Thailand’s tiger population is thriving in WEFCOM thanks to effective conservation efforts

As Global Tiger Day approaches, Thailand’s tiger population has made a remarkable recovery. In the Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM), a vast 18,000 square kilometre area with 11 national parks and six nature reserves, the number of tigers has more than tripled from 41 in 2007 to 143 in 2023.

This positive development was highlighted in a recent study led by the Thai Department of National Parks (DNP) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), published in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation.

The study not only notes the resurgence of tigers, but also highlights a significant increase in the populations of endangered ungulates, such as deer and wild cattle, in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary. These species are crucial prey for tigers, indicating a healthy and balanced ecosystem.

According to Pornkamol Jornburom, director of WCS Thailand, the increase in wildlife numbers is due to more effective management practices and conservation efforts over the past decade.

Jornburom, who has been involved in conservation projects at WEFCOM since 2005, attributes the success to improved anti-poaching patrols and systematic data collection. Initially, patrols were irregular and uncoordinated, but now they use GPS technology and standardized reporting to effectively monitor wildlife and illegal activity.

Thanks to these efforts, WEFCOM has become a model for conservation, benefiting not only tigers but also other endangered species such as Asian elephants, hornbills and bantengs.

The new study also recorded 67 tiger cubs via camera traps between 2013 and 2023, indicating a breeding and growing tiger population. WEFCOM’s extensive forest corridors, which connect several national parks, provide crucial habitat for tigers, which require large territories to thrive. This contrasts with many conservation efforts in the region that focus on smaller, isolated pockets.

Despite Thailand’s success, the overall regional outlook for tigers remains bleak. Tigers are extinct in several Southeast Asian countries, including Singapore, Java and Bali, and have disappeared from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in recent years.

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Small, isolated populations still exist in Myanmar, Indonesian Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia. However, these populations are severely threatened by hunting and poaching. Continued conservation efforts are needed to prevent further decline.

Stuart Chapman of WWF’s Tigers Alive Initiative stresses that tigers are a “conservation-dependent species” and stresses the importance of sustained interventions to protect them. He praises the WEFCOM study as a historic achievement, demonstrating that effective habitat management and the preservation of prey populations can yield extraordinary results.

The estimated number of adult tigers in Thailand from 179 to 223 is a promising trend. With continued efforts, WEFCOM could potentially support up to 2,000 tigers, which could serve as an inspiring model for conservation in other regions.