoaned the judge’s decision to dismiss Bach’s case as emblematic of an overall lack of justice for high-level wildlife criminals.

But prosecutors in Thailand’s Attorney General’s office continued to appeal the decision. In September 2022, their efforts finally paid off when the Thai Supreme Court sentenced Bach to five years in prison. “There was always this tinge of embarrassment that he went free,” says