Abstract
AbstractDramatic population declines threaten the Endangered Indochinese tiger Panthera tigris corbetti with extinction. Thailand now plays a critical role in its conservation, as there are few known breeding populations in other range countries. Thailand's Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex is recognized as an important tiger recovery site, but it remains poorly studied. Here, we present results from the first camera-trap study focused on tigers and implemented across all protected areas in this landscape. Our goal was to assess tiger and prey populations across the five protected areas of this forest complex, reviewing discernible patterns in rates of detection. We conducted camera-trap surveys opportunistically during 2008–2017. We recorded 1,726 detections of tigers in 79,909 camera-trap nights. Among these were at least 16 adults and six cubs/juveniles from four breeding females. Detection rates of both tigers and potential prey species varied considerably between protected areas over the study period. Our findings suggest heterogeneity in tiger distribution across this relatively continuous landscape, potentially influenced by distribution of key prey species. This study indicates that the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex is one of the few remaining breeding locations of the Indochinese tiger. Despite limitations posed by our study design, our findings have catalysed increased research and conservation interest in this globally important population at a critical time for tiger conservation in South-east Asia.
Highlights
The Indochinese tiger Panthera tigris corbetti is one of six extant tiger subspecies and is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List (Lynam & Nowell, ; Goodrich et al, )
Evidence suggests three range countries (Cambodia, Lao and Viet Nam) have lost viable populations, and the Indochinese subspecies may qualify for Critically Endangered status (Lynam & Nowell, )
Tigers are probably extinct in Cambodia, prompting plans for reintroduction (Gray et al, ), and in Viet Nam there have been no confirmed tiger records in . years (Lynam & Nowell, )
Summary
The Indochinese tiger Panthera tigris corbetti is one of six extant tiger subspecies and is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List (Lynam & Nowell, ; Goodrich et al, ). It was historically distributed throughout most of mainland South-east Asia (Luo et al, , ) across Cambodia, Lao, Myanmar, southern China, Thailand and Viet Nam (Lynam, ). Evidence suggests three range countries (Cambodia, Lao and Viet Nam) have lost viable populations, and the Indochinese subspecies may qualify for Critically Endangered status (Lynam & Nowell, ). A paucity of reliable population data in current range countries has obscured these declines (Lynam & Nowell, ), and information on remaining populations is needed urgently
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