june 2016 - global tiger forumglobaltigerforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/june-2016.pdf ·...

GG LL OO BB AA LL TT II GG EE RR FF OO RR UU MM

NN EE WW SSJ U N E 2 0 1 6

PPAAYYMMEENNTT//DDOONNAATTIIOONN TTOO GGLLOOBBAALL TTIIGGEERR FFOORRUUMMThe payment/donation to the Global Tiger Forum may be made though an AccountPayee Cheque or Demand Draft in favour of “Global Tiger Forum” at New Delhi

OORR

Please transfer the amount to ACCOUNT NAME: GLOBAL TIGER FORUMNAME OF THE BANK: BANK OF MAHARASHTRA, ACCOUNT No.: 020072263547IFSC CODE: MAHB0001160, SWIFT CODE: MAHBINBBCPN, BSR CODE: 0231215BANK ADDRESS: 01160 NEW DELHI U.P.S.C., SHAJAHAN ROAD, U.P.S.C. DELHI,DHOLPUR HOUSE, NEW DELHI - 110011, INDIA.

GRANT/DONATION TO THE GLOBAL TIGER FORUM WITHIN INDIA IS TAX EXEMPTED UNDER SECTION 80G OF THE INCOME TAX ACT.

For online donation please go to our website: www.globaltigerforum.com

www.facebook.com/Globaltigerforum

www.twitter.com/Unitedfortigers

GGTTFF IISS NNOOWW OONN TTWWIITTTTEERR && FFAACCEEBBOOOOKK -- FFOOLLLLOOWW UUSS

GTFNEWS

GLOBAL TIGER FORUM GLOBAL TIGER FORUM IS AN INTER-GOVERNMENTALINTERNATIONAL BODY FOR THE CONSERVATION OF

TIGERS IN THE WILD

JUNE 2016

Edited byS P YADAV

GLOBAL TIGER FORUM SECRETARIATARIHANTAM, HOUSE NO. 200, THIRD FLOORJORBAGH ROAD, NEW DELHI-110003 INDIA

Note from the Secretary General (5)

3rd Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation (6)

Tiger Watch Programme (18)

Why do we need to save the tiger? (20)

NNeewwss ffrroomm TTiiggeerr RRaannggee CCoouunnttrriieess (22)BangladeshBhutanCambodia ChinaIndia IndonesiaLao PDRMalaysiaMyanmar NepalRussia ThailandVietnam

NNeewwss ffrroomm NNaattiioonnaall NNGGOOss (46)(1) Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT)(2) The Corbett Foundation (TCF)(3) Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI)(4) WWF-India

TTiiggeerr MMoorrttaalliittyy SSttaattiissttiiccss ooff IInnddiiaa -- JJaannuuaarryy ttoo JJuunnee 22001166 (53)

OOff tthhee GGTTFF (54)

CONTENTS

GTFNEWS IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

4 June 2016

NOTE FROM THE SECRETARY GENERAL

The 3rd Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation was held at Vigyan Bhawan, NewDelhi, India from 12-14 April, 2016. The Global Tiger Forum collaborated with the NationalTiger Conservation Authority (Government of India) along with Global Tiger Initiative Council,WWF India, Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) and Wildlife Institute of India in organizingthis important conclave of tiger range countries (TRCs). The objective was to discuss theprogress made by TRCs towards the TX2 goal, while enlisting their active support andcommitment for strengthening the future of wild tigers in their natural habitat.

The said conference would go down in the annals of tiger conservation as an important event,with the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi, gracing the inaugural sessionand setting the tone for deliberations with his inspirational address, covering the importantaspects of tiger conservation in the contemporary global scenario. The significance of this addresscan be appreciated by appeal to one and all for considering tiger conservation as an “imperative”,and not a “choice”. India’s role as a founder member of the Global Tiger Forum and itscommitment to support the same was also stated, “India along with several Tiger Range Countriesis a founder member of the Global Tiger Forum, which is headquartered in New Delhi. This is theonly inter-governmental organisation of its kind. It is now working closely with the Global TigerInitiative Council. As a host country, I assure you of our fullest support.”

