Cambodia is taking a significant step towards revitalizing its majestic tiger population by deploying advanced wildlife camera traps in the Cardamom Mountains. This ambitious initiative, announced on Saturday, aims to reintroduce tigers to the region after they were declared \"functionally extinct\" in 2016 by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
The last known tiger was captured on camera in 2007 within the Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary in the northeastern Mondulkiri province. Since then, the species has struggled to make a comeback in the Southeast Asian nation.
Khvay Atitya, spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, revealed that the ministry is collaborating with Wildlife Alliance and other partners to establish a 90-hectare protection zone inside the Tatai Wildlife Sanctuary. This designated area in the Cardamom Mountains will serve as the focal point for tiger reintroduction efforts.
To ensure the success of this project, a total of 410 camera traps will be strategically placed at one-kilometer intervals throughout the protection zone. These cameras will monitor various wildlife, particularly the prey species of tigers, such as deer and wild boars. The data collected over a three-month period, covering both dry and rainy seasons, will help determine if there is sufficient prey to support the reintroduced tiger population.
Based on the findings, tigers are planned to be imported from India to bolster the numbers in Cambodia's wild habitats. This proactive approach combines modern technology with strategic conservation efforts to restore the balance of the ecosystem and bring back the iconic big cats to their natural environment.
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Wildlife cameras deployed in Cambodia to help restore tiger population
cgtn.com
