Thailand intends to grow wild tiger population

[snoop1130]

 

BANGKOK (NNT) - Thai authorities said the wild tiger population in the country has increased to 177. Currently, a new national-level tiger conservation plan is being prepared to replace its predecessor and contribute toward the steady recovery of the wild tiger population.

 

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation is working with multiple partners to establish a national operations plan for the conservation of tigers, which will replace the plan currently in place and take effect from 2023-2034.

 

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) representative Pratheep Mekatitam said the COVID-19 pandemic and the unrest in Myanmar have necessitated the rehabilitation effort for the tiger population in both Thailand and Myanmar. The IUCN was shifting budgets previously allocated to Myanmar toward augmenting conservation efforts in Thailand.

 

Mr. Pratheep said the complete tiger conservation plan for Thailand will be presented at the leaders’ level meeting on the conservation of tigers that will be held in Malaysia in late 2022, and at the next global Tiger Summit in Russia.

 

Thailand’s wild tiger population currently numbers 177, putting the country only second to India for the number of wild tigers and tiger habitats. Mr. Pratheep said the Smart Patrol system implemented in all of Thailand’s conservation forests has enabled the tiger population to grow steadily.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-12-03

 

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[G Rex]

in a country the size of Thailand , 177 tigers does not sound like a lot. Mind you - I have not seen any in Kanchanaburi , & I suspect there aren't many in Bangkok or Pattaya.  Maybe more cougars?

[bangkokbonecollector]

As long as their natural food resources are plentiful, there should be no problem.

[daveAustin]

Good news. Maybe they can take care of the sharks (in government) by eating them. 

[mikebell]

Growing more tigers is good news to lots of old Chinese men who have never heard of Viagra.

[Thunglom]

Basically this announcement is rubbish - a sound bite -  the population of tigers in Thailand has been around 2 to 300 for the last 10 years

Whereas people on the ground are working very hard to save a population so small it is probably not genetically viable, the authorities with the power and money have no grip on even the basic concepts of conservation.

A report a while back pointed out that there is room for nearly 2000 tigers in Thailand using the current forest and land suitable - however encroachment, developments such as dams roads etc , poaching and lack of funding make this impossible at present.

it isn't just a matter of keeping tigers in the wild because they look good - they are apex predators in a functioning eco-system. Their absence indicates the overall poor health of the natural environment in Thailand - something the authorities seem completely indifferent to,

[Thunglom]

On 12/3/2021 at 1:44 PM, G Rex said:

in a country the size of Thailand , 177 tigers does not sound like a lot. Mind you - I have not seen any in Kanchanaburi , & I suspect there aren't many in Bangkok or Pattaya.  Maybe more cougars?

It's not - there is room for 2000.

 

[Rimmer]

inflammatory post removed

[seajae]

if they do follow through then they will have to police it heavily because financial gain  will be very strong for many to go out hunting/trapping them, unforunately conservation isnt highly regarded here nor are any laws, let alone ones designed to stop people killing protected species

 

Edited December 5, 2021 by seajae

[Orinoco]

Thailand the new Hub of big game hunting.

Nah, could never happen here !!!. LOL.

 

[zzaa09]

Naturally - studying, over examining and analyzing the intended matter to death will help. ????????

 

[Thunglom]

1 hour ago, seajae said:

if they do follow through then they will have to police it heavily because financial gain  will be very strong for many to go out hunting/trapping them, unforunately conservation isnt highly regarded here nor are any laws, let alone ones designed to stop people killing protected species

 

 

Corruption is rife in all aspects of Thai national parks and this is due at least in part to the lack of funding.

Rangers get about 9 to 12000 baht per month.

They are short on equipment and technical support and many die every year (about 15 last year)

A tiger carcass is worth about 400, 000 baht. cubs even more.

 

It's not just Tigers that criminals are after - there are interested in plants as well as other animals and happy to bribe anyone they need.

On top of this you have senior management and the authorities who are pretty much clueless when it comes to preserving thee environment.

