Tag: Reserve

African wild dog

African wild dog

Whether there were originally multiple African wild dog subspecies, these have not been retained. There were once 500,000 wild dogs roaming Africa. There are currently just 6600, spread across Africa, though many of the populations are unlikely to be genetically healthy long-term. These are divided into 39 populations.

Some famous or interesting populations are:

The Kruger wild dog population swings between extremes. In 2007 there were about 350 within the Limpopo transfrontier park. in 2022 there are thought to be about 800 wild dogs in the same area.

The Serengeti wild dog population disappeared during 1995 – wild dogs are highly sociable animals, so illness can wipe out populations. Wild dogs appear to have help on and there are thought to be about 120 at the moment. Inoculation of the domestic dog population surrounding the park will hopefully stop this happening again, and the population will grow back to the former highs -where packs 100 strong could be seen chasing the Wildebeest migration across the plains.

The largest single population lives in the Selous reserve (much of this reserve is now classed as the Nyerere national park) with a population of perhaps as many as 1000.

There are thought to be about 700 wild dogs in northern Botswana.

There are small populations all over Africa, such as 100 in Chad, but whether these survive long-term is another question. The map below shows the huge number of small populations all over Africa. The total african wild dog population is thought to be around 6600, with 700 packs. However, these numbers tend to highlight the problem with this species. Given that there are 39

           

There are 5 subspecies that have been recognized:

Cape wild dogs:
This is the only subspecies that appears to be doing relatively well with around 4000 animals left (though it underestimate the current population of the Kruger – while in the past it has been as low as 350, the current population is at its peak of around 850. Significant wild dog populations in this subspecies include the Kruger, while the KAZA transfrontier park is likely to be another. (Botswana is thought to host around 1300 wild dogs within its boundary, with most of the other countries in the region having at least 500 somewhere in the country). 

The West African wild dog:                                                                          This  used to be widespread from western to central Africa, from Senegal to Nigeria. Now only two subpopulations survive: one in the Niokolo-Koba National Park of Senegal and the other in the W National Park of Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger. It is estimated that 70 adult individuals are left in the wild – split pretty evenly split between these two population.
                                                                                                                                         East African wild dog:                                                                                The east African wild dog has a number of good population – Selous has around 800-1000, while the Laikipia region of Kenya is thought to host around 300 of this rare animal                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Somali wild dog:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             The Somali wild dog is thought to be extinct in Somali, though some are thought to survive in Ethiopia. Bale Mountains national park is known for Ethiopian wolves, but it is thought that 1 pack of around 30 Somali wild dog also live here (though they live in the dense Harenna forest, so perhaps they never meet. There are likely, some other wild dog in the country, but it is unlikely that the whole population excedes more than 100.                                   

Chadian wild dog:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          The only part of this population that lives on protected land, are found within the Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park in the Central African republic.

These are recognized based on differences in the animal, not physical position.

Wild doginformation by country

South African wild dog in the Kruger national park

South Africa has one large population of African wild dog, which lives in the Kruger national park. The park is a large area, and therefore is large enough to support a significant wild dog population. In the Kruger, the number of wild dog tend to vary wildly. In 2007, when I trained in the Kruger, there were roughly 350 wild dog in the park. However, when we returned in 2022, there were 850 (currently the number is nearer to this 850).

There are also African wild dog in the Kalagadi transfrontier park, of which some is in South Africa.

In terms of places to see, click here to view all our destinations in the Limpopo transfrontier park

 

Part of a Botswanan pack of wild dog

Botswana has an estimated 700 wild dog living within the country. One of the main parts of Botswana where wild dog are found is

  • the Botswanan section of the Kalahari Zambezi transfrontier park. In particular, they are found within the Okavango Delt and within the Chobe national park. Also well known in Moremi reserve, and other reserves in the area
  • Kalahari transfrontier park, in the central Kalahari game reserve.

While this does not sound like a long list, these areas are huge. This is a huge population of the wild dog.

Wild dog pack in Namibia

Namibia has a population of just 200-300 wild dog (as always, I hope to add these destinations to our site in the near future)

  • National parks: Khaudum, Bwabwata, Mudumu, and Nkasa Rupara 
     
  • Caprivi Strip: Wild dogs are sometimes seen in this area 
     
  • N/a’an ku sê Foundation: A short trip from Windhoek where you can see wild dogs 
     
  • Africat: Located in the Okonjima private game reserve, about 2.5 hours from Windhoek 

While it should be noted, that the wild dog population of Namibia is small compared to other species, it is not tiny. Likely reasons for this lower number include:

Threats include hunting (usually by farmers) which tends to take place during the breeding period. Other problems are that human activities are taking up more and more space and leaving less, which as wild dog need so much space, they are the first to be impacted by this; they are impacted by disease, which can easily wipe out a population like in 1995 when the Serengeti population vanished; In Namibia, they are required to regularly cross roads, and unfortunately as a result a significant number get hit on the road; finally, they are small predators, and while more regularly successful than lions and others (they have a success rate over 70% compared to a lion which is only successful around 40%), lions leopards and hyena will all kill wild dog if they get the chance.

Malawi was missing the African wild dog for 20 years until 2021, when they were translocated from South Africa and Mozambique. 8 Were translocated, but they have now also had 9 pups..

They were translocated to Liwonde National Park and the Majete Wildlife Reserve, where provided they are not hit by illness, their number is likely to continue to climb. Time will tell how rapidly this population will grow to fill the space. We hope to add these locations in the near future.

Wild dog reintroduced into Gorongosa national park

Mozambique has a wild dog population of roughly 600 individuals (roughly 10% of the remaining population of this species).

There are a number of significant populations within the country.

Niassa National Reserve – a reserve which is connected to the Selous ecosystem of Tanzania (which hosts over 1300 wild dog, and is the largest remaining population) by the Selous Niassa wildlife corridor, which is a strip which is between 160 and 180km long and covers an area of 8000 square kilometres (3088 square miles). This is an important area in its own right, with a variety of wildlife populations, including:

    1. Elephants: The corridor protects one of the world’s largest elephant ranges, with an estimated 85,000 elephants.
    2. Buffalo: The corridor is home to one of the continent’s largest buffalo herds.
    3. Wild dogs: The corridor is home to more than half of the continent’s remaining wild dog population.
    4. Other wildlife: The corridor is also home to giraffes, hippopotamuses, and ungulates.

The Selous-Niassa Wildlife Corridor connects the two reserves, creating a 120,000 sq km conservation area that includes the Selous Game Reserve and Mozambique’s Niassa Reserve along with the land within. It’s also known as Ushoroba in Swahili. This is essentially a transfrontier area, like the Limpopo or the KAZA but has existed for quite some time, and is one of the most important areas of conservation on the African continent. There are 300-350 wild dogs in Niassa and 1000-1500 in the NIassa – selous ecosystem as a whole – or as high as 25% of the continents wild dog.

Gorongosa National Park: Containing around 81 individuals, up from a founder population of 15 in 2018, which were taken from Hluhluwe/Umfolozi National Park.

Karingani national reserve: Has a population of 33 wild dog, from a founding population of 13 that was reintroduced in 2019 with 3 further males joining in 2020. What is clear, is that wild dog released into suitable habitat can increase their population at a rapid speed.

