CAF Update: Asia-Pacific—September 2023 September 2023 | Page 3

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New Caledonia | Protecting a Premier Biodiversity Hotspot
With ancestors that grew during the time of the dinosaurs and a lifespan that exceeds a full millennium , the Critically Endangered Mount Panié Kauri is an impressive tree . It is also fully dependent upon the montane cloud forests of New Caledonia ’ s Mount Panié . Here , and nowhere else in the world , this ancient tree is part of an incredibly diverse ecosystem that supports nearly 50 threatened species .
( Top ) Asian Elephants in Thai forest | Jack Tamrong ; ( Bottom ) Indochinese Tigers | Dmitry Chulov
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Thailand | Create a Wildlife Corridor for Tigers
Some wild species maintain small and permanent home ranges . Others , like the Endangered Tiger and Asian Elephant , roam across vast territories . For these far-ranging species , wildlife corridors are key to their survival . By linking often-distant protected areas , wildlife corridors allow individuals to disperse great distances in pursuit of food , water and territory , and connect scattered populations so they might mingle and interbreed .
With the support of Conservation Action Fund donors such as yourself , we and local partner ACCMP Dayu Biik have nearly tripled the size of the Mount Panié Wilderness Reserve , protecting an additional 26,979 acres to bring the total number of protected acres here to 40,545 . Our work helps secure a future for the Mount Panié Kauri tree and the many other species , such as the Critically Endangered Crow Honeyeater , that can be found in this montane cloud forest .
Mount Panié Kauri | courtesy of Dayu Biik
With the support of donors like you , we and our partner , Panthera , successfully created and protected the new Si Sawat Non-Hunting Area this year . This 28,878-acre stretch of forest connects several protected areas within a vast wildlife corridor running through western Thailand . Already , our partner is seeing evidence of this new protected area being used by Tigers , Asian Elephants and other species , including Dholes , Clouded Leopards and Lar Gibbons . And we are not yet done . Together with our partner , we will continue to work to protect an additional 71,964 acres in the region by 2026 .