Environmental factors, human presence and prey interact to explain patterns of tiger presence in Eastern Thailand

A complex interplay of prey availability, human presence, and environmental conditions significantly shapes tiger distribution in the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex (DPKY), a critical habitat for Panthera tigris in Thailand. The study reveals that tiger presence is strongly positively associated with wild boar abundance and overall prey richness, while negatively influenced by human settlement density, road networks, and poaching activity. Environmental factors alone explained nearly 20% of the variance in tiger occurrence, surpassing the influence of prey variables (3.1%), but were often confounded with anthropogenic pressures (31.1%). These findings suggest that environmental data, when integrated with human impact metrics, can effectively model tiger habitats even where direct survey data is limited. The research provides actionable insights for prioritizing conservation efforts, mitigating human-wildlife conflict, and identifying key prey species essential for tiger recovery in this UNESCO-recognized landscape.

Ash, E., Kaszta, Ż., Noochdumrong, A., Redford, T., & Macdonald, D. W. (2020). Environmental factors, human presence and prey interact to explain patterns of tiger presence in Eastern Thailand. Animal Conservation, 24(2), 268–279. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12631