The endangered species world has received the best kind of news: The tiger population is on the rise.
There has been a 250% increase in tigers residing in Thailand's Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM) from 2007 to 2023.
An article on Phys.org reported that the number of tigers has gone from about 40 to more than 140. The population rise of the tigers in Thailand is bigger than anywhere else in Southeast Asia, where they are threatened by poachers and deforestation.
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) made massive efforts to increase anti-poaching patrols in 2004 and worked with the Thai government for two decades to monitor the results.
Tigers are the apex predators in WEFCOM, so their populations are a signal to the overall health of the ecosystem. Because of this, the wider effects of the intensified patrolling were also watched closely.
Research also showed a dramatic recovery in their prey populations, including an endangered species of wild cattle that had never been previously sighted in the forest. The combination is indicative of a large-scale, full ecosystem recovery.
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Conservation efforts have proved helpful in boosting dwindling tiger populations, with their biggest threat being humans. The World Wildlife Fund reported that tigers have lost around 95% of their habitat range to human activities.
Unfortunately, the illegal tiger trade is extremely lucrative. According to the WWF, every single part of a tiger has a market value. They also reported that from 2000 to 2022, over 3,500 tigers were seized from traffickers in over 50 countries.
Rising sea levels affect mangrove populations on the coast of the Indian Ocean, where the world's largest tiger population resides. Creating laws and regulations to protect these animals and their habitats is crucial, along with making eco-friendly habits that will help cool this planet.
Pornkamol Jornburom, Director of WCS Thailand, told Phys.org: "We see very strong correlations between better law enforcement and the recovery of tigers … good enforcement is the cornerstone of the tiger recovery process."
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"This new study is great news for tigers in Thailand … that brings credibility to tiger recovery efforts," said Somphot Duangchantrasiri, a senior scientist with Thailand's DNP who led this work, per Phys.org.
Dale Miquelle, a senior tiger conservationist at WCS, told Phys.org: "It does not happen overnight. Recovery efforts are important not only for tigers — these same forests protect most of the terrestrial biodiversity of Asia, provide ecosystem services for millions of people, and buffer the impacts of climate change by retaining healthy forested ecosystems."
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