Wild tiger numbers increase in Thailand

After years of concerted conservation efforts, Thailand’s wild tiger populations are increasing, with a new estimate of 179-223 tigers. This news, released by the Royal Thai Government, comes after decades of poaching and forest loss that has threatened Thailand’s wild tiger population.

This increase marks a significant turn in the tide for tigers in Southeast Asia. Most wild tiger populations in the region are in decline and more concerningly tigers have gone extinct in Cambodia, Laos, and Viet Nam in the last 25 years.

Thailand’s tiger conservation story

There have been promising signs of tiger recovery in Thailand over the last few years. In 2021, a tigress was recorded on wildlife monitoring camera traps dragging her kill, a gaur, into the bushes, a scene rarely recorded.

Having enough tiger prey is critical to the increase and recovery of tigers. The Royal Thai Government, supported by partners such as WWF-Thailand, has been working to increase the number of tiger prey in Thailand. In the last three years, more than 100 sambar deer were released into tiger recovery areas in the Western Forest Complex with more planned in coming years. Efforts to increase the banteng population, a species of wild cattle, have so far been successful with early signs of population increases and range expansion in some protected areas. “The more we can support tiger prey, the better supported our national tiger population will be,” explains Dr. Rungnapa Phoonjampa, a Wildlife Program Director at WWF-Thailand.

Examples of tiger population recovery are many. In 2023, a tigress with three cubs was documented by a camera trap. The young family became a symbol of hope for conservationists in the country. Fast forward a year and conservationists couldn’t believe their eyes. Camera traps had confirmed that the tigress’s cubs had left her and were establishing their own territory. Then months later, the same tigress was recorded on a camera trap with three new cubs.

Tigers and illegal wildlife trade

“A number of years ago this scenario of a tigress successfully breeding and rearing two sequential large litters of cubs simply wouldn’t have happened,” says Dr. Rungnapa. “Up until recent years, tigers and their prey have been severely threatened by poachers. But our government has really stepped up anti-poaching patrol teams across our national parks and wildlife sanctuaries which has had a positive impact on wildlife.”

Innovative wildlife monitoring tools such as SMART help rangers monitor species and prevent poaching hotspots, increasing the chance of tiger survival.

Poaching is only one part of the illegal trade of tigers. Thailand has the largest population of captive tigers in Southeast Asia. These captive tigers, as they age or die, become part of the illegal wildlife trade and fuel demand for tigers and their parts around the world, as well as undermine wild tiger conservation efforts.

WWF-Thailand is partnering with the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation to establish a national DNA database for captive tigers with the goal to strengthen cases of wild tigers being “laundered” into captive facilities and entering illegal trade. Updated forensic techniques will help law enforcement use forensic analysis in prosecutions and lead to better convictions commensurate with the crimes.

Protecting tiger habitats

While it’s crucial tigers are protected from poachers, it’s also critical they have the right conditions to survive across their landscapes. Historic logging has led to the degradation of Thailand’s tiger landscapes. WWF-Thailand has been working to improve the forests and grasslands that are essential for tigers and their key prey species such as sambar deer and banteng. “We’ve been improving grassland habitat across our tiger landscapes, which involves replanting grasses and protecting them from being destroyed,” says Michael Roy, Conservation Director, at WWF-Thailand. “These are important sources of minerals, such as magnesium and salt, for ungulates that can’t be accessed through their plant diet.”

A future for tigers in Thailand

Thailand is a beacon of hope for tiger recovery in Southeast Asia. Further increases in the nation’s wild tiger population could lead to tigers naturally dispersing to places they were once lost, not just in Thailand but possibly neighboring Laos, where wild tigers are extinct and they are working to restore their tiger landscapes.

“Thailand is driving tiger conservation forward in the region, and I hope this success inspires other governments to invest in tiger recovery efforts,” says Natalie Phaholyothin, CEO, WWF-Thailand.

“Because when we protect tigers, we protect so much more. We can’t afford to lose the momentum everyone has fought so hard to build. Now is the time for urgency and action.”