A previous minster who wanted to build a dam (an eco-disaster!) in Mae Wong park said he would plant a tree for every one chopped down. All this tells us is he knew absolutely nothing about the forest environment.

 

Edited December 5, 2021 by Thunglom

[Thunglom]

On 12/3/2021 at 12:56 PM, snoop1130 said:

Thailand’s wild tiger population currently numbers 177, putting the country only second to India

In India, the number of wild tigers is now estimated at between 2,600 and 3,350 

[law ling]

Good luck with it.

 

I'm reminded of the killing of the black leopard (and other wildlife) some years ago by someone in a business tycoon's party.

[Valentine]

On 12/4/2021 at 10:26 AM, mikebell said:

Growing more tigers is good news to lots of old Chinese men who have never heard of Viagra.

I always thought viagra would save the tigers

[bangkokbonecollector]

On 12/5/2021 at 4:22 PM, Thunglom said:

Basically this announcement is rubbish - a sound bite -  the population of tigers in Thailand has been around 2 to 300 for the last 10 years

Whereas people on the ground are working very hard to save a population so small it is probably not genetically viable, the authorities with the power and money have no grip on even the basic concepts of conservation.

A report a while back pointed out that there is room for nearly 2000 tigers in Thailand using the current forest and land suitable - however encroachment, developments such as dams roads etc , poaching and lack of funding make this impossible at present.

it isn't just a matter of keeping tigers in the wild because they look good - they are apex predators in a functioning eco-system. Their absence indicates the overall poor health of the natural environment in Thailand - something the authorities seem completely indifferent to,

When I go hiking I see a lot of wildlife.

[Thunglom]

3 hours ago, bangkokbonecollector said:

When I go hiking I see a lot of wildlife.

Not quite sut=re where you're going with that. Is there an inference we are meant to draw?

[bangkokbonecollector]

9 hours ago, Thunglom said:

Not quite sut=re where you're going with that. Is there an inference we are meant to draw?

'Their absence indicates the overall poor health of the natural environment in Thailand - something the authorities seem completely indifferent to'

 

Not sure I agree with this as when I go hiking it seems quite lush with plenty of wild animals.

[Thunglom]

7 hours ago, bangkokbonecollector said:

'Their absence indicates the overall poor health of the natural environment in Thailand - something the authorities seem completely indifferent to'

 

Not sure I agree with this as when I go hiking it seems quite lush with plenty of wild animals.

Seriously - your single personal experience is a valid assessment? Or you have done an in-depth survey of Thailand's eco-systems?? Have you even attempted to identify the flora and fauna you encounter and the quantify this in terms of viable populations around Thailand? I presume you hike in the WFC - where have you actually been?

how much poaching have you witnessed? the illegal logging? The depletions of prey species? the encroachment through damming and other building in an around national parks?

 

The shear fact that there are only 200 or so tigers in Thailand are a clear indication that the eco-systems are severely depleted.

Edited December 7, 2021 by Thunglom

[Thunglom]

I notice that Premchai Karnasuta- the Thai-Italian civil engineering magnate who has stood trail for poaching a black Leopard (and dismembering it for consumption) is to get the result of his extended appeal procedure.

As one of Thailand's richest men, it will be interesting to see what the verdict is.

Edited December 7, 2021 by Thunglom

[TheScience]

Why not. Rich people running out of panther to hunt.

 

[TheScience]

20 hours ago, bangkokbonecollector said:

When I go hiking I see a lot of wildlife.

Like? Birds and lizards...

 

Sunbear, hornbills, big cats, wild guar?

[Thunglom]

2 hours ago, TheScience said:

Like? Birds and lizards...

 

Sunbear, hornbills, big cats, wild guar?

It's not just the main big animals either. They are part of an entire eco-system. If they thrive ten it is a good sign the rest of the system is working. In Thailand (and elsewhere) many of these series are endangered or on the edge of extinction. 

I spoke to one of the rangers in Haui Kha Khaeng a few years back (I used to camp there) how long he's been working there - he replied over 20 years. I than asked if he's ever sen a tiger - he laughed and said no.

