Across Southeast Asia, tiger conservation has shifted from emergency response to long-term reconstruction. The challenge is no longer simply preventing extinction — it is rebuilding the ecosystems that allow populations to recover sustainably.
In CNN‘s Mission Tiger, hosted by Will Ripley, the lens turns toward the landscapes and the people tasked with defending them. In Thailand’s Western Forest Complex — one of mainland Southeast Asia’s largest protected forest networks — rangers patrol dense terrain, check camera traps and search for signs of movement in territories once scarred by poaching. Recovery here is gradual, built on reinforced protection and carefully planned wildlife corridors that reconnect isolated habitats.
Further south, Malaysia’s Central Forest Spine presents a parallel effort. In Royal Belum State Park, conservationists focus on restoring rainforest ecosystems while safeguarding critical tree species that sustain prey populations. Indigenous women rangers now patrol these forests alongside their male counterparts, reflecting both environmental urgency and evolving community roles.
The Al-Sultan Abdullah Royal Tiger Reserve, established in 2023, adds another strategic link to this corridor system. Once lacking comprehensive wildlife data, the reserve has begun to reveal its ecological significance through camera trap footage documenting tapirs, elephants and tigers — a reminder that connectivity is essential not just for a single species, but for entire ecosystems.
Rather than dramatizing conservation, Mission Tiger emphasises process: slow recovery, persistent monitoring and the complex task of rebuilding habitat at scale.
The 30-minute special airs on Sunday, 22 February at 7pm, with additional broadcasts on Monday, 23 February at 6:30am and 12pm. Here’s a sneak peek.
(Images: CNN)