Limpopo national park: This park is thought to have 2 packs of wild dog, suggesting a count of 20-30. It should be noted, that this park is part of the Limpopo transfrontier park, and therefore if there is not a reason why wild dog struggle to survive in this park, more are likely to move there from the Kruger (where there is a population that certainly numbers over 400 and may be higher).

I should note, that the estimates for each individual reserve, add to a number around 100 short of the number for the country, and there do not appear to be more reserves to add. I will correct if I need in the future.

 

A pack of Zambia wild dog

Zambia is considered one of the 6 countries with the most stable wild dog populations left. There are around 400 individuals in the country, split across 26 different packs.

They are found in:

  • North Luangwa national park and South Luangwa national park which is thought to share a population of around 350 wild dog
  • Lower Zambezi national park has a healthy wild dog population, though I have been unable to find a sensible number for the population. It is, however, known to have particularly large packs compared to many other national parks. This suggests that there would have to be quite a few – suggesting that if the Luangwa national parks have that many wild dog, there must be more within Zambia, as the Lower Zambezi will clearly have more than 50.

Zimbabwe currently has 660 wild dog, in 86 packs, which works out at around 7-8 per pack.

Hwange national park has a population of  roughly 160 wild dogs, but this is part of the enormous KAZA transfrontier park, which means that it should be possible for further wild dog to migrate into this park from the many connected areas. This also means that even if Hwange national park cannot support more wild dog, it is possible for these wild dog to move around, allowing a free exchange of genetic material. We have 2 destinations within this area for you to visit, click here. 

Mana Pools national park: here, wild dogs have been habituated to humans, allowing them to be followed on foot. However, the population is only thought to be 20 at the current time.

I hope to add the rest of this countries useful destinations in the future

 

Senegal has around 50-100 west African wild dog, however, given their status as West African wild dog, this is a significant part of the population. They are found in the Niokolo-Koba National Park, which is a fascinating park as it also hosts

Elephants
Leopards
Chimpanzees
West African lions
Western giant elands
Servals
Caracals
African wild cats

Wild dog from Benin in the Pendjari national park
A young male roaming the Arli National park in Berkuna Faso section of the WAP complex
While it is not clear how many roam the W national park of the WAP complex, not only are they tracking 8 but this is a young lion photographed in the area

The population of Lions in Niger (150 or there abouts) is thought to be restricted to its section of the WAP complex, which is a transboundary area, including land in Benin and Burkina Faso and is perhaps the last good hope for the west African lion – around 80-90% of the western lion population live within this protected area. While the other countries have a separate national park, protecting an area of land, Niger only has part of a single park (W national park) which stretches across the borders of all 3 countries). 

It is unclear how many lions live within this national park, though it is definitely greater than 8 as there is currently a study that is following 8. Given that W national park contains around 1 third of the land in the WAP complex, so it should hold around 150 lions within it. 

Whether the land is currently capable of supporting this number is questionable. It should be noted that the WAP complex is roughly twice the size of the Kruger national park, suggesting that the entire area might be able to support around twice the lion population of the Kruger – this is roughly 3000 lions. Now, it is quite possible that this area is drier, and therefore has a lower carrying capacity, but this gives space for a large increase in the lions within the WAP complex. It should be noted, that this might well be an over estimated, as some of the WAP complex is hunting areas, and while they will not hunt many (if any) lions with in these, hunting prey will also reduce the number of lions that these areas can support. If this was accurate, one could expect a lion population of W national park in Niger, of around 2000. While we are a long way from this, it suggests that with better conservation, Niger could have a lion population that would give it the sixth largest population in Africa.

Only one reserve in Rwanda contain lions, and this is Akagera National Park, which in 1990 was known to have 250-300 lions. Unfortunately during the Genocide they were all killed, with a survey in 2002 not counting a single one. In 2015, 7 lions were moved to the reserve and  in 2024 had a lion count of 78, This suggests that with this sort of recovery, the lion population could keep growing well, though time will tell if the local human population will allow this to occur.

So this countries current lion population is around 78 individuals. This can be good for Rwanda, as while it is a popular destination for forest safaris, being able to also offer savannah ecosystems will make it more popular, as someone could both trek with chimpanzee and gorilla  and see lion in the same week.

Tanzania hosts a large portion of the wild dogs that remain in Africa. These are all part of the East Africa wild dog subspecies

The Selous ecosystem is the undisputed king of areas for the wild dog, containing 1300 wild dog in this one area. Furthermore, in recent years, it has got easier to go to this area to see the wild dog. This is because the Selous has been split into the Nyeres national park (majority) and a small region of it still devoted to hunting. It should be noted, that this includes the Mikumi national park.

The Ruaha Katavi ecosystem hosts more than 500 wild dog.

The Serengeti losts its wild dog back in 1995, likely to canine distemper. However, it appears that small numbers of wild dog survived in the far east of this ecosystem, and these are now growing and reappearing in their former haunts. It is thought that around 120 wild dog are present in 10 packs.

These numbers are only relatively vague, but between them give Tanzania a total of roughly 2000 wild dog, which is almost 1/3 of the whole of the continents population.

 

 

Kenya lion from the massai mara reserve

In 2021, Kenya did a survey of its wild area, and estimates that there is 2589 lions (this is around 74 lions more than the list I have been using for most of these numbers)

So, where are the Kenyan lions?

The Massai Mara national park  is found in Kenya. It has an estimated population of 850-900 (this is a lifetime dream location for many people interested in wildlife). Look up the Serengeti ecosystem, for links in this ecosystem. We hope to add far more over time.

Ambosseli national park hosts roughly 100 wild lions. It is a big 5 reserve, and even has cheetah and a few wild dog, making it an ecotourism big 7 reserve (something that many larger reserves cannot claim). This reserve is only 392 square km. The  Tsavo Amboselli ecosystem is thought to have roughly 675, thought these numbers are estimates, and it is unclear how accurate they are. While this whole ecosystem is very large, parts like Tsavo West are not good for animals like lion, which means that their density is likely to be higher than these numbers would suggest.

Niarobi national park has roughly  35 lions. It should be noted, that the range of the lions is thought to be around 400 square km, which is almost 3 times the size of the park at 140 square km. This park is odd. Once opening to the open savannah, the suburbs have expanded, and now largely completely surround it. Never-the-less, there is few other places in Africa where you can see lions with skyscrappers in the background. This reserve has 4 of the big 5 (missing elephants)

Hells gate national park is tiny, at half the size of the Niarobi national park. It was a big 5 reserve in the 1950s, and there is a suggestion that there are still a handful of lions, but not more than this. It is one of quite a few national parks, split by relatively short distances of human settlement, but it might as well be the other side of the moon, for the abillity for most small animals to move between.

The Abadares mountains national park still has a few lions, though it is unclear how many. In 2000 100-200 lions were killed to help a local antelope on the verge of extinction to survive.

Lake nakuru national park has a small lion population. A 2018 survey counted just 16, even though earlier surveys had counted 60. I have personal history here, as this was the first African wilderness that I visited.

Meru national park has an estimated 76 wild lions. It covers 870 square km (340 square miles)

Mount Kenya National Park is 715 square kilometers (276 square miles) in size. Despite its relatively small size, it is a big 5 reserve, though leopard and rhino are both rarely seen.

