According to CNN, the number of tigers living in the Western Forest Complex of Thailand has increased more than three times; from 41 to 143 over 16 years (2007 - 2023).
This incredible result, after monitoring by the Thai Department of National Parks in collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Society, has been officially published in the scientific journal Global Ecology and Conservation.
To track the behavior and number of tigers, conservationists have installed a camera system around the forest since the project began in 2007. According to experts, they identify individual tigers by looking at the stripes on their bodies.
Another positive note is that the number of sambar deer released into this forest has doubled. This species was chosen by conservationists for breeding and release to balance the ecosystem and promote the growth of the tiger population in the Western Forest Complex.
The Western Forest area covers 18,000 km2, including 11 national parks and 6 wildlife sanctuaries. It is the largest tropical forest in Southeast Asia.
Additionally, this place is not only an important habitat for tigers but also for many other endangered species such as Asian elephants, hornbills, and bantengs. The forest boasts a very diverse ecosystem with 150 mammal species, 490 bird species, and 90 reptile species.
While Thailand is achieving success in its efforts to conserve and restore tigers, the situation for this species in many Southeast Asian countries is not as optimistic.
Tigers have become extinct in Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines, and in recent years, they have almost disappeared from the wild in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
