Cambodia may seek India's help for tiger reintroduction

BHOPAL: Cambodia may seek tigers from India as it plans to reinstate the big cat in the Southeast Asian nation. The last tiger was sighted in Cambodia in 2007.

Representatives from Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand participated in a two day study programme to understand the successful tiger reintroduction in Panna tiger reserve where all the tigers had vanished in 2008.

Talking to TOI, Dr Thomas Gray, head of the World Wide Fund for nature (WWF) Cambodia who was leading the delegation of Cambodian government in Panna, said, "We would be speaking to people in National Tiger Conservation Authority and elsewhere. We may even take tigers from India to reintroduce in Cambodia."

"Tigers are likely to be (in) very few numbers in Cambodia, may be extinct, may be zero or may be one or two... but if we want to restore tiger we have to do active reintroduction like what they have pioneered in India..," he said Study tour in Panna was organized by Global Tiger Forum, an inter-governmental organization of tiger range countries with headquarter in New Delhi.

Talking to TOI, secretary general, Global Tiger Forum said, "India may consider, keeping in mind the new research finding on the subspecies classification of tiger, after necessary consultations."

"India may pass on the expertise and if need be, handhold the country in such efforts," he added.

Dr Thomas said, successful reintroduction of tiger in Sariska and Panna have been a great source of inspiration for me and government delegation from Cambodia. We hope to use skills perfected by MP government and Wildlife Institute of India."

"If there are any tiger(s) left (in Cambodia), they are in very low density. This is similar to the situation of Panna or Sariska. We lost tigers, may be in 2007 or 2008."

For Cambodia, the last tiger was seen in 2007. A camera trap image of the tiger was triggered in the Eastern Plains Dry Forest Landscape in Mondulkiri Protected Forest. Cambodia currently has no population of breeding tigers but the Government has an ambitious plan to reintroduce tigers that is supported by WWF.

source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Cambodia-may-seek-Indias-help-for-tiger-reintroduction/articleshow/50176785.cms