Rare Malayan tiger spotted again in Thailand’s Bang Lang National Park

[WORLD] A Malayan tiger has been sighted once more in Thailand’s Bang Lang National Park, marking the second recorded appearance of the elusive big cat in two years—a promising sign in the country’s ongoing efforts to protect the critically endangered species.

The rare tiger, identified as Panthera tigris jacksoni, was captured on camera through a long-term wildlife monitoring initiative, according to a May 4 report by the Bangkok Post.

The sighting has sparked renewed optimism among conservationists, who believe it may point to the existence of a breeding population in the region. Such a development would be a significant breakthrough, as sightings of Malayan tigers are rare and their reproduction in the wild remains poorly understood due to their declining numbers.

Spanning approximately 261 square kilometers, Bang Lang National Park extends across the districts of Bannang Sata, Than To, and Betong in Yala province, near the Malaysian border.

Chalerm Phoommai, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Office, confirmed to the Bangkok Post that this is only the second time a Malayan tiger has been recorded in the park.

The first instance occurred in 2023, when a tiger later named “Bang Lang 01” was captured on the park’s camera system. Wildlife experts are now reviewing the latest footage to determine whether the current sighting is of the same individual or a new tiger. Each tiger has a unique stripe pattern—comparable to a human fingerprint—that can help distinguish individuals and provide insights into their range and population density.

Malayan tigers are a distinct subspecies found exclusively in the southern forests of Thailand and the Malayan Peninsula. They are genetically and geographically separate from the Indochinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti), which inhabits other parts of Thailand, including national parks such as Kaeng Krachan, Huai Kha Khaeng, and Khao Yai.

“This discovery underlines the ecological significance of Bang Lang National Park and the adjacent Hala Bala Wildlife Sanctuary,” said Chalerm. “These protected areas form vital corridors linking forest habitats across the Thai-Malaysian border.”

The cross-border forest network between Thailand and Malaysia plays a crucial role in ensuring the long-term survival of the Malayan tiger. Conservation initiatives—ranging from anti-poaching patrols to habitat restoration—have been intensified in recent years to combat threats such as illegal logging and wildlife trafficking.

The sighting is part of the ongoing SMART Patrol project, a comprehensive ranger-led program focused on monitoring threats and supporting biodiversity conservation. Beyond tigers, camera traps in the park have also recorded sightings of several other rare species, including elephants, gaur, and tapirs.

Officials from the Wildlife Conservation Office and the 6th Forest Conservation Office (Pattani branch) continue to closely monitor tiger activity in the region, using field data to inform long-term protection strategies in collaboration with national and regional partners.

Local communities are also playing a growing role in conservation. Initiatives such as environmental education and community-led patrols aim to minimize human-wildlife conflict and promote coexistence—especially important in areas where tiger habitats intersect with human settlements.

Once estimated at 3,000 in the 1950s, the population of Malayan tigers has plummeted to fewer than 150 in the wild as of 2022, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The species now faces a high risk of extinction due to widespread habitat loss, agricultural expansion, and persistent poaching.

Malaysia’s first National Tiger Survey, conducted between 2016 and 2020 by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks in partnership with WWF-Malaysia and other NGOs, confirmed a continuing decline in the species' numbers.

Classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Malayan tiger is now Totally Protected under Malaysia’s Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.