Tiger numbers have jumped by 250% in Thailand

The Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM) in Thailand has seen a remarkable resurgence of its rich biodiversity, particularly with the tiger, the apex predator of these woods, experiencing a significant increase in population over the past 15 years.

According to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Thailand has recorded a staggering 250% increase in tiger numbers from 2007 to 2023. That’s right, the count has leaped from about 40 to over 140!

Celebrating Thailand tiger conservation

The Pattaya News reports that this extraordinary success story in Thailand is playing out differently in other parts of Southeast Asia. The disappearance of tigers from Java and Bali predates the 21st century, with Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam reporting similar losses by the mid-2000s.

In Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, and Myanmar, these big cats are hanging on by a thread, often in small or isolated populations, held at bay by hunting and loss of habitat.

Destined to save Thailand tigers

Enter Pornkamol Jornburom, director of WCS Thailand, and a defiant beacon of hope for these endangered creatures. She believes the credit for this remarkable recovery goes to Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, (DNP).

They have executed rigorous patrolling regimes, forming a protective shield around the tigers and their habitat from poachers and deforestation.

“We see very strong correlations between better law enforcement and the recovery of tigers. Prior to this, illegal hunting and logging were rife in WEFCOM, and tigers were on a path toward extinction. Here, as elsewhere in Asia, good enforcement is the cornerstone of the tiger recovery process,” explained Jornburom.

The coast is clear

The DNP’s tireless work of more than two decades, coupled with WCS and the Thai government’s meticulous monitoring, were crucial in tracking the success of these patrols. Started in 2004, the team installed hundreds of cameras to photograph the tigers, effectively using their unique stripe patterns to monitor the population’s health.

The work was led by Thailand DNP senior scientist Somphot Duangchantrasiri. “We believe this is a good example of how to set up and maintain a strong, independent monitoring program that brings credibility to tiger recovery efforts.”

More than just a tiger tale

Any thriving ecosystem is a balanced ecosystem. So, apex predators, the state of tigers is a reflection of the overall health of their habitat.

The team also monitored the positive ripple effects of their rigorous patrolling. Notably, they reported recovery in prey populations, like the banteng, a species of endangered wild cattle.

Apinya Saisamornin is an expert who specializes in tiger prey at the Wildlife Conservation Society and Kasetsart University in Bangkok.

“Tigers can’t exist in the wild without a healthy abundance of prey species. Our study showed a doubling in numbers of both sambar (a large, elk-like deer) and banteng, the key prey species for tigers in WEFCOM. Without the recovery of prey, tiger numbers could not have grown as large as they did,” noted Saisamornin.

A triumph, but only the beginning

All these numbers stitch together a heartening tapestry of ecosystem-wide recovery.

“The news out of Thailand of a 250% increase in tiger numbers over 15 years is proof that the tiger can be saved, but it takes long-term commitment on focused interventions,” said Dale Miquelle, a senior tiger conservationist at WCS.

“Recovery efforts are important not only for tigers – these same forests protect most of the terrestrial biodiversity of Asia, provide ecosystem services for millions of people, and buffer the impacts of climate change by retaining healthy forested ecosystems.”

Let’s take a moment here. Is it victory? Yes, but let’s not rest on our laurels. Miquelle’s words are as much a celebration as they are a call to arms.

Yes, we’ve stumbled upon a recipe for success in Thailand’s WEFCOM. Now, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and get ready to cook up similar stories across the world.

Because if we’ve learned anything here, it’s that through collective effort, we can turn around the seemingly insurmountable. So, are you ready to give these magnificent beasts a fighting chance?

The study is published in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation.

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