As we celebrate Global Tiger Day today, the endlessly fascinating Panthera tigris is nearing extinction as a result of poaching, shrinking habitats and the depletion of prey.
Fewer than 3,500 wild tigers remain in the world _ and just over 300 left in Thailand. Tigers are a conservation icon and they play an important role in the ecosystem, while providing an indicator of a healthy natural habitat.
Thailand's national tiger action plan aims to increase the country's tiger population by more than 50% by the Year of the Tiger in 2022. Mae Wong National Park and Khlong Lan National Park located in Khamphaeng Phet and Nakorn Sawan provinces, which make up part of the Western Forest Complex, is a new hope for recovering the tiger population in Thailand.
The "Tiger and Prey Recovery in Mae Wong and Khlong Lan National Parks" project was launched in 2011 through the collaboration of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Thailand. The goal is the long term recovery and maintenance of both tiger and prey populations.
We started by counting the numbers of tigers in Mae Wong and Khlong Lan national parks using camera traps. This technique is valuable for tiger identification, as individual tigers each have a unique stripe pattern. We found that the two national parks are inhabited by at least 10 tigers and 2 cubs. Interestingly, three of them were born in nearby Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, which holds the highest density of tigers in the region, but dispersed into Mae Wong and Khlong Lan National Parks to find new homes.
One female was recorded as far back as 2005 in Huay Kha Khaeng, but later moved into Mae Wong and Khlong Lan National Parks and eventually raised two cubs there, in 2012. The two other dispersers were males, one of which travelled deep into Khlong Lan National Park 64km away. It seems they are finding their own home range, as young males normally disperse away from their mother for long distances.
Camera trapping also revealed the presence of the tiger's main prey, including guar, sambar, muntjac and wild pig. Also present were three species conferred with the highest level of national protection under the Reserved Animal of Thailand Act, 1992 _ Malayan tapir, serow and Fea's muntjac.
Many other species of wildlife were also caught on camera, for example leopard, clouded leopard, dhole, Asiatic jackal, Asiatic black bear, stump-tailed macaque, large Indian civet, hog badger and Malayan porcupine.
These findings confirm that Mae Wong and Khlong Lan national parks are an important place for tiger recovery in the country. But how can the remaining tigers and prey animals there be protected?
This project is responding by conducting wildlife and habitat monitoring, and by supporting active ranger patrolling and increased ranger capacity through training in the new smart patrol system. The training has provided the rangers with better patrolling techniques and given them self-confidence. This has resulted in more effective protection and reduced illegal activities in the park.
Awareness and public participation in natural resource conservation is another important component to secure the future of wild tigers. Mae Wong and Khlong Lan national parks have created a tiger outreach team complete with the ranger band "Big Cat". They conduct on the ground conservation education and awareness activities in local schools and communities bordering the parks. They aim to build partnerships that promote tiger and wildlife conservation.
What can you do to help save the tiger from extinction? Many people are not aware that wildlife meat _ including most tiger prey species like deer and pigs _ are commonly hunted and sold in wildlife meat restaurants around the country. One thing we must do is stop visiting wildlife meat restaurants and spread the message to others.
But there is another looming threat for the tigers' survival _ the government's plan to build a dam in Mae Wong National Park.
WWF Thailand is against the construction of the dam as it would affect the ecological integrity there. Furthermore, the proposed dam will not solve or alleviate the problems of the people living in the area.
WWF supports development that does not destroy fragile ecosystems or affect the survival of endangered species and their habitats. Following the construction of the dam, the size of the tiger habitat will be reduced. The park's biodiversity will also be affected and could disappear due to habitat disturbance.
There is also the possibility of communities expanding into the deep forest as new access roads open up as a result of construction work, which is what will happen when Mae Wong dam is built.
Mae Wong National Park is part of the Western Forest Complex, which is known for its rich biodiversity, including numerous rare and endangered wildlife species, such as the tiger and the Asian elephant, as well as an important watershed for six of Thailand's major river basins. The 894 square km Mae Wong National Park is a critical tiger habitat.
The latest camera trap video taken in May14, 2012 at Mae Wong National Park showed a tigress and her two cubs less than 10km away from the proposed dam construction site.
The proposed dam will destroy close to 20 sq km of the national park, and new access roads could increase the threat of poaching.
Shrinking habitat, expanding human population and development, and poaching to feed consumer demand for tiger body parts and products, have already reduced wild tiger numbers in Thailand.
The construction of the Mae Wong dam will be a big blow to tigers' survival.
Rungnapa Poonjampa works for the Tiger and Prey Recovery Project, WWF Thailand.