Samburu Nature reserve has a population of 40-50 lions, alongside all of the big 5 (and both species of African rhino). Cheetah are found, and even wild dog.

Ruma National park has lions leopards and cheetah (though the lion and leopard are very hard to see) the last roan of Kenya survive in this national park, but only 19 or so are still there.

Kora national park is another ecotourism big 7 reserve. While the number of lion is hard to ascertain is the place where George Adamson worked in the 1970s. George Adamson, (husband of Joy Adamson – author of Born free along with many other books) his brother Terence, and Tony Fitzjohn worked together to rehabilitate lions and leopards in the park from 1971–1988. How easy it is too see wild lions is unclear, but well worth a visit.

Shimba hills nature reserve

 

Buffalo Springs National Reserve

Mount Elgon National Park 

Shaba National Reserve

Chyulu Hills 250 lions

Marsabit National Park

Sibiloi National Park claims to have lions (though a survey from 2020 found none)

Malka Mari National Park has lions in its 1500 square km area this is another Ecotourism big 7

There are also likely a wide array of private reserves that are linked to these above, and perhaps even private reserves off on their own that are likely to host lions. I hope to grow the links as fast as possible

Lions in Malawi are restricted to two regions of the country. 

  • Liwonde National Park – this park returned the lion after 20 years absence and is a big 5 reserve, while cheetah were returned in 2019 and in 2021 wild dog returned to this reserve as well. The last update on the lions was in 2021, when the lion populatin had grown from the 9 moved, to a total of 13. Provided that they are not bothered by poachers, this population should continue to grow. At 548 square km (211 square miles, this reserve should be able to host perhaps 40 lions, so much space to expand.
  • Majete Wildlife Reserve has a thriving lion population (and indeed provided the lions for the reintroduction to Liwonde national park) and as well as housing the big 5, has in recent years, had both cheetah and wild dog return (translocation). It should of course be noted, that both of these species are likely to be pretty rare until they have had time to increase in number. It covers 700 square km (270 square miles) . This reserve currently has 52 lions – which assuming 5 square miles per lion, is very close to carrying capacity (which would be 54). As such, Majete would likely continue to be a prime example of place to translocate lions out of – without this continuing, the lions are likely to start self regulating with more regular fights and males killing males (and if a dominant male is killed, this leads to all the young cubs of the pride dying, along with many of the females who will often defend their cubs to the death).

Lions are present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), but their population is threatened by human activities. There population is down to 211 from around 1600 in the 1970s. There is definitely space for this population to grow – but these are the current known lion habitats

 
  • Ishasha Valley

    The Ishasha River valley is a good place to see lions, hippos, elephants, and buffalo. However, the population of lions in the valley has been reduced by poaching, land invasion, and conflict.  The lions in this area are known for their tree-climbing habits.

     
  • Odzala-Kokoua National Park

    In the 1990s, this park was considered a lion stronghold, but by 2014, no lions were recorded there, making the population locally extinct.  

     
  • Lésio-Louna Reserve

    There is physical evidence of lions in this reserve, but there is no estimate of the population density or distribution. 

     It is not clear, whether the factors that lead to this decline have reduced, but it is thought that generally not. Never-the-less as time goes by, often places are getting better at looking after the wildernesses that remain within its boundaries. Furthermore, it would be really good for the DRC, to be able to offer its many forest safaris, alongside safaris more familiar within eastern Africa. 

Ethiopia is thought to have roughly 200-300 remaining lions (though there are sources which claim as much as 800 lions). It should be noted, that Ethiopia once hosted a separate subspecies, however, only 8 of these survive and all live in a zoo.

Truly wild lion populations within Ethiopia include

Alatash National Park: In 2016, an international research team led by Oxford University conservationist Hans Bauer discovered a previously unknown lion population in Alatash National Park, which is located near the border with Sudan. The team used camera traps to capture images of lions and footprints, and estimated that there were between 100 and 200 lions in the area.

Kafa biosphere reserve: In southwest Ethiopia, there are around 25 lions in the Kafa biosphere reserve. However, little is known about the lions, including whether they are resident year-round or just migrate through.

Other areas where lions have been spotted include Boma-Gambella, South Omo, Welmel-Genale, Ogaden, and Awash. I have listed them below. I should add, that I have included the number of lions each area claims, however, they cannot possibly be correct, as if you add them up, you get a number of roughly 4000, which would give Ethiopia a lion population second only to Tanzania

Awash Valley and Gambella areas: These areas have seen an increase in human-lion conflict and retaliatory killings by local communities. 

 Boma-Gambella: This area has a population estimate of 500 lions. 

 South Omo: This area has a population estimate of 200 lions. 

 Welmel-Genale: This area has a population estimate of 100 lions. 

 Ogaden: This area has a population estimate of 100 lions. 

 Bale: This area has a population estimate of 2,373 lions. This is highly questionable. The park is 2200 square km (850 square miles) and even with an average density of one lion for every 5 square miles, this would require of over 10,000 square miles of unprotected land to be protected. It should be noted, that these lion are famous as the black maned lions. The largely recognized figure, is around 50 lions in this area. 

Nechisar: This area has a population estimate of 1,030 lions. This is also completely rubbish, as the park is only around 400 square miles, and it is thought that its carrying capacity is roughly 23. Only 4 lions have been visually identified.

This does not suggest that lions within Ethiopia are particularly secure, but they are clearly better than a range of other places. We dont currently list any of these places to visit, but are eager to in the future – if you work in out of these areas do get in touch.

 
Female lion caught on camera trap, in Sena Oura national park, where they had not been seen for around 20 years

Chad is thought to have a wild lion population of roughly 200.

Sena Oura national park was in the news in the recent past, for a lion being seen for the first time in 20 years (click here to read our article on this news from the time).

Zakouma National Park is home to popular predators including a more significant lion population, as well as  hyenas and leopard, but also large herds of central African savannah buffalo, elephant, and endemic species such as the pale fox and the kordofan giraffe.

Central African republic lion in Chinko national park

The central African republic has an estimated 50 lions remaining, with 30 residing in the Chinko Nature Reserve.

Other reserves claiming wild lions in the country (population estimates have to be taken with a large pinch of salt, as various reserves claim healthy lion population, which would dwarf the whole country population – still, I hope to add these destinations in the future) include:

  • Bamingui-Bangoran National Park and Biosphere Reserve – claims to still have lion, though if there was a healthy population within this reserve, it could dwarf the population estimates for the whole country. I cannot find infomation to say etiher way.
  • Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park – assessments and reports from as early as 1997 suggest that this park lost its lions (and black rhino) this long ago.
  • Awakaba National Park
  • Aouk Aoukale
  • Yata Ngaya
  • Nana Barya
  • Zemongo Faunal Reserves
  • Several hunting reserve (while lions may well be hunted in these reserves, it is not going to be officially sanctioned, as the lion here cannot be hunted sustainably.

The wild dog is thought to have become locally extinct in Cameroon in recent years

Limpopo Transfrontier park including Kruger sabi sands and other conservation areas
Greater Serengeti

African Savannah Elephant

African Savannah Elephant

There are three species of elephant, the African savanna elephant, African forest elephant and the Asian elephant. 

With the African species, Forest elephants have declined 86% between 1986 and 2015, African Bush elephants declined 60% 1965 and 2015 leaving just over 400,000. 

