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A new breeding population of a critically endangered tiger species has been found in a jungle in eastern Thailand.

The small population of Indochinese tiger with at least six cubs was discovered with the use of camera traps.

Until this find, only one other breeding population of Indochinese tigers - also in a Thai national park - was known of.

There are believed to be less than 250 of the sub-species left in the wild.

Poaching and the loss of habitat has been blamed for the tiger’s demise.

Conservationists said the success of anti-poaching efforts had seen numbers rebound.

(Image: AFP) (Image: AFP) (Image: AFP)

Counter-trafficking organisation Freeland and Panthera, the wild cat conservation group, conducted the survey with the support of the Thai park authorities.

“The extraordinary rebound of eastern Thailand’s tigers is nothing short of miraculous,” said John Goodrich, tiger programme director at Panthera.

(Image: AFP) (Image: AFP)

The director of Thailand’s national parks, Songtam Suksawang, added: “The stepping up of anti-poaching patrols and law enforcement efforts in this area have played a pivotal role in conserving the tiger population by ensuring a safe environment for them to breed.

“However, we must remain vigilant and continue these efforts, because well-armed poachers still pose a major threat.”

Numbers of tigers in the wild have dwindled from 100,000 a century ago to 3,900 today, the groups said in a joint statement.