September is National Save a Tiger Month. While it’s true that every month is save a tiger month at Community Conservation, we’d like to take this time to reflect on the beauty, power, and fragility of the world’s largest cat. Once roaming vast stretches of Asia, tigers have lost over 90% of their historic range. Today, fewer than 5,000 remain in the wild. But there is hope. Through collaboration, innovation, and community-led conservation, we can turn the tide.
At Community Conservation, we are proud to be part of that fight.
Left to Right: Dr. Dave Smith, University of Minnesota; Dr. Saksit Simcharoen, retired from Department of National Parks; and Mr. Charnchai Bindusen, founder of Rabbit in the Moon.
Protecting Tigers in Thailand’s Western Forest Complex
In Thailand, we are collaborating with Dr. Dave Smith of the University of Minnesota, the Seub Foundation, and Rabbit in the Moon, with support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Together, we are working with 14 Karen communities in the Thung Yai Naresuan East and West Wildlife Sanctuaries to conserve tigers (Panthera tigris) and their prey species: banteng (Bos javanicus), gaur (Bos gaurus), and sambar (Rusa unicolor).
This area forms part of the Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM)—a breathtaking 19,000 km² expanse of connected forests that supports the largest tiger population in Southeast Asia. Globally, it is one of only 4–5 tiger populations considered viable for the next 100 years.
Yet, only 37% of WEFCOM currently hosts breeding tigers. Vast areas around villages remain empty of these iconic cats. Our goal is to help refill these landscapes so they can sustain thriving tiger populations—becoming sources to re-establish tigers where they’ve been lost and safeguard those that remain.
At the heart of this work are the Karen people, who live along the Thai–Myanmar border. Deeply connected to the forest through their culture and identity, the Karen hold a strong environmental ethic. Previous surveys show their deep concern for the changing forest and its future in the face of climate change. By partnering with Karen communities, we are ensuring tiger conservation is also people-centered, supporting both biodiversity and cultural heritage.
Dr. Teri Allendorf, Tiger Biologist Sam Helle, and the forest committee team in the field in Nepal, looking for evidence of tigers (tracks, scat, etc.)
Creating Safe Passage for Tigers in Nepal
Our work doesn’t stop at Thailand’s borders. In Nepal, Community Conservation is working with partners near the city of Butwal, a bustling area that lies between two of Nepal’s most famous tiger strongholds—Chitwan and Bardia National Parks.
Tigers moving between these parks may face what researchers call a “tiger bottleneck.” The big question: are tigers able to navigate through this human-inhabited region, or is their movement blocked?
By working closely with community forest groups and local villagers, together they are tracking tiger presence by looking for signs like scat and tracks, setting up camera traps, and using genetic analysis to determine whether tigers on either side of Butwal are still interbreeding.
If they are, this would be a groundbreaking confirmation that tigers can still move through the area—a lifeline for genetic diversity and long-term survival.
Left to Right: tiger tracks in the dirt and a tiger at the river
Why Tigers Matter
Tigers are more than symbols of strength and beauty. As apex predators, they keep ecosystems healthy by regulating prey populations. Protecting tigers means protecting entire forests and all the life within them—including the human communities that depend on these ecosystems for clean air, water, and climate resilience.
Saving tigers is saving forests. Saving forests is saving ourselves.
Want to save a tiger?
This National Save a Tiger Month, you can join us in protecting tigers in Thailand, Nepal, and beyond. By supporting community-led conservation, you are not just saving one species—you are ensuring a future where people and wildlife thrive together.
Donate today to help us protect tigers, empower communities, and safeguard the wild places we all depend on.
Read more about our work in Thailand here. Read more about our work in Nepal here. And be sure to watch the video about tiger tracking below.