One of the other issues with poaching is that elephants are very intelligent, and can communicate over long distances. As a result if for instance an elephant is killed in the north of the Kruger, elephants hundreds of miles south will become far more aggressive towards humans and cars. This in turn reduces the number of tourists that are willing to visit the reserve.

Perhaps one encouraging fact, is that the African savannah elephant has enough space for a far larger population if only poaching can come to an end. It is also a simple fact, that any reserve with elephants (like lions) can attract visitors- provided it is well run.

Limpopo Transfrontier park including Kruger sabi sands and other conservation areas
Greater Serengeti

Tiger

Bengal Tiger
Wild amur tiger
Caspian tiger (extinct)
malaysian-tiger
Indochinese tiger
South China Tiger
sumatran-tiger
Javan Tiger
Bali Tiger

Tiger

Tigers – Unlike Lions, tigers are not kings of their ecosystem in the same way as lions. While lions live in prides and lie out in the open, Tigers are solitary (except mothers with their young, or a current breeding pair.

In most instances, male tigers also have no part in caring for young. Amur tigers have a hard time finding food, and there are many documented cases where male tigers will leave kills for their mate and young. This has not been regularly noted amongst other sub species which  live in places where food is easier to come across.

We are yet to add any destinations to go see wild tigers, but they will appear on this page, along with a list of articles from the blog on this subject. With a range of different subspecies, which range from relatively secure and growing population, to those on the edge of extinction.

Tigers actually have a similar density in their habitat as a whole to lions (lions are about 5 times as populous, and have a range of about 5 times greater. Tigers roam around 650,000 square km, but with 4500 wild tigers – In other words, overall  each species has on average a similar density. Unfortunately, due to their solitary, and often nocturnal habits, it is better to compare tigers to leopards – for many visitors to Africa, while they might see 30 lions in a week, they might see just a couple of Leopards. Having said this, in India, this is recognized, and when a tiger is found you can take a ride on an elephant which will allow you to leave the road and get up and close to an elephant. 

Tigers are still found in a variety of countries, however, for the time being, I have not broken them down in this way, as it is more useful to look at them as their former subspecies (I say former because of a decision a few years ago – for more, look below the tiger picture that is below this text).

Below is a list of articles on all subspecies of tiger. Below that is a set of tabs, which will allow you to read about each subspecies. This is because tigers roam around 650,000 square km, however, there is thought that this could be increased by 1.7 million square km. It should be noted, that the current range of the tiger is only around 5% of its historical range.

We are eager to list as many places to see the wild tiger as we possibly can. We hope that each subspecies will eventually have plenty of destinations to see them in the wild. There are many people living alongside these animals, and as such tourism can help these peoples to earn a better income, while they protect these incredible animals.

I should note, that since 2017 there have only been 2 subspecies recognized. That of the continental tigers (Bengal, Amur, Malayan Indochinese, South China and the Caspian) and the so called Sunda tiger (historically from Sumatra Java and Bali, though only surviving in Sumatra). Now, I find it hard to believe that a Bengal tiger would survive in the Amur region of Russia. However, it may well have been found that the differences are not distinct enough to warrant subspecies status. As chance would have it, that would mean that the top line talks about distinct populations of the Continental Tiger, while the bottom line talks about the Sunda tiger populations

Tiger news in general

Wild tiger -photo credit S. Taheri
One of the last large habitats for tigers, the Sunderbans, is low level so will be lost to any significant sea level rise photo credit Soumyajit Nandy, .CC BY-SA 4.0

Bengal Tiger

The country with the most tigers is India, hosting around 70% of the remaining tigers, or a little over 3000. However, this is down from 100,000 in 1900. In 2006 the Indian tiger population was as low as just 1411 – there are individual reserves in Africa with more lions in than this number. Given that there are 54 tiger reserves in India, that leaves an average population of just 30 per reserve – translocation will be required to maintain genetically healthy tigers. Formerly working on pug-marks, counting has been replaced with photo identification, as pug marks were overestimating the population (Simlipal reserve in Orissa state claimed 101 tigers in 2004, yet in 2010 a photo count stated 61, and this is thought a a huge over estimate, as the same state government claims just 45 tigers across  the state. Sariska and Panna reserves in India are worse with the government having to admit that there are no tigers left (2 reserves of at least 5 so called tiger reserves with none left). 

In a list of the best places to see tigers, India will often count more than  half of them within its borders. There are many destinations with some tigers, and around half of the 

There is currently an estimated 3100 Bengal tigers and they are listed as endangered. However, the total number of wild tigers is around 4500, so around 2/3 live in India.

 

The vast majority of Bengal tigers live within India (and the Bengal tiger is the most common subspecies). The country has done very well over the last decade or more, with the number of tigers more than doubling, to a total of around 3100 (it should be noted, that while it was just 1411 in 2006 – just 18 years ago, it was thought to be over 100,000 back in 1900.

As of 2024, there are 55 tiger reserves, covering a combined 75,796.83 square kilometres (29,265 square miles).

It should be noted that while some have done very well, others have been shown to have zero tigers left (until recent times, the Indian government did its surveys on tiger populations using pug marks, and method shown to be extremely poor in accuracy). These reserves include Sahyadri, Satkosia, Kawal, Kamlang, and Indravati tiger reserve – alarmingly, despite this complete failure to protect their namesake (and all having had tigers in the recent past) the first 2 were rated as very good, the second two as good and the last as fair, something that suggests India has not recognized the failings.

Never-the-less, this still leaves 50 reserves with tiger populations.

Some of the best places to head, include 

  • Bandhavgarh National Park: A small park with a high density of Bengal tigers, making it more likely to spot one. Bandhavgarh was once a hunting ground, but is now a conservation site (60-90 tigers)
     
  • Kanha National Park: A great place to see tigers in India, and it works well to visit in combination with Bandhavgarh National Park. (most recent estimate suggest 105 tigers in the reserve, dismiss sites claiming 500 or more)
     
  • Ranthambore National Park: A great tiger safari location with a fort and varied landscapes. (80 tigers, up from just 25 in 2005)
     
  • The Sundarbans, split between Bangladesh and India: A mangrove forest with over 114 Bengal tigers, of which nearly 40 live in India. It should be noted, that India call this area the Ganges delta (and some split the area between these two names).
     
  • Tadoba National Park, India: Home to at least 80 tigers, as well as other wildlife like cheetahs, leopards, sloth bears, and crocodiles. (93 tigers as of 2022)
     
  • Pench National Park: Inspired by The Jungle Book, Pench’s ghost trees and long grass make it a great place for a safari. (around 50 tigers)
     
  • Panna National Park: A small but rewarding habitat for tigers, surrounded by forest (around 55 tigers)
     
    Please note: this site is not merely for information. Should you work in any of these reserves and would like to list, do click list your wild place.
 

Bangladesh still has tigers, living in several areas. 2/3 of the Sundarbans lie within Bangladesh, however, unfortunately, there has been much tiger poaching within this area.

In 2004, there was an estimated 440 Tigers living within the Bangladesh section of the Sundarbans, however the same survey carried out in 2018 just counted 114. There has been some argument as to how accurate the first survey actually was, however, there has been much known poaching, with one man finally caught in 2021 who was thought to have killed 70 tigers over 20 years. What I am saying, is that if one man killed 70 tigers, is it a difficult thing to believe that all other poachers managed to kill 256 tigers in the same period?

