India Plans Tiger Reintroduction: Four Big Cats Set for Cambodia by December

India is gearing up to send four tigers to Cambodia by November-December, aiming to aid in reintroducing the big cats into the forests of the Southeast Asian country, as per sources. This effort follows a landmark agreement signed between New Delhi and Phnom Penh in November 2022 for the world's first transnational tiger reintroduction project.

A recent online meeting involving officials from Cambodia, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), and the Indian ambassador to Cambodia, Devyani Khobragade, delved into discussions regarding the proposal to dispatch four tigers to Cambodia by November-December. However, according to a source, a conclusive decision is still pending.

“There is continuous dialogue with Cambodian officials regarding the proposal. The NTCA has requested them to send a detailed action plan. The same will be examined and placed before the technical committee,” NTCA Member-Secretary Gobind Sagar Bharadwaj told PTI.

He further stated that the competent authority will make a judicious decision following the recommendations of the technical committee. Additionally, another source disclosed that the intention is to transfer four tigers, comprising one male and three females, from India's Western Ghats to the Cardamom Hills in Cambodia's southwestern region.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), conservationists in Cambodia declared tigers “functionally extinct” in 2016. Cambodia’s last tiger was seen on a camera trap in the eastern province of Mondulkiri in 2007. In September 2017, the Cambodian government announced plans to reintroduce tigers in the country with the help of the WWF.

The initial source said that Cambodia's tiger population was entirely decimated due to poaching, habitat degradation, and various other factors. They highlighted India's commitment to addressing all contributing factors comprehensively, ensuring that the environment is conducive for the reintroduction of tigers into Cambodia.

Furthermore, countries with existing tiger populations, including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam, pledged in 2010 to double the numbers of these majestic cats by 2022. Notably, India achieved the remarkable feat of doubling its tiger population in 2018, surpassing the target by four years.