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New tiger sighting in Thailand shows conservation efforts are working

Posted on 17 May 2021

Bangkok, Thailand - Rare camera trap footage has revealed a new female tiger in Mae Wong National Park, within Thailand’s Western Forest Complex. The tiger travelled from Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, which is known as a source site for tigers.

“This rare sighting demonstrates the potential for Thailand’s tiger recovery and that tigers can recover given the right conditions,” said Dr. Rungnapa Phoonjampa, WWF-Thailand'sTiger Recovery Project Manager.

“Having a tiger disperse from another area is evidence that Mae Wong is rich in terms of biodiversity and this is the land of hope for tiger recovery of this region,” said Neramit Songsaeng, Superintendent of Mae Wong National Park.

A camera trap was placed strategically near a dead sambar deer that a patrol team correctly assumed had been hunted by a tiger. The carcass had been dragged for up to 100 metres, and rangers and WWF staff spotted the female tiger two days later when they checked the cameras.

Cross-checking databases with the Khao Nang Ram Wildlife Research Station was crucial in identifying that the tiger, named HKT262F, had travelled from Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary. Both Huai Kha Khaeng and Mae Wong are part of Thailand’s Western Forest Complex, which is earmarked by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) for the country’s tiger recovery plan.

WWF-Thailand has been working with DNP on tiger research and conservation in Mae Wong-Khlong Lan National Parks since 2012. Thailand has one of the last strongholds of wild tigers in Southeast Asia, and this recent camera trap video provides further evidence of the need to continue protecting the landscape.

Footage can be supplied upon request. All assets (c) DNP / WWF-Thailand

Media contact:

Duangkamol Wongworachan, Head of Communications, WWF-Thailand, email: dwongworachan@wwf.or.th

Tristan Tremschnig, Communications Director - Tigers Alive Initiative, WWF International, email: tristant@wwf-tigers.org