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The cat is out of the bag.
A “lost” population of wild tigers has been filmed inhabiting the Bhutan highlands. The discovery has shocked experts , as the tigers are living at a higher altitude than any others known and appear to be successfully breeding.
The BBC expedition team was filming in the remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan where they positioned a series of camera traps on possible tiger trails. When wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan returned to review the footage three months later, he was moved to tears.
“The fact that they can live here is just so important, for tigers in the wild, for their future,” Buchanan said, upon viewing the footage for the first time.
This is the only place on earth known to have tigers, leopards and snow leopards all inhabiting the same valley.
The large male tiger, sighted at an altitude of 4,100m is recorded scent-marking, confirming that the tiger pair are living within their own territory, and not just passing through. The female tiger, is recorded lactating at the same altitude which strongly insinuates that the tigers are reproducing. Experts believe this discovery could improve their chances of creating what they call a conservation corridor, linking tiger populations across Asia.
The discovery, will be broadcast this week as part of BBC One show “Lost Land of the Tiger.”