While in theory the Sandarbans might be thought of as a good tiger conservation area, long-term, we might have a problem. The majority of the forest floor, ranges from 0.91m to 2.11m above sea level, with the hoghest point being just 3m above sea level.

Even if we were to reduce emissions in line with the whole Paris climate accord, we are looking at between 0.28-0.55m rise, which will destroy large parts of the Sundarbans., while the polar ice sheet disintegration (a scary one as we do not know where the tipping point is on this) we could see sea level rise of 5m.

The other tiger area is the Chittagong Hill Tracts, which is the only hilly area in Bangladesh. It is home to a variety of tribes as well as an estimated 15 tigers. Obviously, this is not a viable population, so without significant human intervention, the loss of the Sundarbans would likely lead to a loss of the Chttagong hill tracts tigers in a relatively short time.

Bhutan had a survey of its tiger population in 2024, and 131 tigers were counted, a 27% increase on the previous survey in 2016. This is good, but particularly as Bhutan. can largely be thought of as a high altitude corridor which connects much of the remaining Bengal tiger habitat. This means that, without it, recovery is going to be harder. Bhutan is a very mountainous country, and as such was not historically seen as a possible habitat, but when tigers were filmed (by camera trap) 4000m up in the Himalayas. Despite being thought of as a corridor, it appeared that tigers at this height were actually showing mating behaviour, suggesting that the whole life of tigers was taking place at this altitude – and therefore there could also be a permanent population on the roof of the world.

Reserves with tigers, within the country include

  • Royal Manas National Park (connected to Manas national park of India
  • Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park (hikers often spot tigers around Wamling village)
  • Transboundary Manas Conservation Area (TRaMCA) also known as Jomotshangkha – a small reserve that is part of a large conservation area covering parts of India, as well as this reserve in Bhutan

Bengal tigers are found in Nepal in low numbers (going on the numbers in reserves below, In 2022, the country estimated a population of 355 tigers (well above the 250 needed for Nepal to have doubled its tiger population, but still well below the tiger population that would have lived there, just a few decades ago.

  • Chitwan National Park –  with 93 tigers living within the reserve
  • Bardia National Park – with 125 tigers living within the reserve
  • Parsa National Park – with 41 tigers living within the reserves
  • Banke National Park – with 25 tigers living within the reserve

The number of tigers in China is estimated at under 400, however, this is likely a very high estimate. There are reasonable doubts if any Bengal tigers survive in the country. It is far more likely that the last one has already been lost.

Wild Amur tiger in the snow
Amur Tigers are incredibly hardy, living in a place covered in snow for over half the year

Amur Tiger

  • Russia hosts one of the hardest tigers to see. However, there are now around 500 Amur tigers roaming the remote far east of Russia, up from less than 40 in the 1940s,  this population has also had great gains. 

Unfortunately there is little habitat for this population to grow much more, however recent genetic analysis has shown that the Amur tiger and the Caspian tiger (which lived in the far west of Russia, as well as various other countries around here like Türkiye (the new spelling of turkey)) is not distinct enough to be a separate subspecies – it is actually the western portion of the Amur tiger. The genetic analysis suggests that the two populations split within the last 200 years. This makes the map to the right, incorrect, as the whole of the Caspian tiger tiger range should be added to the pink part of the map.

The Caspian tiger’s population was once estimated to be two to three tigers per 100 square kilometers in their habitat. The Caspian tiger’s range was once as large as 800,000–900,000 square kilometers, and they lived in many regions, including:

Turkey, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Trans-Caucasia, Eastern Anatolia, Central Asia’s riverine tugai forest systems 

The Caspian tiger’s population declined due to a number of factors, including: 

  • Hunting: High incentives were paid for tiger skins until 1929.
  • Loss of prey: Deforestation and subsistence hunting by humans reduced the population of the tigers’ main prey, wild pigs and deer.
  • Habitat loss: The clearing of forests for agriculture further reduced the population.
  • Irrigation and agriculture projects: These projects contributed to the destruction of the Caspian tiger’s habitat. 

The last Caspian tiger was officially documented in 1958, and the species was declared extinct in 2003.  

However, these discoveries mean we should be able to translocate Amur tigers west to repopulate these long empty tiger ranges. Ili-Balkash Nature Reserve in Kazakhstan covers 4150 square km (1600 square miles). This is large enough for a population of around 120 tigers. The Caspian tiger, was thought to have a total population of as high as 27000 historically, so there is a great deal of range which this animal could return to. 

Currently, there are thought to be between 265 and 486, the 750 number shows an impressive recovery, though given all the other things that the Russian government has lied about, we should be careful. They are listed as endangered. It should be noted, that in the 1930s there was just 20-30 Amur tigers , so this is a quite fantastic recovery – the population has increased by 800-2400% in around 100 years. It should be noted, that the Amur leopard has done half of the recovery of the possibly population increase, in just 20 years – showing what is possible. A similar recovery at the current time with Amur Leopards, would return this population to around 500.

Much of the recovery, is down to reserves being set up in both China and Russia, for these cats protection. Expansion of these reserves would allow more cats to survive, while the founding and growing of an eco-tourism market could allow locals to benefit from the tigers and leopards living there.

We are eager to work with anyone in the field, do get in touch. Click on list your wild place.

It is unlikely that there are any permanent tigers living in North Korea, however as you can see from the above video, there are definitely visitors. The reserves in Russia and China are both close by, so it seems quite reasonable for these tigers to appear in the country from time to time. Unfortunately, the prey populations would likely have to recover for the tiger to live in the country long-term, and it is unclear how much land is available. With the horrific humanitarian situation within the country, it is also quite likely that even if the wilderness could support the tiger, they would be poached out of existence once again.

It appears that tigers use the boundaries of each park as so-called highways, and so tigers probably visit relatively regularly. The situation in North Korea, is generally too dangerous at the current time for travel, and in any case, given the tiger is just an occasional visitor, it is unlikely that any tourist would spot one.

The wildlife conservation society of China has camera traps which suggested 45 tigers were living on their land in the northeast, along with 30 leopards. 

The Dahuanggou region was also found to have 9 Amur tigers and 4 leopards.

This does seem an impressive recovery, though this may well be at least in part down to formal reserves and an attempt to police them, which happened less in the past.

Should there be tourist operators working in this area, do click on List your wild (on the top menu) or click here to add your reserve

The Amur tiger conservation and recovery has been a focus of Vladimir Putin, and as such, the Russian population of Amur tigers has risen from 390 Amur tigers in 2012, up to 750 in the most recent survey. 

With the increase in Chinese tigers, the wild Amur tiger population is now over 800.

In the 1940s the population was under 50, so while it may have taken 80 years,  but the population of Amur tigers is well on its way to recovery in the Russian far east. Now, it should be noted, that the Caspian tiger has been shown, to be merely a subpopulation of the Amur tiger, so there is the capability to be far higher. Going back over a century, before the horrific decision to eradicate the Amur tiger,there were around 3000 tigers in the wild. The Caspian tiger range,

Caspian tiger (extinct)

Caspian Tiger

The Caspian tiger was officially declared extinct in 2003, with the last two sightings were in 1958 and 1974 (in Kegeli in Karakalpkstan).

