Tiger reintroduction in Cambodia remains a long-term conservation goal for the Royal Government, the Ministry of Environment (MoE), WWF-Cambodia and partners.
It’s important for Cambodia to reintroduce tigers in the forests they once inhabited in, which is the eastern plain landscape, said WWF-Cambodia in statement released today on the occasion of the International Tiger Day (July 29).
The effort will involve recovering tiger’s prey base and creating favorable conditions for a reintroduction of the ‘big cat’ in the future, it added.
In Cambodia, the last Tiger was photographed by camera trap in 2007 in Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary of Mondulkiri province, the same source pointed out, continuing that in 2016, wildlife scientists declared the big cat is functionally extinct in the Kingdom.
“As the world’s largest cat and an apex predator, tigers play a significant role in the structure and function of the ecosystem on which both humans and wildlife rely. Securing tiger landscapes has far-reaching benefits, including the protection of forests which help prevent drought, reduce flooding and mitigate climate change,” said WWF-Cambodia. “They are a ‘landscape’ species, needing large areas with diverse habitats, free from human disturbance and rich in prey. Success or failure means more than securing the future of a single iconic species – it sets a precedent for how we will consider and prioritise the health of nature in global development and in a changing climate going forward.”
Source: Agency Kampuchea Press