Protecting Tigers in Thailand

We are thrilled to report that a recent scientific survey has confirmed the presence of the world's second breeding population of rare Indo-Chinese tigers (Panthera tigris corbetti). What's more, camera traps set during the survey have provided us with the first photographic evidence of tiger cubs in this area of eastern Thailand.

Today, with just 221 Indo-Chinese tigers estimated to remain in two Asian countries - Thailand and Myanmar - the new findings could be crucial to the survival of this subspecies.

While numbers from the study are small - with an estimated density of 0.63 tigers per square kilometre - the news is hugely welcome. It gives a glimmer of hope that this increasingly rare cat can and does survive in some of the most challenging landscapes and that your funding is making a difference to tiger survival.

If we are to ensure the survival of Thailand's tigers now, more than ever, we must work together to protect the forest homes of these incredible big cats. With your help we can continue to fund vital anti-poaching patrols and wildlife monitoring as well as provide the training and equipment that rangers need to do their job. Knowing that you are supporting these brave men and women on the frontline of tiger conservation gives them a much needed boost to morale as they continue to work in some of the world's most hostile forests. 

As a source country for high-value species like tigers, Thailand's rangers have been facing an increase in armed poachers willing to do anything to secure precious wildlife products for the illegal trade.

"The traditional five-man anti-poaching teams regularly encountered gangs with up to fifty or more poachers and, in 2015, at least seven rangers in Thailand lost their lives during such encounters," reports our man in the field.

Emerging from this crisis came the concept for a highly trained, mobile, rapid response unit of rangers. Working closely with the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), our funding helped create a new unit called 'Hasadin' (elephant in Sanskrit) that is deployed throughout the forest complex that is home to over 300 wild tigers. The unit now responds to urgent, large-scale enforcement issues where existing enforcement was lacking, providing added protection for precious tigers and a strong, zero-tolerance deterrent to would-be poachers.

"We feel empowered by the training we received," says one of the rangers. "We now work more efficiently, more safely and achieve higher success rates."

In their first operation the Hasadin unit successfully arrested five poachers and emerged with a haul of illegal products, chainsaws, weapons and poachers provisions. Critically, the success gave the team a renewed sense of pride and of hope and boosted morale.

While the teams are making encouraging progress there is still a lot ot be done in the fight to save Thailand's wildlife. But, with your help, we can continue to provide more training and better equipment to build capacity and expand the units so that these amazing men can in turn protect the tigers that we love.

Links:

• See all our wildlife protection work