Thailand tiger sightings hailed

Rare footage of previously unidentified tigers prowling the Thai jungle has been lauded by conservationists as ­evidence of their recovery.

A tiger taken with a camera trap in a remote region of western Thailand.

Rare footage of previously unidentified tigers prowling the Thai jungle has been lauded by conservationists as ­evidence of a recovery for the ­endangered animal.

The zoologists said Southeast Asia is a key battleground in the fight to save the big cats, whose numbers globally have plummeted from about 100,000 a century ago to fewer than 4000 today.

Demand for their striking pelts and body parts in China and Vietnam, which fuels poaching, is largely to blame.

Conservation groups working in Thailand released rare photos and videos on Wednesday, the first in four years to capture previously unrecorded individuals in the country’s western jungles.

Describing the footage as “very exciting”, John Goodrich, chief scientist with conservation group Panthera, said: “It’s a good indicator that what we’re doing is working. We’re starting to see the recovery of tiger numbers in the area.”

Thailand has boosted its conservation efforts over the past decade and is now believed to be home to up to 200 tigers.

Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam have all lost their native populations, while Myanmar is thought to have just 23 left in the wild.

Alongside poaching, other key threats to the species are habitat loss and fragmentation, when roads or other developments isolate small populations, leading to inbreeding and a lack of genetic diversity.

AFP