Before its local extinction, this tiger occurred in eastern Turkey, southern Caucasus, northern Iran, Iraq, and in isolated pockets throughout Central Asia as far as north-western China. Whether it will ever be allowed to have a range like this, is anyone’s guess. Clearly, humans were curtailing its range very early on. The only record for instance of its presence in Iraq, was from a 1887, when one was shot near Mosul. The last tiger in Turkey was shot in 1970, with Iran loosing its last in either 1953 or 1958, and the last tiger of Turkmenistan being shot in 1954.

Given the vast historic range of the Caspian tiger (and the recent discovery that the Caspian and Amur tiger is the same subspecies, there is many areas that are suitable for reintroduction. It is also possible, that by strategically translocating, it might be possible to reduce the number of tigers in the areas where they share habitat with Amur leopards, which might allow this population to also grow faster. The Caspian tiger is officially extinct, though it should be subsumed into the Amur tiger subspecies. It ranged from the eastern parts of Turkey to the central part of Russia (where it joined with the Amur tiger population. Plans are afoot to re-establish tigers in this range,  given that as the Amur tiger is the same sub-species it should thrive as it did in the past.

Please look under Amur tiger for further, other information, as these two subspecies have proved to be the same thing. Any links for visiting areas with Amur/Caspian tigers, will be made on the Amur tiger tab, as this supspecies subsumed the Caspian tiger not the other way round.

Malayan Tiger walking1 Angah hfz

The Malaysian tiger is a subspecies of tiger that is found on the Malaysian peninsular. There are only thought to be 80-120 tigers left in this country, and this has been caused by a variety of factors, including poaching for skin and bones, as well as habitat loss and fracturing, into smaller areas. It is similar to the Indochinese tiger (to the right) though it is smaller, and is the smallest mainland subspecies, though only slightly bigger on average than the Sumatran tiger.

As with elsewhere, increased tourism dollars, might well help local people see value in preserving this species. In the 1950s there were around 3000 of these tigers, however given a density of 1-2 tigers per 100 square km  that would require a lot of space. Malaysia protects about 13.3% of its land area which equates to 44,000 square km. .Going by top densities, this is only space for almost 900 tigers (though that is 8 to 9 times the current population) but if poaching were to stop, this situation could change fast.

They are classed as critically endangered. Do get in touch if you work in a reserve that these tigers live in, we are eager to help people find you.

Historically found in Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, this species decline is large. In 2010, the assessment was that there were 250 left in Thailand, with around 85 in Myanmar and perhaps 20 hanging on in Vietnam. It is thought that the population is now just 250. This sub-species is found in Myanmar(85)) and Thiland(237), with a total population of an estimated 342 individuals. Back in 2009-2014 the population was thought to be between 189-252 in this period. Vietnam is only thought to have 5 remaining, while Laos is thought to have 2. Historically, it was also found in Cambodia and China. Historically, it is thought that this species range would have gone further North, potentially up to Chittagong Hill Tracts and Brahmaputra River basin, where the Bengal tiger populations range ended.

In Myanmar, surveys were conducted between 1999 and 2002, confirming the presence of tigers in the Hukawng Valley, Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary and in two small areas in the Tanintharyi Region. The Tenasserim Hills is an important area, but forests are harvested there (which means that they may be too much disruption for the tiger to survive here). In 2015, a camera trap took an image of a tiger in the hill forests of Kayin State. Camera trap surveys between 2016 and 2018 revealed about 22 adult individuals in three sites that represent 8% of the potential tiger habitat in the country. How many the rest of the country could support even if they had to be reintroduced is beyond the scope of this.

More than half of the total Indochinese tiger population survives in the Western Forest Complex in Thailand (Covering an area of about 18,000 sq. km. extended into Myanmar border along the Tennaserim Range and abreviated to (WEFCOM)) is considered as the largest remaining forest track in the mainland Southeast Asia that is made up of 17  protected areas (without gaps between them; 11 national parks and 6 wildlife sanctuaries.), especially in the area of the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary. This habitat consists of tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. Camera trap surveys from 2008 to 2017 in eastern Thailand detected about 17 adult tigers in an area of 4,445 km2 (1,716 sq mi) in Dong Phayayen–Khao Yai Forest Complex. Several individuals had cubs. The population density in Thap Lan National Park, Pang Sida National Park and Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary was estimated at 0.32–1.21 individuals per 100 km2 (39 sq mi). Three subadult tigers were photographed in spring 2020 in a remote region of Thailand that are thought to be dispersing – moving out of areas which they were born into, and trying to find territory of their own.

In Laos, 14 tigers were documented in Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area during surveys from 2013 to 2017, covering four blocks of about 200 km2 (77 sq mi) semi-evergreen and evergreen forest that are interspersed with some patches of grassland. Surveys that have been carried out since, have failed to detect any tigers, and the likelihood is that they have been extirpated as a result of poaching. Given the huge value of dead tigers in Chinese medicine, this is not a big surprise, as the current value for a carcass of a dead tiger is around £67,000 before doing anything with it, the value of it after extracting everything used in Chinese medicine (no evidence that it does anything) is around 5 times higher or £335,000. That is a huge windfall, but given that the average salary in Thailand is about £2200 a year (meaning that while many earn a great deal more than this, also many earn much less). 335,000, therefore represents perhaps 150 years of average salary. This is another place, where tourism can help. A thriving tourism industry will bring well paid jobs to many, and will therefore, not only preserve the tiger, but has the capacity of lifting many communities out of destitution.

In eastern Cambodia, tigers were last recorded in Mondulkiri Protected Forest and Virachey National Park during surveys between 1999 and 2007. In 2016, the Cambodian government declared that the tiger was “functionally extinct”. In April 2023, India signed a memorandum of understanding with Cambodia to assist the country with the tiger’s reintroduction. At least 90 acres (36 ha) of the Cardamom Mountains of Tatai Wildlife Sanctuary could be used to host Bengal tigers (though this if a correct number is not going to do much for a wild tiger).

From the 1960s and earlier, the Indochinese tiger occurred throughout the mountains in Vietnam, even in the midlands and Islands. In the report of the Government of Vietnam at the Tiger Forum in 2004, there would be tigers in only 17 provinces and they were living in fragmented and severely degraded forest areas. Tigers were still present in 14 protected areas in the 1990s, but none have been recorded in the country since 1997. There is news of its extinction in both countries. In Laos, no tiger has been seen since 2013, when its populations were estimated at only two, and these two individuals simply vanished shortly after 2013 from Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area, denoting they were most likely killed either by snare or gun. In Vietnam, a 2014 IUCN Red List report indicated that tigers were possibly extinct in Vietnam.

In China, it occurred historically in Yunnan province and Mêdog County, where it probably does not survive today.  Thus, probably the Indochinese tiger now only survives in Thailand and Myanmar. In Yunnan’s Shangyong Nature Reserve, three individuals were detected during surveys carried out from 2004 to 2009.

In Thailand’s Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, 11 individual tigers were equipped with GPS radio collars between June 2005 and August 2011. Females had a mean home range of 70.2km2 (27.1 sq mi) and males of 267.6km2 (103.3sq mi).

