In 1995 the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) announced a fundraising campaign to save the tigers of Indochina. Six international nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) are currently trying to protect Cambodia's remaining big cats, although experts fear there may be as few as 150 left in the wild. Millions of dollars have been pumped into studies, surveys and assessments, but the time has come for action, as without a drastic initiative there may soon be no tigers left at all.  

Tigers are known to inhabit Virachay National Park in Ratanakiri Province, remote parts of Mondulkiri and Preah Vihear Provinces, and the Chuor Phnom Kravanh (Cardamom Mountains), but they are under serious threat from poachers. The magical powers of potency (mainly sexual) ascribed to tiger parts throughout Asia push up the value of a carcass. Fortunately, some hunters are now employed as rangers, making it easier to educate other hunters about the negative impact of the trade.

The fact that tigers are spread across such geographically diverse areas makes them harder to protect from poachers, so environmental NGOs are giving serious thought to promoting the establishment of tiger sanctuaries similar to those found in India. This would concentrate the remaining tigers in a secure environment and, in time, generate a vast income for Cambodia from ecotourism. The lessons that African conservationists learnt in the 1970s when battling to protect rhinos and elephants may need to be learnt today by a new generation of Cambodian conservationists. It would be a terrible tragedy if this majestic creature were to disappear from Cambodia's forests forever. For insights, stories and links about tigers in Cambodia and what is being done to protect them, visit the website of the Cat Action Treasury at www.felidae.org.