You can see evidence of tigers but they are very shy of humans.

You may also see quite a lot ofothr wildlife but that isn't evidence of a healthy eco-system. What they do in Huai Kha Khaeng is monitor the evidence - species of FLORA & Fauna - and the natural environment. This is under attack from all sides and the Thai authorities just don't take it seriously enough.

[jak2002003]

23 hours ago, bangkokbonecollector said:

When I go hiking I see a lot of wildlife.

Such as? ......Asian tapir, herds of wild banteng cattle and Gaur, wild Asian water buffalo, herds of deer etc?

 

What about bears, pangolin, giant hornbills, elephants, crocodiles, freshwater turtles, otters, gibbons and Langer monkeys, wild boar......do you see them often on your walk?

 

Or maybe you only see small Songbirds, a few snakes and lizards?  

 

There should also be packs of Asian wild hunting dogs, jackals, and big cats like leopard, clouded leopard, jungle and fishing cats.

 

Sadly all these species are near or on the brink of total extinction in Thailand, so I can't believe you actually see a healthy ecosystem abounding with wildlife.

 

 

 

[IvorBiggun2]

I'm sure it'll be a roaring success.

[TheScience]

On 12/5/2021 at 4:24 PM, Thunglom said:

It's not - there is room for 2000.

 

I'm doubting that.

 

Would be only a matter of time before they wander into villages and attacks start like in India and Bangladesh.

 

But no worries because they'll be hunted down long before that TiT

[Thunglom]

1 hour ago, TheScience said:

I'm doubting that.

 

Would be only a matter of time before they wander into villages and attacks start like in India and Bangladesh.

 

But no worries because they'll be hunted down long before that TiT

Doubt all you like - in about 2007  there was a report by US scientists who reviewed the amount of virgin forest and the areas required by male and female tigers respectively. and they came to the conclusion that with little trouble Thailand could support a population on 2000 tigers - you are just making assumptions because you've never really thought about it.

You are making a judgement on the perceived effects of a larger tiger population in the circumstances of encroachment by humans.

Any attempt to have a viable tiger population would require  som adaptions to counteract this and they came to the conclusion this was not unsurmountable.

whether or not the population is 200 or 200 the problems are the same - te populations are too small at present for genetic diversity and the space they occupy is artificially sliced and encroached by human activities ranging from roads, logging development and poaching to name just a few - these activities can be contained and curtailed if the government had the will to do so - but for decades they have shown little understanding of the damage they are doing.

As for wildlife / human conflict, that is not actually a reason to allow wildlife populations to become extinct. we actually need these functioning ec0-systems to survive ourselves. They are factors in such things as climate, clean water and air etc...

to claim that nothing can be done and suggest that extinction is inevitable is basically just to help the exploitation occur.

 

Edited December 7, 2021 by Thunglom

[TheScience]

On 12/5/2021 at 4:24 PM, Thunglom said:

It's not - there is room for 2000.

 

12 minutes ago, Thunglom said:

Thailand could support a population on 200 tigers - you are just making assumptions because you've never really thought about it.

Looks like you thought about it a bit more and decided to drop a zero bro. By my math that's 1800 less tiggggers.

Edited December 7, 2021 by TheScience

[TheScience]

12 minutes ago, Thunglom said:

we actually need these functioning ec0-systems to survive ourselves

Thailand isn't the least bit concerned about conservation efforts or quality of life. Wake up.

 

What natural resource isn't being damaged beyond repair? I can say with personal knowledge it sure isn't ocean and fisheries.

Edited December 7, 2021 by TheScience

[Thunglom]

6 minutes ago, TheScience said:

 

Looks like you thought about it a bit more and decided to drop a zero bro. By my math that's 1800 less tiggggers.

 

6 minutes ago, TheScience said:

 

Looks like you thought about it a bit more and decided to drop a zero bro. By my math that's 1800 less tiggggers.

I think you are being deliberately obtuse - as anyone can work out, I mean 2000 tigers.

Edited December 7, 2021 by Thunglom