BackSociety » Environment » Cambodia's Tigers Are 'Functionally Extinct'

Cambodia's Tigers Are 'Functionally Extinct'

Cambodia's tiger population is now “functionally extinct”, according to experts.

The announcement came earlier this week, when conservationists spoke candidly about the rampant poaching which has led to declining numbers of both tigers and their prey, reports the Guardian. According to the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), the last tiger in Cambodia was seen on a camera trap in 2007 in the eastern part of Mondulkiri province.

“Today, there are no longer any breeding populations of tigers left in Cambodia, and they are therefore considered functionally extinct,” WWF wrote in a statement.

However, there is some hope. Last month, the Cambodian government approved a plan to reintroduce tigers into Mondulkiri protected forest. To start, conservationists are aiming to release two male tigers as well as five to six female tigers, a project which will require up to US$50 million to implement. Cambodian forestry officials are also asking India, Malaysia and Thailand to provide small populations of tigers.

Moving forward, Cambodian officials and conservationists alike acknowledge the need for strong law enforcement in order to keep the project running. At present, the International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates the global tiger population at 2,154 creatures.

In 2010, a consortium of 13 nations pledged to double their tiger populations by 2022.

The same countries will meet in Delhi from April 12 to 14 to discuss their progress.

[Photo via Patrick Bouquet]


Related Articles: 

There Are Only 20 Indochinese Tigers Left in Vietnam

Endangered Tigers Thrown From Truck Recovering

2 Endangered Tigers Thrown at Police During Chase


Related Articles

in Environment

1,300 Pine Trees in National Park Damaged in Illegal Resin Theft

Resin rapscallions pilfered from hundreds of pine trees in Tam Dao National Park.

in Environment

163 New Species Discovered in Southeast Asia: WWF Report

Good news for Southeast Asia's wildlife enthusiasts: scientists just announced that, in 2015, they discovered 163 new species in the Greater Mekong region.

in Environment

2 Bicyclists Set To Ride From Saigon To Paris To Raise Awareness Of Climate Change

On Thursday February 12, Simon Nelson and Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan will set off on a bicycle ride from Saigon to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris (COP21) in order t...

in Environment

22 Photos That Reveal How Bad Pollution Has Become In China

While pollution is becoming a serious problem in Vietnam with reports of cancer villages and toxic canals popping up the press recently, we live in a natural utopia compared with the residents of Chin...

in Environment

3 Endangered Langurs Were Released Back Into the Wild in Ninh Binh

The trio of critically endangered Delacour's langurs (voọc mông trắng) had been at a conservation center in Cuc Phuong National Park.

in Environment

40 Dead Tiger Cubs Discovered in Tiger Temple Freezer

Last Wednesday, authorities made a grisly discovery while shutting down Thailand's controversial Tiger Temple, recovering 40 dead tiger cubs from an on-site freezer.

Partner Content