The Chairperson of the Global Tiger Forum, His Excellency Yeshey Dorji, Minister, Ministry ofAgriculture and Forests, Royal Government of Bhutan in his address stated, “The role of GlobalTiger Forum at this juncture is very important…..The Global Tiger Forum happens to be the onlyinter-governmental organisation of its kind, created and owned by tiger range countries. The Forumprovides us a platform for collective collaboration to address areas of mutual concerns. With thephasing out of Global Tiger Initiative, the Global Tiger Forum has been mandated to carry forwardthe agenda of tiger conservation.”

The participation was reassuring with almost 360 delegates from 25 countries. The rangecountries were represented by Ministers and Senior Officials.

The tiger conference generated plenty of discussions based on issues and challenges faced by tigerrange countries. The presentations by Tiger Range Countries (TRCs), Organizations and Expertswere commendable. It was reassuring to note the concern and hard work from the TRCs andlike-minded organizations for saving the wild tiger.

The conference culminated in an important resolution on tiger conservation, adoptedunanimously by TRCs, urging Global Tiger Forum and Global Tiger Initiative Council tocontinue their role for coordination, technical assistance and resource mobilization towards tigerconservation at the global level.

Led by the Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, India, the TRCs pledgedtheir support and commitment for tiger conservation.

The Global Tiger Forum, coordinated with Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) andGovernment of India for several bilateral meetings on tiger (India-Bangladesh, India-Bhutan andIndia-Nepal) during January to March 2016.

The Global Tiger Forum has embarked on several other ventures, including the forthcomingengagement with TRCs on regional capacity building with support from the World Bank andother partners. The forumis confident to achieve more on the tiger front as resolved in the 3rd

Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation.

Dr. RAJESH GOPALSecretary General

2016 June 5

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII GTFNEWS

3rd ASIA MINISTERIAL CONFERE


6 June 2016

The 3rd Asia MinisterialConference on tigerconservationwas held at VigyanBhawan, New Delhi, India from12-14 April, 2016. It was a crucialmeeting for tiger conservation,with the Tx2 goal for doublingwild tigers globally by 2022.Theconference was inaugurated by theHon'ble Prime Minister of India,Shri Narendra Modi.

2016 June 7


ENCE ON TIGER CONSERVATION

Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, and Ministers of Tiger Range Countries during the Inaugural Session

Minister for Agriculture & Forests, Royal Government of Bhutan andChairman, Global Tiger Forum; Distinguished Ministers from Tiger RangeCountries; Shri Prakash Javadekar, our Minister for Environment, Forest &Climate Change; other dignitaries on the dais, delegates from Tiger RangeCountries, Ladies and Gentlemen!I am pleased to welcome you all!

The tiger has brought all of us together here. This is an important meetingto discuss the conservation of one of the important endangered species. Yourvery presence is a testimony to the importance your country attaches to this“umbrella” species.

As we all know, the tiger is an apex consumer in the ecological pyramidand food chain. It requires a large amount of prey, supported by good forests.Therefore, by protecting the tiger, we protect the entire ecosystem and theecological services, which are equally crucial for the well-being of humanbeings.

In fact, the benefits from tiger conservation are enormous but intangible.We cannot quantify this in economic terms. Putting a price tag on nature isdifficult. Since Mother Nature has bestowed them for its own conservation, itbecomes our bounden duty to conserve them. In India, the tiger is muchmore than just a wild animal. In our mythology, the mother Goddess, who is the embodiment of Mother Nature, is depicted sitting on a tiger. In fact, most of our Gods and Goddesses are associated with some animal, tree or river. In fact sometimes these animals are put on the same pedestal asGods and Goddesses. No wonder the tiger is also our National Animal. I amsure, other Tiger Range Countries would have some cultural legacy associatedwith tigers.

Friends! Species belonging to the animal kingdom, usually do not act totheir disadvantage. However, human beings are an exception. Ourcompulsions and cravings, our needs and greed, have led to shrinkage ofnatural habitat and destruction of ecosystems. Here, I recall the famous wordsof Gautam Buddha who said: “the forest is a peculiar organism of unlimitedkindness. It affords protection to all beings, offering shade even to the axe-man who destroys it.”

