Only 220 Indochinese tigers remain in the wild, with most of them in Thailand. The Indochinese tiger is a critically endangered population of tiger native to Southeast Asia, though it now only occurs in Thailand and Myanmar.

Common Name:

Indochinese Tiger

Scientific Name:

Panthera tigris corbetti

IUCN Red List Status:

Critically Endangered

Weight: 

180-250kg (396–550 lb.)

Size:

Average of 2.75m (9 ft.) from nose to tail

Habitats:

Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, dry forest

Continent:

Asia

GC Sites:

Thap Lan World Heritage Site, Thailand
Huai Kha Khaeng and Thung Yai World Heritage Site, Thailand

Partners:

WCS Thailand

Indochinese Tiger Global Population Size Over Time by Year and Estimated Population:

1970 — 40,000

2007 — 2,500

2011 — ~342

2021 — ~220

By 2020, the population of Indochinese Tigers had fallen by more than 80% in just over a decade, and just 221 Indochinese tigers are estimated to remain in Thailand and Myanmar. No viable populations of tigers remain in Cambodia, China, Lao People's Democratic Republic, or Vietnam.

Global Conservation has been funding work in protection and science in both the Western Forest Complex and Eastern Forest Complex of Thailand to maintain a healthy population and habitat for Indochinese Tigers. Global Conservation is also funding park and wildlife protection of Cardamom National Park in Cambodia for the potential reintroduction of Indochinese Tigers in the next ten years.

Threats

While healthy habitats are extensive in some areas they are under constant pressure from agricultural plantations, mining concessions and inundation from hydropower development. Habitat fragmentation due to rapid development – especially the building of road networks—is a serious problem. This fragmentation forces what tigers are left into scattered, small refuges, which isolates populations and increases accessibility for poachers.

Wild tigers are poached in order to meet increasing demand for tiger body parts used in traditional medicine and new folk tonics. Tiger farms in Thailand, Vietnam and China maintain the demand for tiger products from all sources—including the wild—and worsen the poaching problem.

"Saving tigers is simple. All they need is enough prey, space and protection. The difficult part is securing unswerving long-term commitment from the world to save this species."

— Dr. Barney Long, Asian Species Expert

Conservation Action

Funding our partners, Global Conservation is carrying out research and surveys to identify tiger habitat, tiger prey and tiger population numbers. We work to improve habitat conditions so that both tigers and their prey populations will naturally increase. We also train protected area personnel and rangers to carry out surveys, and to effectively manage protected areas where tigers are found.

Global Conservation deploys Global Park Defense to help national park rangers achieve ‘No Cut, No Kill’ in both Thap Lan World Heritage, Thailand and Huai Kha Khaeng and Thung Yai (HKK-TY) World Heritage, Thailand.

Global Conservation engages with local authorities and communities living in proximity to tiger areas so that people and tigers can coexist and works to enforce zero tolerance for tiger poaching in GC Projects. 

We enable dedicated enforcement units in each national park to deploy the best new technologies to help local agencies achieve maximum results and help improve the effectiveness of wildlife rangers, training personnel from enforcement agencies and empowering community patrols and enforcement networks. 

Did you know? Tigers have long claws that are retractable. This means the tiger can pull its claws back into its paws when it doesn’t need them. These claws allow a tiger to hold onto the bark while safely climbing a tree.

Citations

Eric Ash et al. Estimating the density of a globally important tiger (Panthera tigris) population: Using simulations to evaluate survey design in Eastern Thailand, Biological Conservation (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108349

Eric Ash et al. Opportunity for Thailand's forgotten tigers: assessment of the Indochinese tiger Panthera tigris corbetti and its prey with camera-trap surveys, Oryx (2020).