This year will focus on more blogs from the field focusing on conserving the tiger. Individual blogs regarding the different subspecies of tiger are incoming within the next few weeks so keep your eyes peeled for that coming!
Onto this blog however, and I stumbled across a very nice report recently from Panthera. Panthera for those who are unaware are a leading big cat conservation organisation. A new study published from them showed the significance and importance of tiger populations in the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex of Thailand. This area being one of the last remaining areas for the Indo-Chinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti).
The Indo-Chinese tiger was previously found right through Asia in countries such as Cambodia, Southern China, Vietnam and much of Mynamar. These days the Indo-Chinese tiger is believed to exist only in Thailand and Mynamar. Numbers range from around two hundred to two hundred and fifty individuals, with most of these tigers living in the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary of Thaiand where ariund fifty to sixty individuals take up residence.
The report released by Panthera stated some very interesting facts. Firstly, the authors of the paper stated that they have estimates for tiger population densities. According to the paper, there is a population density of 0.63 tigers per 100km2, this is around one tiger in one area just under three times the size of Manhattan.
Tigers in general face numerous threats in Asia, habitat loss, poisoning/retaliation from farmers for stealing their cattle. The main threat to tigers at the moment is poaching for their fur/bones and also the illegal wildlife trade. The latest census reveals tiger numbers are currently just under 4,000 tigers in the wild today, whereas a century ago, numbers were around 100,000 tigers.
Not a huge blog for this, but, I thought it fitted well - next up is an introduction to the tiger subspecies both present and extinct! The link to the Panthera study is here, if you would like to read more into it! https://www.panthera.org/new-study-confirms-importance-tiger-population-thailand-s-dong-phayayen-khao-yai-forest-complex?fbclid=IwAR0UdkzGZVx3Utv8Yi7L6zqPgDj0vYPxvgSPqSmn7r2WSHaFsPUOZpqRNlM
Thanks for the read,
Jordan
