What’s Going On With Tiger Conservation?
It was Global Tiger Day on June 29th, a day of annual celebration that began life in 2010 and was initiated by the 13 states where tigers still roam in the wild. The governments of the various countries agreed in St. Petersburg three years ago at the first ever tiger summit, that they would trace a new future for this regal animal.
After negotiating for months with many organizations including the WWF, leaders of the 13 countries arrived at the conclusion that an important part of the agenda should be tiger conservation and it would not occur with a business as usual attitude.
What does that mean?
Well it means that conservation efforts really need to be taken up a notch with a brand new plan and real action both in the corridors of power as well as on the ground. This includes cross border cooperation and monitoring of illegal wildlife smuggling routes right up until tiger parts reach their final markets.
What actually happened?
Well what we got was a global recovery plan for the magnificent tiger which included a clearly stated WWF goal of doubling the tiger population in the wild by 2022 which will be the next time it is year of the tiger in the Chinese calendar?
The tiger summit was a real success in that it helped initiate new ways of thinking, established new partnerships and triggered new approaches and in the process laid a solid foundation that will hopefully ensure the future of tigers in the wild for generations to come.
What has happened in the 2 ½ years since the summit?
There have been some huge results, including the banning of logging of Korean Pine in Russia. Why is that important? well it is a key species of tree that tigers like to inhabit. Aside from the ban more forest areas are being protected and anti poaching patrols have been beefed up both in terms of numbers and better equipment.
The most important development without question has got to be tiger numbers actually starting to improve in some places.
It goes without saying that tiger habitats are going to face increasing pressure. Demand for tiger parts is unabated and illegal poaching is a ever present enduring threat. This means we all have to work that much harder to ensure the world’s tigers are protected. This means governments have to work with one another. Local communities need to get in on the action and put more boots on the ground so we can eventually achieve the WWF Zero Poaching Initiative.
The Fund is not sitting still and is gearing up to launch a global campaign seeking to combat the illegal trade in wildlife and with your support is enjoying some success. There is bound to be both good and bad news along the way, but the WWF says it remains optimistic that its goal of doubling the tiger population is really possible.
