29 July Bangkok, Thailand - The Royal Thai Government has released a new national wild tiger population estimate of 179 -223 individuals. The previous estimate was between 148 and 189 tigers and the increase in the country's population of wild tigers is a significant milestone in the country's tiger conservation history and makes Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia to increase its wild tiger population.
Wildlife populations across Asia, including tigers and their prey, have suffered after decades of historic poaching and habitat loss. However, conservation effort and investment in Thailand has led to tiger recovery particularly the core protected areas of the Western Forest Complex in western Thailand.
Significant investment in the country's ranger workforce which patrol national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, and the institutionalization of SMART, has improved the protection of tiger habitat and reduced poaching.
Conservation efforts have also focused on restoring tiger prey populations, such as sambar deer and banteng. Since 2021, WWF-Thailand has supported the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) in releasing over 100 sambar deer into tiger landscapes. Reintroduced sambar deer are monitored after release with GPS collars and camera trap surveys to track their survival and understand their movements. WWF-Thailand will continue to support the government with further sambar deer reintroductions in the future.
"When we protect tigers, we also protect the ecosystems they live in, conserving much more than a single species," said Dechen Dorji, Vice President for Asia Wildlife at WWF-US. "Thailand's emergence as a leader in Southeast Asian tiger recovery efforts is a testament to its unwavering commitment to a holistic recovery strategy."
"Thailand is a beacon of hope for tiger recovery in Southeast Asia. Recovering wild tiger populations requires significant and sustained conservation interventions over many years and this new tiger population estimate is a historic moment. Building on this success, there is now an opportunity to be proactive for tiger recovery in Thailand, and consider how to return tigers to many of the well managed protected area complexes across the country which have lost their tigers," Stuart Chapman, Lead of WWF Tigers Alive Initiative.
