How many tigers Panthera tigris are there in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand?: An estimate using photographic capture-recapture sampling

We used capture-recapture analyses to estimate the density of a tiger Panthera tigris population in the tropical forests of Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary; Thailand, from photographic capture histories of 15 distinct individuals. The closure test results (z = 0.39, P = 0.65) provided some evidence in support of the demographic closure assumption. Fit of eight plausible closed models to the data indicated more support for model M-h, which incorporates individual heterogeneity in capture probabilities. This model generated an average capture probability (p) over cap = 0.42 and an abundance estimate of (N) over cap((SE) over cap[(A) over cap (W)]) = 19 (9.65) tigers. The sampled area of (A) over cap (W)((SE) over cap[(A) over cap (W)]) = 477.2 (58.24) km(2) yielded a density estimate of (D) over cap((SE) over cap[(D) over cap]) = 3.98 (0.51) tigers per 100 km(2). Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary could therefore hold 113 tigers and the entire Western Forest Complex c. 720 tigers. Although based on field protocols that constrained us to use sub-optimal analyses, this estimated tiger density is comparable to tiger densities in Indian reserves that support moderate prey abundances. However, tiger densities in well-protected Indian reserves with high prey abundances are three times higher. If given adequate protection we believe that the Western Forest Complex of Thailand could potentially harbour > 2,000 wild tigers, highlighting its importance for global tiger conservation. The monitoring approaches we recommend here would be useful for managing this tiger population.