The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) has launched a study into the movements of tigers whose footprints were sighted in Chumphon and which may have roamed back and forth between Thai and Myanmar forests.
DNP director-general Athapol Charoenshunsa on Sunday said the footprints of the tigers were reported by a wildlife sanctuary based in the province, which found them in a forest in tambon Song Phi Nong of Tha Sae district.
He said he was informed of the discovery of the footprints on Friday.
He said his officers did not confirm whether the newly found prints belonged to three tigers recently captured on cameras under a survey project between the DNP and Freeland Foundation in the Tanao Si mountain range, which is part of Thailand and Myanmar.
Twenty-four cameras were installed in the area, and based on the analysis, three distinct tigers were identified based on the unique pattern of their stripes, he said.
"It is believed the animals are roaming back and forth between Thai and Myanmar forests, so the Wildlife Conservation Office has been assigned to carry out a study to find out how long these tigers have crossed the boundaries and if they are already included in the country's tiger population," he said.
The discovery was reported to the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Pol Gen Phatcharavat Wongsuwan, who ordered the DNP to survey the tiger population, he added.
Using smart patrol technology and special analysis techniques, the current number of wild tigers in Thailand is estimated to be about 148–189, an increase from 130–160 in 2020. Cameras are deployed at more than 1,000 locations in 28 wildlife reserve areas.
Based on the study, tigers are mostly found in Thungyai Naresuan and Huai Kha Khaeng wildlife sanctuaries covering the provinces of Uthai Thani, Kanchanaburi and Tak, with the number estimated to be 103–131.
The increase in the population indicates the fertility and diversity of the country's forests. It has prompted the government to endorse a plan for tiger conservation until 2034.