Tigers Declared 'Functionally' Extinct in Cambodia

Cambodia recently declared that tigers are functionally extinct in the country. In the wake of the situation, the government has launched a plan to return the apex predator to the country.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) last recorded a tiger in the Mondulkiri province in of Cambodia, where a camera trap detected it. The organization released a brochure that demonstrates how the country can support a sustainable tiger population, despite wide scale destruction of forests in Cambodia. The government understands the importance of the animals in the local ecosystem and has agreed to reintroduce them in Mondulkuri's protected forest.

According to reports, the Cambodian Forestry administration wants to start by introducing two males and six females in the region, the long term goal is to reach a population of 150 tigers. The big cats will be procured from countries with surviving tiger populations, and talks are going on for the same. The move is being considered to be more practical than trying to raise the animals in captivity, a common practice nowadays.

According to research, it is easy to acquire a tiger population but another thing to keep them alive, especially in a country that is in close proximity to major buyers of tiger products. Nonetheless, there is a plan to spend between $20 million and $50 million on the tiger project, which will include protection of prey species and anti-poaching legislation.

The estimated figure is a big amount for Cambodia, which is still in a recovery phase following decades of civil war and terrible modern atrocities. However, if tigers become a regular fixture in the ecosystem then the forests themselves can generate money to fund the plan, owing to increased tourism.  "Wildlife keeps the forest ecosystem balanced" said Hunn Vanne, a ranger in the protected Mondulkiri forest. "I hope that we can protect the forest and wildlife so that it can benefit eco-tourism and support villagers' livelihoods".

The tiger, whose scientific name is Panthera tigris, needs vast territory to exist. The majestic animals face constant danger either from poachers or a fearful population living nearby. However, the recent increase in the tiger population of India is a marker that the species can be brought back from the brink of extinction. Cambodia is among the 13 countries that have committed to double the wild tiger population by 2022.