Global Conservation Helps Tiger Reintroduction Back Into Cambodia After Extinction in 2012
Global Conservation has supported over $2 million for the establishment
and protection of Cardamom National Park since 2018
Tigers will return to Cambodia for the first time since they were declared functionally extinct in 2016, in a pioneering reintroduction that will see tigers from India relocated to the Cardamom National Park.
Global Conservation has supported the Cardamoms National Park creation and protection over the past 8 years, investing over $2 million to enable the conditions for the reintroduction of tigers into the landscape. Global Conservation also funded critical tiger prey scientific studies to ensure there is sufficient prey for their long-term survival and reproduction.
India will send four tigers to Cambodia this year in an historic bid to revive the Kingdom’s big cat population. Cambodia’s dry forests were once home to hundreds of Indochinese tigers but intensive poaching of both tigers and their prey drove them to extinction. The last sighting of a tiger in the Southeast Asian kingdom was from a camera trap in 2007 and the cats were declared “functionally extinct” in Cambodia in 2016.
A 4 km x 4 km Tiger Reintroduction Center was built with the latest technology and enclosures for both tigers and their prey. Photo ©Mack Woodruff
Before being introduced into the wild, the tigers will be kept in a newly constructed 90-hectare, 222-acre Tiger Wildlife Sanctuary in the Cardamom rainforest to acclimatize them to their new home. Developed by Wildlife Alliance, the Tiger Wildlife Sanctuary integrates multiple release areas, prey enclosures and tunnels, a veterinary clinic, and a dedicated water supply.
Tiger Prey Population and Density Study
The scientific study, funded by Global Conservation, deployed 400 cameras every kilometer in the Cardamom National Park to monitor wildlife, particularly tigers' prey such as deer and boar.
Before sending the tigers—one male and three females—India wants to ensure there is sufficient prey and no possibility of poaching, said Indian Ambassador Devyani Khobragade. As soon as data on the prey arrives and the monsoon season eases, “we should have these tigers,” she told reporters in Phnom Penh.
The tigers will be tagged with monitoring devices for the safety of the animals and nearby villages, and there will be dedicated tracking and monitoring teams.
To protect Cardamom National Park, 16 ranger stations have been set up with Global Park Defense systems, technology, and training. These include regular overflights, targeted rapid response patrols, and an integrated protection and enforcement force of over 400 rangers and staff from the Wildlife Alliance, the Cambodia Police, and the Ministry of Environment.
If the project proceeds smoothly, officials from the Cambodian environment ministry plan to import several more tigers over the next five years.
Flaunting black market tiger goods at a market in China, sellers don’t worry about authorities interfering with their sales. Photo ©shutterstock.com
Deforestation and poaching have devastated tiger numbers across Asia. The native populations of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam have all vanished, and only 23 tigers remain in the wild in Myanmar.
India's wild tiger population now exceeds 3,600, according to government figures released last year, following decades-long conservation campaigns and support for 57 tiger preserves by Project Tiger, initiated in 1973.
Cambodia's once-significant undeveloped forest areas were abundant with wildlife. But after the communist Khmer Rouge’s brutal rule in the 1970s left society and the economy devastated, poor rural dwellers scoured the forests for wildlife.
Much of what was found was sold to traders who sent it to China, where many wild animals, including tigers, are believed to possess medicinal and sex-enhancing properties. Intense logging has reduced the forest cover in Cambodia, and poaching remains rampant.
Worldwide, tigers have been classified as a nearly extinct species. There are about 3,200 tigers in only 13 countries globally, according to WWF, compared to approximately 100,000 in the early 20th century.
The first phase of the project will involve transporting the four tigers from the Western Ghats in India. If this initial phase is successful, a second batch will follow, increasing the total number of tigers to 11.
Ambassador Khobragade announced the selection of the Cardamom Rainforest as the designated habitat for the reintroduction of tigers from India. She also noted the importance of ensuring a robust prey base and preparing the ecosystem to welcome the Indian wild tigers.
National Park authorities partner with the Cambodian military to patrol the area and remove snares meant for the illegal wildlife trade.
Khobragade stated, “It is a very complex project requiring close cooperation and finding the right tigers to bring to Cambodia from the vast network of Indian tiger reserves, as well as preparing the Cambodian ecosystem of the Cardamom Rainforest to welcome the Indian wild tigers.”
In addition to the bilateral efforts between the Indian and Cambodian governments, Ambassador Khobragade highlighted the role of the International Big Cat Alliance, an organization launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Khobragade said, “This alliance, comprised of nations and organizations dedicated to the conservation of big cat species worldwide, will provide invaluable expertise, resources, and support to our joint conservation endeavors,” she said.
Over time, the Cardamoms have become the best-protected forest in Cambodia. As a result, habitat connectivity is intact, and populations of wildlife species have flourished. It is for this reason that the Cardamoms have been selected for the reintroduction of tigers.
Once roaming vast territories across Asia, tigers now only occupy a fraction of their historic range.
Jeff Morgan, Executive Director of Global Conservation, said, “We are thrilled to see Cardamoms National Park become Cambodia’s most important last bastion for wildlife and intact tropical forests after nearly two decades of hard work by Wildlife Alliance and the Government of Cambodia. Our support for Wildlife Alliance over the past ten years has been undaunted, and in 2020-21 they secured over $120 million in REDD+ VCS carbon purchases to protect the Cardamom National Park and enable over 20,000 community members to benefit, including schools, water, bridges, roads, medical clinics, tourism development, and sustainable agriculture.”
Cardamoms National Park is now one of Southeast Asia’s last intact tropical rainforests, spanning over 800,000 hectares, encompassing dense monsoon forests, melaleuca wetlands, mangroves, and a network of rivers and estuaries flowing into the Gulf of Thailand. This fragile ecosystem is home to endangered species like Malayan sun bears, elephants, gibbons, clouded leopards, and Sunda pangolins. Although tigers haven’t been seen in the area for some time, it has been identified as the location for tiger reintroductions within Cambodia.
Camera trap image courtesy of DNP/Freeland/Panthera.
A successful tiger reintroduction could generate significant tourism revenue for Cambodia. Wildlife tourism is a growing industry, and the presence of tigers could attract nature enthusiasts, photographers, and conservationists from around the world. This would provide much-needed funds for further conservation efforts and support local communities, offering an economic incentive for protecting the newly reintroduced tiger population.
One of the most debated aspects of this reintroduction is the fact that it involves a different subspecies. Cambodia was historically home to the Indochinese tiger, whereas the tigers being considered for reintroduction from India are Bengal tigers. While both subspecies share many characteristics, they have adapted to different ecosystems over time.
Some conservationists argue that introducing a non-native subspecies could have unforeseen ecological consequences or dilute the genetic integrity of the local population, should any Indochinese tigers still exist. Others, however, point out that given the extinction of the Indochinese tiger in Cambodia, the introduction of a closely related subspecies might be the only way to restore tigers to the region.
Camera trap image courtesy of DNP/Freeland.
The potential for human-tiger conflict is a significant concern in any reintroduction project. Tigers are apex predators, and if reintroduced in areas close to human settlements, there is a risk of them attacking livestock or even people. Mitigating human-tiger conflict requires substantial investment in education, infrastructure, and compensation schemes for affected communities.
Fortunately, the core zone of the Cardamom National Park is free from human settlements, with the nearest village 25 km away, reducing the likelihood of direct human-tiger conflict. However, proactive mitigation and coexistence strategies are being implemented, including plans for a livestock compensation fund, ongoing community engagement and education programs, and the development of community-based ecotourism.