Human Rights Institution director Chaiphan Prapasarat said a security man with Plodprasop Surasawadi, head of Chiang Mai Night Safari, punched him in the face late Thursday after the live show.

Plodprasop is also vice minister for natural resources and environment.

"I have formally filed assault charges against Plodprasop Surasawadi's security men," Chaiphan told AFP.

Although only one man attacked the conservationist, Chaiphan said he had filed charges against all the security men who were with Plodprasop at the time as he did not remember which one had hit him.

During the show, Plodprasop got angry with Chaiphan who accused him of being involved in animal trafficking.

"His image cannot be separated from being a wildlife trafficker," the conservationist said Saturday.

Plodprasop sparked outrage last month when he proposed putting exotic animals such as zebra, giraffe and crocodile on the menu of a safari restaurant. He later said he would "review" the menu.

The conservationist also argued the one-billion-baht (24-million-dollar) night safari project in Chiang Mai, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's home ground, lacked transparency.

"There is lots of illegitimacy for this project," he said, adding that his study showed that the areas for the night safari park were arid land and not fit for animals.

Meanwhile, Thaksin said Friday Kenya's decision last week to halt the planned transfer of 175 exotic wild animals to the kingdom would not affect the safari's operations.

But workers at the safari park said Saturday its official opening had been delayed again until February. The opening of the park, originally scheduled for April, has been postponed several times.

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