Gamma the tiger: A cub's journey signals hope for conservation in Thailand

In 2023, camera traps captured images of a young tiger cub scampering alongside his mother, learning to stalk in the tall grass. For scientists, the cub was easily identified by the unique dark curving lines on his hips shaped like the Greek letter “y”—Gamma—and therefore earned his name.

Gamma and his brother were both born inside Thailand’s Khlong Lan National Park. Their mother was the first tiger recorded in recent years successfully raising cubs in this protected area.

For months, the young cubs were seen wandering between two national parks in Thailand’s Western Forest Complex. Each sighting was a small victory: In tiger conservation, cub survival is one of the strongest indicators that a landscape is recovering. For a tiger, the path to adulthood is fraught with dangers. Male tigers face particular risk as they usually stray further from their place of birth.

Gamma’s disappearance

At 16-months old, Gamma was near the age when young males start leaving their mother’s territory to find a home of their own. Then in January 2025, the young tiger vanished. No camera trap photos. No tracks.

The timing raised concerns. A new adult male had recently entered the mother tiger’s territory, an event that can trigger infanticide, a natural but harsh behavior in which incoming males kill cubs that are not their own.

Had Gamma dispersed? Had he been killed before he had the chance? For months, scientists feared the worst.

Sighting and celebration

Ten months later, in November 2025, a camera trap in Lan Sang National Park captured a powerful young male tiger. It was far north of his birthplace, but his stripes—those unmistakable gamma-shaped marks—confirmed it was Gamma.

Now, roughly 26 months old, Gamma had completed a long dispersal journey nearly 44 miles long (70 km). Male tigers of dispersal age often roam great distances in search of prey and potential mates. Gamma’s journey may not yet be over. Whether he chooses Lan Sang as his new territory remains to be seen.

But one thing is certain: Gamma has survived one of the hardest stages of a tiger’s life.

Small tiger to big hope

From a tiny cub to a young explorer carving out his place in Thailand’s forests, Gamma’s story reflects more than his own resilience. WWF-Thailand has been supporting the Department of National Parks tiger conservation program for more than a decade and together they have been successfully working to:

• Restore grasslands to support ungulates and other tiger prey across critical tiger landscapes.
• Reintroduce sambar deer to boost their population. Beyond being prey for tigers, they help control vegetation and disperse seeds across landscapes, supporting biodiversity.
• Secure and connect forest corridors to allow for tiger dispersal (just as Gamma has done).
• Strengthen protection efforts across Thailand’s national parks by training and supporting rangers.

Gamma’s journey is still unfolding. But today, we celebrate him—not just as a tiger, but as a symbol of what conservation can achieve.