I appreciate the good efforts made by the Tiger Range Countries inconserving tigers. I compliment you all for this great ongoing effort. I alsoappreciate the efforts through “Global Tiger Initiative” and the Council.

I must mention the great effort made by Mr. Vladimir Putin in conveningthe tiger summit in 2010. The Global Tiger Recovery Programme was animportant outcome of these efforts.

I also appreciate the initiatives of Mr. Dorji, the Chairman of the GlobalTiger Forum.

However, from what I have been told it appears that tiger habitats havereduced drastically across Tiger Range Countries. The situation has beenaggravated further by the ongoing trafficking in body parts and derivatives ofthis magnificent animal. In India too, we have been facing the challenge ofpoaching and disruption in their ecosystems.

The positive side for us in India is that majority of the population respectstrees, animals, forests, rivers and other elements of nature like the sun and themoon. We consider the earth as our mother. Our scriptures encourage us totreat the entire universe as one. olq/SodqVqEcde and yksd%leLrk%lqf[kuksHkoUrq is ourphilosophy. We pray for peace and prosperity of everyone - including theecosystem: ¬n~;kS%'kkafr] jarfj{k'kkafr] i`Fkoh'kkafr] jki% 'kkafr] jks"k/;%'kkafr] ouLir;%'kkafrA


8 June 2016

INAUGURAL SESSION:SPEECH BY HONORABLE

PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA

Hon'ble PrimeMinister of India,

Shri NarendraModi, addressing

the conferenceduring the

Inaugural Session

Friends! Forests are inseparable from wild animals. Both are mutually complementary. Destruction of one leadsto destruction of the other. This is an important cause of climate change which is now affecting us adversely inmany ways. This is a global phenomenon which all of us are grappling with. As a solution, we have committed towork towards country specific mitigation strategies.

In my view, for the Tiger Range Countries, a viable tiger population undoubtedly symbolises a mitigationstrategy for climate change. This will create a huge carbon sink in the form of tiger bearing forests. Thus,conservation of tiger will go a long way in ensuring a good future for ourselves and our coming generations.Indiahas a long standing and successful track record of protecting its tigers. We launched “Project Tiger” in 1973. Itscoverage has increased considerably from the initial 9 Tiger Reserves to 49 at present. Tiger conservation is acollective responsibility of the Government of India and the States. I also complement our State governments fortheir efforts. But the efforts of Government cannot succeed unless they are supported by the people. Our culturallegacy which encourages compassion and co-existence has played an important role in the success of Project Tiger.Due to such collective efforts, there has been a30% rise in the number of tigers. It has gone up from 1706 in 2010to 2226 in 2014.

Our National Tiger Conservation Authority has taken many landmark initiatives. Use of modern technology,including e-eye, infrared and thermal imaging cameras on a 24x7 basis is being promoted for surveillance againstpoaching in sensitive Tiger Reserves. Several protocols for smart patrolling and tiger monitoring have been evolved.Radio telemetry is also being promoted to monitor tigers. A national repository of tiger camera trap photo databaseis also being created. To do all this, we have, this year, doubled our allocation for tiger conservation. We haveincreased it from INR185 crore to INR380 crore; which is INR3.8 billion.

I strongly believe that tiger conservation, or conservation of nature, is not a drag on development. Both canhappen in a mutually complementary manner. All we need is to re-orient our strategy by factoring in the concernsof the tiger in sectors where tiger conservation is not the goal. This is a difficult task but can be achieved. Ourgenius lies in “smartly” integrating the tiger and wildlife safeguards in various infrastructures at the landscape level.This essentially takes us to the much needed “Smart Green Infrastructure”, while adopting a landscape approach.The landscape approach would also help us to involve business groups through corporate social responsibility forvarious initiatives towards tiger conservation. In the Indian context, we intend to achieve this through the TigerConservation Plans.

