A new road project in Laos will run through the nation’s only protected area inhabited by breeding tigers, Nam Et Phou Louey National Park, reports the Vientiane Times. With only about two dozen tigers (Panthera tigris) left in the nation, conservationists fear that the road will harm the fragile population, which is known to be breeding. However, local officials say the road is necessary to improve access to remote villages and alleviate poverty in the region, which is among the worst in the province.
Provincial governor, Khamhoung Hueangvongsy, told the Vientiane Times that he anticipated the road would aid conservation efforts in the park by allowing authorities to stop illegal logging and poaching. However, studies around the world have shown that roads in wild lands lead to far more deforestation and poaching by creating easy access.
Last year, Laos was one of the signatories of the Global Tiger Summit. In its National Tiger Action Plan, Laos called for a core zone in the 15,000 square kilometer park that would remain fully protected. The nation has also set goals of increasing the tiger population in the park by 50% and doubling prey population by 2020.
However, local officials say the new road would cut the distance between villages near the park and the provincial capital in half by crossing through the park.
Laos is home to the Indochinese tiger subspecies (Panthera tigris corbetti). Although listed as Endangered the total population of this subspecies is not known with confidence. Recent estimates have ranged from 350-1,000 individuals and the only known breeding population is in Nam Et Phou Louey National Park.
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