The tiger, once wide-ranging across Asia, has disappeared from much of its historic range. But thanks to concerted conservation efforts and communities willing to coexist with them, the majestic predator is making a comeback in some parts of the continent despite threats including habitat loss and poaching. South Asia continues to be a stronghold for tigers (Panthera tigris), but some other regions are also showing promise. On International Tiger Day, July 29, Mongabay presents three stories from the past year that offer hope for the big cat. Thailand’s tiger recovery Tiger numbers are rising in western Thailand’s Huai Kha Khaeng and Thung Yai (HKK-TY) wildlife reserves, which make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since camera-trap surveys began there in 2007, the tiger population has more than doubled, Mongabay’s Carolyn Cowan reported in July 2024. There could now be up to 140 Indochinese tigers in HKK-TY. Thailand is now the last stronghold of the Indochinese tiger (P. t. corbetti). Researchers attribute the increase in tiger numbers in HKK-TY to long-term conservation actions like strengthening ranger patrols to control poaching and efforts to boost prey populations. “Tiger recoveries in Southeast Asia are few, and examples such as these highlight that recoveries can be supported outside of South Asia, where most of the good news [about tigers] appears to come from,” Abishek Harihar, tiger program director for the NGO Panthera, told Mongabay. Sumatran tigers surviving in unprotected forests In Indonesia’s Aceh province, researchers installed camera traps across the massive unprotected forests of…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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