Considering the ecosystem value of tiger conservation areas, we need to consider them as “Natural Capital.”Our institutions have done an economic valuation of a few Tiger Reserves. This study has highlighted the fact thatbesides conserving the tiger, these reserves also provide a range of economic, social, cultural and spiritual benefits.These are known as ecosystem services. Thus, we need to define conservation as a means to achieve development,rather than considering it to be anti-growth. This calls for factoring in the value of the ecosystem in the economicarithmetic of development and growth.

Friends! I am confident that we can achieve a framework to foster proactive engagement of industry forconservation. The natural capital denoting the stock of natural ecosystems should be treated at par with capitalgoods. Our economy needs to be viewed as a subset of a larger economy of natural resources and ecosystem serviceswhich sustain us.

As a country having more than 70% of the global tiger population, India is committed to complement theinitiatives of other Tiger Range Countries. We have bilateral arrangements with China, Nepal, Bhutan andBangladesh. We hope to continue our efforts to address issues of mutual concern for the tiger.

A major threat to the tiger is the demand for its body parts and derivatives. The forest and its wild denizens arean open treasury which cannot be locked up. It is painful to learn about trafficking of body parts and derivatives oftigers and other big cats. We need to collaborate at the highest levels of Government to address this serious issue.

India along with several Tiger Range Countries is a founder member of the Global Tiger Forum, which isheadquartered in New Delhi. This is the only inter-governmental organisation of its kind. It is now working closelywith the Global Tiger Initiative Council. As a host country, I assure you of our fullest support. We will also behappy to support capacity building of wildlife personnel at the Wildlife Institute of India.

The Tiger Range Countries are signatories to other international conventions to address international trade onendangered species. In this regard, I want to give you anothergood news. We are moving towards formally adoptingthe statute of South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN).

At the end, I would like to emphasize that conservation of tigers is not a choice. It is an imperative. I would alsolike to emphasize that regional co-operation is essential for combating wildlife crime. In this conference, let usresolve to work together to protect the tiger and its space. India is committed to engage with all Tiger RangeCountries for this purpose.

I appreciate your presence and wish this conference all success!

Thank You!


10 June 2016

Your Excellency Shri Narendra Modiji, Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Prakash Javadekar, Hon'ble Ministerof Environment, Forests & climate Change, Government of India, my Asian Colleagues Ministers from Tiger Rangecountries, distinguished representatives from the partner conservation organisations, excellences' ladies andgentlemen, a very good afternoon to you all. It is my great honour to convey to this august gathering, the warmgreetings and the wishes of His Majesty the King and the people of Bhutan.

I thanked the Government of India for organising this 3rd Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation.Almost a year ago, when I took over as Chairperson of the Global Tiger Forum, I requested Shri Prakash Javadekarto consider hosting this importantconference. I appreciate that this hasbeen favourably considered. I am alsovery pleased to note the presence of ourMinister colleagues from Snow LeopardRange Countries and it is indeedreassuring to witness the presence ofsenior officials from various countrieswho are keen on reintroducing the tiger.

I am grateful, in particular, to ShriNarendra Modiji for inaugurating thisconference. We are gathered here todayto continue in our quest for to ensureone of the most majestic animal onplanet, the tiger, into the future. TheTiger is one among a few animals whichhas won its way into the very fabric ofhuman values and culture. It is thereforefitting that this conference is taking placein Delhi, the capital of the world's largestdemocracy, and economic stronghold, anation of 1.2 billion people, which holdsthe tiger close to its heart as its nationalanimal. More than 70% of the world'stiger population is found here in India.Honourable Prime Minister's presence isa testimony to the importance which thegreat nation of India places on the tiger.Honourable Prime Minister, we aredeeply inspired by your presence hereamongst us today. Your Excellency, as wemove forward as a global community,there are many challenges we faced,disaster, terrorism, poverty, inequalityand injustice continue to impede us inour path to progress and happiness. Inthis context, I, on behalf of the peopleand Government of Bhutan, offer youthe heartfelt condolences to the peopleand Government of India on the recentfire tragedy in Kerala. Common aspirations based on the vision of shared humanity, must be harnessed in our effortto build and shape a happy world. I believe that the tiger is an animal which can bring humanity together to makeus realise the true value of life. Further, the tiger will and help confront the many ills which plaque the globalcommunity.

