A tiger, illustration - SIPA

The images are exceptional. A camera immortalized a tiger alone killing a gaur, the largest cattle in the world. The “very rare” video was captured in Thailand in December in a protected area, the last refuge for many felines threatened with extinction.

"MKM8", a male tiger monitored by WWF since 2014, is thus found near the carcass of the wild bovid, covered with scratches and bites. "It is very rare to catch a tiger killing a gaur on camera," said a WWF member. “Even for this animal, killing a gaur is not an easy task. "

Meet MKM8, a tiger that @WWF_tigers have been tracking in Thailand since 2014. It appeared on camera with a new kill. Even for tigers, killing a gaur is no easy feat. We're thrilled that our conservation efforts have paid off and he has grown up to be so healthy and strong. pic.twitter.com/QOemblS4UE

- WWF-Myanmar (@WWFMyanmar) January 13, 2020

Tigers threatened in the Greater Mekong

By observing the carcass, the NGO noted that the tiger had been able to feed for two weeks thanks to this prey. It is therefore imperative to "increase the number of large ungulates" in the areas of habitat of the tiger in order to offer him significant quantities of food, underlines WWF in a press release.

Due to deforestation and poaching, the number of wild tigers has dropped in the Greater Mekong (Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand and Vietnam), from 1,200 individuals in 1998 to 250 today. The Dawna-Tenasserim, a territory of 30,000 km² straddling Thailand and Burma, remains one of their last refuges: 180 to 220 tigers of the 250 individuals listed live there.

The area is home to other rare species, such as the Asian golden cat and the leopard cat. WWF wants to push the authorities to launch an action plan to protect the Dawna-Tenasserim area. It recommends increased investment, better dialogue with local populations, strengthening of protection units and greater concertation to mitigate the negative impacts of infrastructure projects.

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