Between 2013 and 2015, 11 prey species were identified at 150 kill sites. They ranged in weight from 3 to 287 kg.  Sambar deer, banteng, gaur, and wild boar were most frequently killed, but also remains of Asian elephant calves, hog badger, Old World porcupine, muntjac, serow, pangolin, and langur species were identified.

The primary threat to the tiger is poaching for the illegal wildlife trade. Tiger bone has been an ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 1,500 years and is either added to medicinal wine, used in the form of powder, or boiled to a glue-like consistency. More than 40 different formulae containing tiger bone were produced by at least 226 Chinese companies in 1993. Tiger bone glue is a popular medicine among urban Vietnamese consumers.

Between 1970 and 1993, South Korea imported 607 kg  of tiger bones from Thailand and 2,415 kg from China between 1991 and 1993. Between 2001 and 2010, wildlife markets were surveyed in Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos. During 13 surveys, 157 body parts of tigers were found, representing at least 91 individuals. Whole skins were the most commonly traded parts. Bones, paws, and penises were offered as aphrodisiacs in places with a large sex industry. Tiger bone wine was offered foremost in shops catering to Chinese customers. Traditional medicine accounted for a large portion of products sold and exported to China, Laos, and Vietnam. Between 2000 and 2011, 641 tigers, both live and dead, were seized in 196 incidents in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and China; 275 tigers were suspected to have leaked into trade from captive facilities. China was the most common destination of the seized tigers.

In Myanmar’s Hukaung Valley, the Yuzana Corporation, alongside local authorities, has expropriated more than 200,000 acres (81,000 ha) of land from more than 600 households since 2006. Much of the trees have been logged, and the land has been transformed into plantations. Some of the land taken by the Yazana Corporation had been deemed tiger transit corridors. Without this land, smaller reserves can instantly become incapable of supporting tigers longterm. These are areas of land that were supposed to be left untouched by development in order to allow the region’s Indochinese tigers to travel between protected pockets of reservation land.

Since 1993, the Indochinese tiger has been listed on CITES Appendix I, making international trade illegal. China, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, and Taiwan banned trade in tigers and sale of medicinal derivatives. Manufacture of tiger-based medicine was banned in China, and the open sale of tiger-based medicine reduced significantly since 1995.

Patrolling in Thailand’s Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary has been intensified since 2006 so that poaching appears to have been reduced, resulting in a marginal improvement of tiger survival and recruitment. By autumn 2016, at least two individuals had dispersed to adjacent Mae Wong National Park; six cubs were observed in Mae Wong and the contiguous Khlong Lan National Park in 2016, indicating that the population was breeding and recovering.[43]

In Thailand and Laos, this tiger is considered Endangered, while it is considered Critically Endangered in Vietnam and Myanmar. Of course, if all this is correct, then some of these countries should amend their listing to extinct.

The Indochinese tiger is the least represented in captivity and is not part of a coordinated breeding program. As of 2007, 14 individuals were recognized as Indochinese tigers based on genetic analysis of 105 captive tigers in 14 countries. This is no where near enough to be able to do a reintroduction.

I will hope to add links to help arrange travel to see this species, do get in touch if you can help

More than half of the total Indochinese tiger population survives in the Western Forest Complex in Thailand, especially in the area of the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary.

They are considered endangered in Thailand and critically endangered in Myanmar and Vietnam

South China Tiger

This subspecies is definitely extinct in the wild. It was considered critically endangered from 1996, but none have been seen since the early 1990s. The human population is large in this area.

The captive South China tiger population is thought to be around 150, though it is thought that few if any are pure South China tiger.

Laohu Valley Reserve, Free State in South Africa, is a 300 square km reserve which has been used to rewild the first of these tigers. There are now thought to be around 18 that could return to South China, and the plan was for them to return in 2008. Unfortunately, the situation there, has not improved, and so there is still no place for them to be reintroduced. The couple who paid for, and instigated this plan have since divorced, so it is unclear if the animals will ever return home.

They are officially extinct in the wild – however, given their presence both in captivity, and in small reserves in the wild (if not within their original range), it is clear that in the future they could return.

Sumatra is the only Indonesian island which still houses wild tigers. There are currently thought to be 500-600 left in the wild (in 2017 the population was estimated at around 618 plus or minus 290 – a huge error margin).

As with elsewhere, habitat fragmentation is a big problem for this cat. The largest protected reserve is Gunung Leuser National Park. Around 500 of the islands tigers live in reserves, with another 100 living outside protected areas. Sightings are rare, but if you trek in the park, they are possible. Indeed, it is the last place on earth where elephants rhinos tigers and orangutans live alongside each other. There are also sun bears, making a fascinating if difficult big 5. The area also hosts some of the last clouded leopards in the world,

They are classed as critically endangered. while their population has grown in the last few decades, deforestation makes further growth hard, and further losses likely.

Below, is our usual list of any articles that might have been written on this subject, and below that is a documentary on Sumatran tigers. Below both of these, we will add any links which might help you see this animal in the wild (or indeed visit its wild home, giving locals more incentive to protective for the future)

Although only officially declared extinct in 2003, the last reliable sightings of tracks and the animal occurred in 1976. 

Ujung Kulon National Park hosts the last Javan rhino, thought to number just 76.  Other local species include carnivores such as leopard, wild dog (dhole), leopard cat, fishing cat, Javan mongoose and several species of civets. It is also home to three endemic primate species; the Javan gibbon, Javan leaf monkey and silvered leaf monkey. Over 270 species of birds have been recorded and terrestrial reptiles and amphibians include two species of python, two crocodile species and numerous frogs and toads. This habitat may well suit tigers in the future. However, the tiger population in Sumatra must first recover, and this may never happen, given the continued clearing of the rainforest.  A century ago, there were also orangutans.

They are classed as extinct, and while there are occasional possible sightings, it is highly unlikely that any remain.

It is quite possible that the Sumatran tiger could be introduced into Java to fill the niche that was left behind as these were very similar, but for the time being, Java is already struggling to save their remaining species, and reintroducing the tiger, would likely put further pressure on the Javan Leopard.

The Bali tiger was lost in 1937 when it was shot. It is thought that they persisted in low numbers as late as the 1970s, though they were not declared extinct until 2008. Around 1250 square km remain on the island of rainforest, suggesting that it is another potential destination for the Sumatran tiger. Much work needs to be done first, both on Bali and on Sumatra, if this is to happen                          

Species is officially extinct, and at the current time, there is no where near enough wild space for this tiger to be reintroduced from its closely related cousin the Sumatran tiger. Furthermore, given the delicate position of the Sumatran tiger, it would seem more sensible to let the Sumatran tiger recover first before even thinking of translocating any of its population elsewhere.

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Recent evidence suggests that dingoes arrived in Australia 1500 years later than first thought: why is this important and should it give us more courage in repatriating Tasmanian devils to the mainland

While the dingo made look like part of the native fauna of Australia, that is not the case. They were bought there by aboriginal people. 

the dingo may look like a domestic dog, there has been little or no interbreeding for 4000 years with other dogs that were domesticated
Continue reading “Recent evidence suggests that dingoes arrived in Australia 1500 years later than first thought: why is this important and should it give us more courage in repatriating Tasmanian devils to the mainland”

List your wild place

Would you like to list your wildlife destination on this site?

