Cambodia's Disappearing Tigers (2 February)
2 February 2010
Cambodia's Disappearing Tigers
The World Wildlife Fund reports that the number of wild tigers in the Mekong Region of Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, and China has declined precipitously in the last decade. WWF estimates that there are probably no more than 30 of the big cats left in Cambodia although there were 150-300 tigers in the region just ten years ago. There is some shrinking of the tiger's habitat, but that is not as big a problem as land encroachment, hunting, and poaching. The relatively large swathe of natural habitat in the Mekong region offers hope for rebuilding the tiger population, particularly if the wildlife that tigers prey upon is protected. [WWF photo]