Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai: A Promising Stronghold for Tigers in Thailand 

Thailand is one of the last strongholds for the Critically Endangered Indochinese tiger. In eastern Thailand, we’re working with our partners to protect a small but significant population of this subspecies in the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai (DPKY) forest complex, one of only two populations of this subspecies in the country.  
 
Consisting of five protected areas, the DPKY spans about 6,000 square kilometers. Due to a history of conflict in the area, DPKY has remained relatively understudied and received less conservation attention. Until two decades ago, scientists were unaware of the existence of tigers in the DPKY. However, they are now stable, reproducing and surviving at impressively high rates here, with the potential to double their population with long-term conservation interventions. 
 
A recent study from Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), supported by Panthera, found that a small and stable population of 20 or so tigers represents the last of the last: the only survivors that likely roamed between Thailand and Cambodia before the species went extinct in Cambodia. 

The researchers also found that tigers currently inhabit only about 55% of the DPKY landscape, indicating ample space for their recovery. Several factors keep them cornered, including a lack of large prey in other portions of the complex caused by human hunting and habitat fragmentation from infrastructure, such as a major highway. 
 
Still, conservationists are thrilled by this news: DPKY is a big opportunity for tiger recovery in Southeast Asia. 
  
This year, scientists have also fitted GPS collars on three tigers (including two sisters) in eastern Thailand for the first time, specifically in Thap Lan National Park within DPKY. 

These GPS collars will help provide critical data about the tiger population, from where they roam to what they eat. Scientists and managers can then use the data to help create conservation plans to bolster tiger numbers and protect these cats for the future.  
 
(Note: Rest assured, Panthera’s scientists have safely captured hundreds of cats of many species on every continent where cats occur. We place an absolute premium on the safety of cats, and we have many decades of collective experience in ensuring that the collaring process meets the highest possible safety standards. We do not place collars on felids without first discussing the type of data we need to collect and whether there are noninvasive alternatives that we can use instead. Collars have little or no effect on a cats’ ability to hunt. All collars are programmed to drop off after a specified period, currently 18-24 month. By undertaking rigorous science, we hope to ensure the persistence of all wild felids so that future generations can also treasure them.) 
 
Learn more about our work to save tigers.