PUBLISHED : 21 Jan 2024 at 13:08
Chumphon: Three tigers believed to roam back and forth between Thailand and Myanmar have been spotted in the forests of Chumpon province.
The three big cats were sighted on Friday on the Thai side of Tanao Sri Mountain Range on the border between Thailand and Myanmar, and were believed to roam around Duang Charoen, Nern Thong and Chong Kamew forests in tambon Song Pee Noing of Ta Sae district. An ongoing survey indicated that the three tigers crossed back and forth between Thailand and Myanmar, said Attapon Charoenchansa, chief of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP).
The discovery comes from a joint survey, conducted by the department and the Bangkok-based Freeland Foundation, an anti-trafficking organisation, on tiger populations in Tanao Sri Mountain Range, covering areas on the Thai border and the Lenya National Park on the Myanmar side.
Twenty-four trap cameras are installed in the areas. Footage captured several tigers between 2020 and 2022 but only found tigers’ footprints last year. Officials confirmed that the new footage was of three different tigers, distinguishable from their different stripes.
Mr Attapon said the Wildlife Conservation Office will conduct a study on the three tigers to see how long they have hunted back and forth between Thailand and Myanmar, and whether they have already been included in Thailand’s tiger population in previous surveys.
There are roughly 148-189 tigers in the wild, with Thung Yai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary being the country’s largest habitat with 103-131 tigers, according to DNP’s 2020 data.
- Video: Feeland founder Steve Galster on the Bangkok Post podcast Deeper Dive.