Project C.A.T.+WWF: Double the Number of Tigers

Project Stampede

One of the oldest rain forests in the world, Royal Belum State Park, sits on the northern border of the Peninsular Malaysia and is one of the country’s last strongholds of tigers. With such lush greenery, scientists were left wondering what was causing the decline of tiger populations that they were seeing across the region. In 2017, scientists began their investigation and found hundreds of poachers’ snares scattered throughout the forest. Snares are deadly traps made from wire, set by poaches in the hope of catching wildlife. In Malaysia, prized most of all for poachers is the tiger. The discovery of these snares was the push that WWF-Malaysia needed to partner with the government of Malaysia and local indigenous communities to form Project Stampede, with the goal of creating patrol teams that would be in charge  of monitoring the forests, removing these snares, and protecting the parks tiger population.

Thriving Tigers, Thriving Forests

Tigers are an apex species, meaning that their presence is a great indicator of a healthy ecosystem that is home to a variety of other plants and animals. Local communities benefit from the food, freshwater, and economic opportunities that healthy ecosystems, such as the Royal Belum State Park, can provide. Unfortunately, poaching has caused tiger numbers to plummet across Malaysia in recent years and it is now estimated that only 150 tigers call Malaysia home, down from 3,000 in the 1950’s.

Over the last few years, Project Stampede has contributed to the hiring of 60 patrol team members, made up of indigenous peoples from communities in the area. Thanks to their dedicated anti-poaching efforts, these teams have been able to reduce the number of snares in the state park by 98%. Most recently, camera trap footage captured images of tiger cubs with their mother. This footage is a strong beacon of hope for the recovery of the tiger population in the park.

National Tiger Task Force

In addition to Project Stampede, in 2022 the Malaysian government established a National Tiger Task Force that would implement successful tiger conservation strategies used in India and Nepal across the region. This task force has led to the hiring of 1,500 people, including local indigenous community members, to patrol additional forests across the country. Hundreds of camera traps have been set up to monitor the status of wildlife and threats facing the landscape and track the progress of this work.

TX2

In 2010, 13 tiger range countries and international organizations established TX2, a global commitment to double the number of wild tigers by 2022. Thanks to TX2, global tiger numbers have grown to an estimated 5,574 in 2022 from an estimated 3,200 in 2010. Looking ahead, WWF will continue working with tiger range country governments, Indigenous peoples, local communities, and other NGO’s to stabilize tiger populations and distribution across their existing and historical range by 2034.

How You Can Help!  
 
Thanks to supporters like you, WWF has been able to accelerate tiger monitoring, habitat protection, anti-poaching efforts, and policy change advocacy. The fight is not over! You can join us by supporting this project and sharing it with your family, friends, and colleagues. This helps to make a huge difference in our work and set an inspiring example that together, change is possible. Thank you! 

Links:

• Read the full article here
• Watch this video to learn more
• More about Malaysia's biodiversity here

Tigress and Three Cubs Spotted in Thailand

In an exciting win for tigers, recent game camera footage from western Thailand showed an incredible and rare sighting of a tigress with three healthy looking cubs. With only an estimated 148-189 wild tigers left in all of Thailand, any kind of tiger sighting is rare, making this sighting of four healthy looking tigers extra special. 

WWF-Thailand’s Senior Project Manager Dr. Rungnapa Phoonjampa said “I’ve seen many camera trap videos of tigers, but this one really stands out, it’s beautiful. Many people are giving their time and effort into protecting Thailand’s tigers, such as the dedicated ranger teams and conservationists, and it’s rewarding to see this kind of video. It motivates us to keep going!”  

The footage was captured in Thailand’s Upper Western Forest Complex, which is one of only two regions in the countries where tigers still roam. Tiger numbers across Thailand are low, making the remaining population extra vulnerable to threats such as poaching and prey depletion. Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon occurrence for wild tigers, who have seen an average population decline of an estimated 95% over the last 100 years.  

WWF’s Fight for Wild Tigers  

Since 2010, WWF has been working diligently with the 13 tiger range countries towards a global goal of doubling the world’s wild tiger population in an initiative called TX2.TX2 works across broad landscapes and encourages trans-boundary collaboration through a strategic, long-term approach that increases protection where the tigers are currently, engages local communities as leaders and partners in conservation, maintains or restores wildlife corridors and connectivity between areas, and boosts resources to secure a future where tigers and people can coexist.  

Locally, WWF-Thailand and Thailand’s Department of National Parks have been working in four main areas to ensure tiger recovery in the country including:  

1. Conducting long-term tiger and prey monitoring. 
2. Supporting technology and tools, such as SMART patrol system, and helping to build ranger capacity and increasing patrolling efficiency.  
3. Improving habitat and helping supplement available prey.  
4. Strengthening conservation education and raising more awareness.  

Camera footage like this mother with her cubs is further evidence that conservation efforts are working, and we must continue protecting tiger landscapes across Thailand and around the world. 

How You Can Help!  
 
Thanks to supporters like you, WWF has been able to accelerate tiger monitoring, habitat protection, anti-poaching efforts, and policy change advocacy. The fight is not over! Join us in celebrating Global Tiger Day on July 29th, by supporting this project and sharing it with your family, friends, and colleagues. This helps to make a huge difference in our work and set an inspiring example that together, change is possible. Thank you! 

Links:

• See the camera footage here!
• WWF's Nature Breaking Podcast: Protecting Wild Tigers
• Read the full article here