Conservationists released new remote-camera footage of tigers from an area of Thailand where the cats had not been spotted for four years. Video: CNN; footage courtesy DNP/ZSL/Panthera.
In an exciting win for wildlife, conservation groups have recently released footage of endangered Indochinese tigers from an area that has lacked resident tigers for years. These new sightings show that Thailand's tiger population is expanding outward into new habitats, renewing hope that tigers are rebounding in Thailand's forests after being driven to near-extinction in the country.
"In a sea of news casting doubt on the future of our planet's wildlife, this development is a welcome sign of hope and potential turning of the tide for the endangered tiger in Thailand. These tigers’ repeated detections in new areas suggests suitable habitat and prey exists for this small but significant population. All to say that our collaborative conservation efforts are paying off at a time when the species needs it the most." - John Goodrich, chief scientist and tiger program director for Panthera
Photo courtesy DNP/ZSL/Panthera.
Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), global wild cat conservation organization Panthera, and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) announced the exciting news in a press release. The announcement coincided with the 10th anniversary of Global Tiger Day in July 2020. The footage was captured by remote camera traps in February and March, during a joint monitoring program between the DNP, Panthera, and ZSL. This is the first time in 4 years that tigers have been recorded in this area.
One of the new tigers investigates a remote camera. Photo courtesy DNP/ZSL/Panthera.
These new tiger sightings are the result of years-long efforts to bolster tiger habitats in this region, including ranger training, anti-poaching, and community outreach to improve livelihoods and mitigate human-wildlife conflict. The tigers appear to be three young males that moved south from the Thung Yai-Huai Kha Khaeng UNESCO World Heritage Site (TY-HKK), which contains the largest remaining known breeding population of Indochinese tigers in the world. The exact location of these new males is being kept secret to protect them from poachers.
"To witness apex predators, like tigers, returning to forests means the ecosystem is recovering, which is good for all wildlife. The situation for tigers worldwide remains precarious, but successes like this show that through our work with communities and governments, we can see populations start to recover." - Eileen Larney, Zoological Society of London chief technical advisor in Thailand
This anouncement comes just a few months after scientists published a paper confirming the presence of Indochinese tiger cubs in Thap Lan National Park, within eastern Thailand’s Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex (DPKY).
Photo courtesy DNP/ZSL/Panthera.
That exciting news from one of GC's project sites supported the widespread growth of tiger populations in Thailand, and the new videos from westen Thailand continue to affirm that positive trend.
"Thailand is absolutely essential for tiger populations and tiger conservation. Thailand, especially for the Indochinese tiger, is the last bastion of hope for recovering that species." - Chris Hallam, Southeast Asia regional coordinator for Panthera
Despite this hopeful news, tigers are in dire straits. Globally, only 3,900 wild tigers remain, a 96% decline from the 100,000 wild tigers that existed a century ago. Though they once thrived throughout most of Asia, they are now all but extinct in China, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Vietnam, and most of Myanmar.
Photo courtesy DNP/ZSL/Panthera.
Tigers across their range belong to one species (Panthera tigris), with just two subspecies (mainland tigers, P.t. tigris, and Sunda Island tigers, P.t. sondaica). Instead of being split into species or subspecies, tigers are considered to be divided into distinct populations that historically had substantial genetic exchange. Of those unique populations, Caspian, Javan, and Balinese tigers are already extinct, and South China tigers may be extinct in the wild. Indochinese tigers, like the ones found in Thailand, are endangered.
"These tigers are in a precarious situation. Sustained and stronger protection of this area from poaching activity of any kind is the key to ensuring these individuals live on, helping Thailand's tigers to rebound." - Saksit Simcharoen, chief of the Wildlife Research Division for Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation
The primary threats to tigers across their range are habitat destruction and poaching. These cats are hunted for their skin and bones, which are traded illegally and highly sought after on the Asian traditional medicine market.
Photo courtesy DNP/ZSL/Panthera.
As a result, in 2010, the 13 countries that have tiger populations committed to doubling the worldwide number of wild tigers by 2022. This "Global Tiger Recovery Program" has been partially successful, with the number of tigers in India, for example, increasing by a third between 2014 and 2018. Indian now has more than 3,000 of the world's 3,900 tigers.
In total, only about 160 wild tigers remain in Thailand, though that number is growing each year. Despite these gains, tiger densities in this study area of western Thailand remain so low that they cannot be reliably estimated. These fragile populations need our continued support and protection, and GC will continue to support Thailand's mission to increase tiger populations by 50% by the year 2022.
Since 2005, our partner WCS Thailand has also focused its resources on the recovery of tigers and their prey in the TY-HKK. In 2019, Global Conservation deployed Global Park Defense the Umphang-Thung Yai Wildlife Sanctuary to support WCS's work in the TY-HKK.
An aerial view of Umphang-Thung Yai Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand, at sunset.
During 15 years of continuing efforts on the ground in TY-HKK, WCS has achieved UNESCO World Heritage designation, an intensive tiger population monitoring system using camera trapping, and the first rigorous population survey of tigers and ungulates across the whole 18,000 sq. km UNESCO World Heritage site.
With the success of anti-poaching and anti-encroachment at WEFCOM, WCS is working to extend the model to other national parks in Thailand and other countries in the region.
CNN - Endangered tigers captured on camera in Thailand bolster hope for species' survival
Bangkok Post - Wild Tiger Population Growing Fast
Photo courtesy DNP/ZSL/Panthera.
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