{"id":40526,"date":"2024-08-05T12:16:52","date_gmt":"2024-08-05T10:16:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/9d78fee7-d54e-426d-af3c-5366f4fc8aa3"},"modified":"2024-08-05T14:27:30","modified_gmt":"2024-08-05T12:27:30","slug":"thai-tigers-bounce-back-from-the-edge-of-extinction-after-capture-of-high-profile-poachers","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/thai-tigers-bounce-back-from-the-edge-of-extinction-after-capture-of-high-profile-poachers\/","title":{"rendered":"Thai tigers bounce back from the edge of extinction after capture of high-profile poachers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Experts say the population of Indochinese tigers has risen from 40 to more than 140 in Thailand\u2019s\u00a0Western Forest Complex, thanks to long-term conservation and law enforcement efforts. <\/p>

By Graeme Green\n <\/p>

Published: Monday, 05 August 2024 at 10:16 AM<\/p>

\n\n

A phenomenal 250% increase in tiger numbers has been recorded in Thailand\u2019s Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM) over a 15-year period from 2007 to 2023. <\/strong><\/p>

WEFCOM<\/a> is a vast conservation area in western Thailand, bordering Myanmar, covering around\u00a018,000 square kilometres, including multiple protected areas, national parks and reserves. It is a major biodiversity corridor and one of the most important areas of forest in\u00a0Southeast Asia.<\/p>

The rise in numbers of the Indochinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti<\/em>) in WEFCOM, from around 40 to more than 140 has been put down to long-term conservation measures and effective law enforcement, especially high-quality patrolling, protecting tigers and their prey from poaching and the destruction of habitat.\u00a0<\/p>

Thailand’s tiger population has risen from around 40 to more than 140 in the past 15 years. Credit: WCS<\/figcaption><\/figure>Tiger guide: species facts and how they hunt<\/a><\/li>
20 utterly majestic images of tigers<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Prior to the new measures, illegal hunting and logging were rife in the forested area, with tigers on a path toward extinction.\u00a0<\/p>
\u201cThis increase was achieved due to the\u00a0strong commitment and determination of the Thai government, and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) in strengthening law enforcement systems using the SMART patrol integrated with an intelligence-led approach for protected area management,\u201d says\u00a0Pornkamol Jornburom, Director of Wildlife Conservation Society<\/a> (WCS)\u00a0Thailand.\u00a0<\/p>
Camera trap footage captures tigers exploring Thailand\u2019s Western Forest Complex. Credit: WCS<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\u201cIn Thailand, the system has been in place in since 2006 in the core area of the Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM), and then scaled up for implementation in more than 200 protected areas across the country. <\/p>
“Well-trained and committed patrol teams greatly increased their patrol efforts, capturing a number of high-profile poachers, which sent\u00a0a message to other would-be poachers.\u00a0A scientifically sound monitoring system demonstrated that the increase in patrolling led to a decline in poaching and an increase in both tigers and their prey.\u201d<\/p>
$\"Thailand$
Experts say that the capture of a number of high-profile poachers has helped with the recovery of Thailand’s tiger population. Credit: WCS<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Tigers in Southeast Asia<\/h3>
Tigers<\/a> (Panthera tigris<\/em>) are currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.\u00a0India has also recorded significant increases in the country\u2019s tiger numbers, due to conservation measures. <\/p>
But\u00a0Thailand\u2019s increase stands in stark contrast to how tigers are faring elsewhere in Southeast Asia. <\/p>
Tigers disappeared from Java and Bali in the 20^{th<\/sup>\u00a0century, and from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam by the mid-2000s. <\/p>}
In other parts of Southeast Asia, tigers are still under huge pressure from poaching and the loss and fragmentation of forest habitat. As a result, tigers now exist elsewhere in Southeast Asia\u00a0only in small or\u00a0isolated populations in Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia and Myanmar.\u00a0<\/p>
$\"Thailand$ In other parts of Southeast Asia, tigers are still under huge pressure from poaching and the loss and fragmentation of forest habitat. Credit: WCS<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Thai success \u2013 and hope for the future<\/h3>
As WEFCOM\u2019s apex predator, tiger populations are a signal of the overall health of the ecosystem, the increase in their numbers part of a large-scale, ecosystem-wide recovery.\u00a0<\/p>
The news demonstrates that tigers can be saved with long-term commitments on conservation measures. <\/p>
\u201cWhat Thailand is doing – committing\u00a0resources and people to protection of wildlife and wild places – could be done in any country in Southeast Asia,\u201d says\u00a0Jornburom.\u00a0<\/p>
\u201cThe cost is not high, and the international NGO community has the expertise to support conservation and\u00a0is seeking new funding to ensure that finances are not a problem.\u00a0Thailand’s success in WEFCOM can be a role model for conservation and recovery of wildlife populations and\u00a0can surely be replicated elsewhere.\u201d<\/p>
There is more to come, says\u00a0Jornburom. \u201cThailand has the model for recovery of tigers in SE Asia. They are expanding their efforts within WEFCOM to more protected areas adjacent to those where success has occurred and\u00a0expanding to other\u00a0landscapes like the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex,\u00a0with evidence of recovery on the way. <\/p>
“They are\u00a0also\u00a0discussing translocation of tigers to landscapes where tigers have been lost.\u00a0These are truly examples for other countries to follow.\u201d<\/p>
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