Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains hold one of the last viable tiger populations in Southeast Asia, but dense snare networks threaten both tigers and their prey. Conservation programs combining ranger patrols with community livelihoods offer the most effective welfare intervention.
Tigers that become snared experience severe prolonged suffering from wire constriction wounds. More commonly, the catastrophic snaring of tiger prey eliminates the food base that tigers depend on, causing starvation and forcing tigers into conflict with humans as they prey on livestock. Snare removal programs that protect prey populations indirectly protect tiger welfare by maintaining the natural prey base that prevents livestock predation and associated conflict mortality.