Wildlife fascinates most people. From vast wildernesses set aside by governments to wildlife thatlives alongside humans, all can potentially benefit locals.

On this website, our aim is to allow people to benefit from wildlife around them. . Whether you live or work in one of the worlds great wildernesses or national parks, or you own wilderness  (Sabi sands, one of the oldest private reserves borders the Kruger), or you simply still have wildlife living on your land (whatever the use) we want to help people find you, so that you can show them all the wonderful wildlife on your land, and financially benefit from their visit. 

There are examples of each type of page to look at. Do look at the ecosystem you are located in/by is already listed as we can add further options, but will not list ecosystems more than once.

We follow a relatively simplistic booking process, where a form on the website will generate an email booking. We can also include a calendar showing your availability.

There is a link to a form for each category, as well as a further form at the bottom of the page for any questions. This form includes the ability to submit photos of your offering and the wildlife in your vicinity (both are of importance, unless your wildlife destination is already listed) . We work on a simple pricing structure, where we charge you 10% of the cost of any booking that you recieve through us. (opens in a new tab)

 

Do you run a lodge or campsite within a protected area?

As you can see we have listed a number of lodges in parts of Africa, but the aim of this site was to simplify wild travel and so we are keen to work with any lodge that would like to.

In order to list your property, we will need:

  • Pictures of your accommodation, with information on cost and amenities
  • Information on the wilderness that surrounds your property, whether it is information on a national park or reserve.
  • Information as to what wildlife can be seen in the area, with some good pictures.

Feel free to view our lodges and reserves currently public to see what your listing can look like. If you are particular about your branding look, we are happy to put up your listing as you would like. Fill in the form at the link below

Fill in the form in this link to list your wild place -campsite lodge or similar

Or perhaps you run a wildlife hide of some kind

For many people the only way they can have a chance of seeing many animals, particularly nocturnal ones, is by sitting in a hide. Many of my most memorable wildlife moments have been had sitting in a wildlife hide watching something unfold in front of me. This need not be on protected land, so long as the hide is not ever used for hunting.

In order to list your hide, we will need:

  • Pictures of your hide with information on cost and amenities.
  • Pictures of the view  people will get from the hide
  • Pictures of some of the wildlife that has been photographed from the hide, as well as information on frequency and anything else of interest.

See our one example currently live

  https://seeanimalswild.com/wildsweden-bear-hide/

Fill in the form you will find if you click on this text to list your hide (bear bird or some other hide -hunting hides not accepted)

 

Or perhaps you share your vicinity with wildlife

Whatever the reason that you own land, it will be part of a natural ecosystem and as such you are likely to have some animals that live on it with you. This can cause complications with many land uses such as farming, where predators may eat some of your livestock. Many people will happily pay to have a chance of seeing some of these animals that can be a complication, and by utilising these visits you can make some extra money to help offset any financial losses from predation or damage to property. This could range from South African farmers who share their land with cheetahs, to European farmers who might share their land with bears or wolves, or perhaps simply an active badgers sett in the UK. Alternatively, you could own a restaurant where bush babies could be seen in the evening. The possibilities are endless.

To be listed we will need:

  • Details and photos of the land and wildlife that is found on it.  If people are finding you on this website, they are interested in wildlife, so this should be the primary selling point. (if your ecosystem has already been added, this section can be skipped (while telling us which ecosystem it falls in)
  • What services you offer: are you just a guide or can you offer a place to stay as well, and where you are
  • Accommodation (camping or hut etc). This is particularly important if the wildlife is nocturnal or is based in a particularly remote area
  • A game drive to see the wildlife at a set time (or perhaps information about where to drive). Alternatively, if the wildlife you see is often in the same place (bushbaby or similar) perhaps people can sit comfortably while they watch. Many restaurants and bars have wildlife around them, we are eager to help people interested in wildlife to find you. However, it could just be a comfortable place to watch (or park a car). This could be anything from interesting birds, lizards to animals that are more exciting like leopards or bears or wolves.
  • Any other information that you would like to pass on
  • Information on pricing
Fill in the form in this link if you see a lot of wildlife on your land and would like to be able to invite other people to see it

Finally, we are keen to support wildlife guides, boat trips and wildlife drives. 

Even in some of the wildest places on earth, it is very easy to spend weeks there and see none of the local animals.

A wildlife guide can make a big difference. Be it a trip on a boat to sea the marine life, or a car journey into a reserve nearby.

I am aware though, how often, it is hard to connect with local guides when you are visiting an area. We have visited wildernesses on several occasions and failed to find a guide to help us see what we are looking for.

As such I am keen to list local guides, and the ability to book.

To be listed, I will need:

  • Some information about the wildlife you often see when you take people out, preferably with some pictures (and where)
  • What services you offer (are you just a guide or can you offer a place to stay as well)
  • Any other information that you would like to pass on
  • Pricing

Fill in the form in this link if you are a wildlife guide and would like to list your services on our website, or you run trips to see marine wildlife, or in reserves around your home.

 

 

if you have a question or  do not believe that your wildlife encounter falls in one of these categories please fill in the form below (we aim to be a place where the whole of the wildlife tourism industry (bar any form of hunting) if we do not serve your field let us know, we can either create a new section or instead fit it into another area.

Have a look at the listings we currently have to get an idea of what your listing will look like, and what we need.

Limpopo Transfrontier park including Kruger sabi sands and other conservation areas
Greater Serengeti
Posted on

Nigeria upgrading the status of a reserved that protects about 20 Nigeria Cameroon chimpanzees

One of the most endangered subspecies of great is the Nigerian Cameroon chimpanzee. Currently between 3500  and 9000 of these chimpanzees remain in the wild. As with most other primate threatened species the reason for the problem is the reduction in the amount of habitat they have: their forest has been cut down.

Nigeria Cameroon Chimpanzee wild

The fact that there is such a wide range in estimates of the wild population shows the lack of research into this subspecies, as with many others we are severely endangering wild populations before we even know much about them.

Much of the trespassing into this reserve is for marijuana cultivation. Generally these reserves are setup to carefully manage resources rather than to specifically protect them from destruction, so the upgrading of this protected area should be very good for its future management. As in other national parks while the the chimpanzees are the flagship species that is being protected the fact that the forest they live in will not be cut down me and the saving of many other species that share the same ecosystem.

A survey of a neighbouring States forest reserves last year suggested a 60% reduction in the chimpanzee numbers since the year 2000. This is clearly unsustainable, and given the slow reproduction of chimpanzees it could take a long time to get back to where it was assuming all pressures on this population stop now.

There is already firm moves to to get the agreement from the community surrounding the park so that they can be employed as eco guards. However if well managed and sensible facilities are put in place this could be be the means of improving the standard of living for all these communities in a relatively short period of time. Sustainable tourism could bring in useful funds for the Protection of this forest and the people who rely on it.

Posted on

Uranium mining within a tiger reserve

Nature reserves in India are rather different to what was set up in Africa. In Africa there are six nature reserves or national parks which have enough space to have a population of at least 500 Lions. If humans were to disappear from Africa tomorrow and reappear in 500 years these populations are likely to be big enough that genetic disabilities will have impacted this population.

Continue reading “Uranium mining within a tiger reserve”
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