BANGKOK, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Video footage from cameras placed in Thailand's forests shows wildlife flourishing, evidence anti-poaching efforts are paying off, conservationists say.
The footage shot in Thailand's Western Forest Complex in the last year has revealed rare glimpses into the lives of tigers, Asian elephants, sun bears and many other species, a release by the Wildlife Conservation Society said Tuesday.
"The video represents a huge payoff for the government of Thailand, which has invested considerable resources in protecting wildlife and preventing illegal hunters from plundering the country's natural heritage," Joe Walston, director of the organization's Asia program.
"We thank the government of Thailand for collaborating with WCS and others to put in place best practices in law enforcement and monitoring tigers and prey in Western Forest Complex."
Camera trap footage shows tiger populations have stabilized in the Western Forest Complex, an area measuring about 7,000 square miles -- larger than the state of Connecticut -- and comprising 17 contiguous protected areas.
Thailand serves as a training ground for personnel from other Asian countries seeking to protect resources, and the society collaborates with the Thailand government in the training of enforcement staff from China, Nepal, India, Myanmar, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Indonesia, the society's release said.