Your Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen, Bhutan has recently completed the national tiger survey. Survey whichis useful and much needed was costly and time consuming initiative. Given the rigid and the mountain terrier, we

2016 June 11


SPEECH BY THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE GTF DURING THE INAUGURAL SESSION

H.E. Lyonpo Yeshey Dorji, Hon’ble Minister, Ministry of Agriculture &Forests Government of Bhutan & Chairperson of the Global Tiger Forum

took almost a year to place camera traps and retrieve images from across Bhutan and engaged more than 500 fieldstaffs. We are grateful to the European union, the World Bank and WWF for supporting this initiative. Our resultsshow that we have 103 adult tigers in Bhutan. We now have a firm basis to monitor and track the success andefficacies of our conservation programmes. Our scientists are also discovering that the tigers roamed all the wayfrom the southern foothills to the great high mountains of Bhutan's Himalayas. To validate our findings we haveinitiated a tiger collaring programme to understand tiger movements and ecology. On the behalf of my colleagues, Ithank our friends at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Kingdom of Thailand, for trainingBhutanese staff in tiger collaring.

The great journey which the tiger undertakes are made possible by the large connected forests which coversmore than 70% of Bhutan's area. Such connectivity is further secured by Bhutan's protected areas and biologicalcorridors system, which today covers more than 50% of the country's area. Camera trapping initiatives continues toindicate a healthy and robust tiger population in Bhutan. Therefore, it is my belief and confident that the tiger canpersist and thrive if we afford right protection including proper habitat conservation. Today we have opportunity, inthis very hall we have many distinguished leaders, scientists, practitioners from all tiger range countries. We have theopportunity to carry forward the legacy and the dreams of our predecessors. Since the initiation of the landmarkProject Tiger in 1973 in India, to the continuing global movement to save tigers culminating in the St. PetersburgSummit in Russia, we have come a long way as an international community in our commitment to protect tiger. InBhutan, the guidance and the far-sightedness of our visionary monarchs continue to ensure that environmentconservation receives the highest priority as we move forward as a country. In our humble effort to conserve tiger,we have increased the penalty to 20 fold in additions to imprisonment up to 10 years for those killing and tradingin tiger parts. We are hopeful that such interventions will deter those intent on poaching and trading in tiger parts.However, we must all acknowledge the challenges throughout tiger range countries. Poaching is real, conversion ofland is real, desperation for better livelihood of more than a billion inhabitants across tiger range countries are real.As such, we must seek the support of concern agencies. It is, therefore, with great appreciation, we acknowledge thesupport rendered by partner conservation organisations and international communities. Such support should notonly be aimed at trying to curtail poaching and prevent land use conversion, but should help secure rural livelihoodand build capacity of local conservation actors. In Bhutan we have launched a project for permanence called Bhutanfor Life with the WWF aimed at ensuring adequate financing of our protected areas into perpetuity.

I believe, that the fight to save tiger is a global importance. National actions must be supported by globalaspirations and international commitment. I am pleased to note that the conference will cover all the pertinentissues ranging from threats to the tiger, to the management, effectiveness of protected areas, to livelihood andcapacity building. Well, actions might be local, our collective efforts must transcend boundaries and politics. Wemust strive to bring innovations at the field level. We must keep community, vitality and prosperity of local peopleat the heart of our conservation and must look at the protected landscape as an engine of growth and opportunityfor both tiger and the people.

The role of Global Tiger Forum at this juncture is very important. As a Chairman, I have requested non-members to join and I pleased that this has been accepted. The Global Tiger Forum happens to be the only inter-governmental organisation of its kind, created and owned by tiger range countries. The Forum provides us aplatform for collective collaboration to address areas of mutual concerns. With the phasing out of Global TigerInitiative, the Global Tiger Forum has been mandated to carry forward the agenda of tiger conservation. I take thisopportunity to request India to support this Forum by signing a Host Country Agreement. With over 70% of theworld's tiger population and being a national symbol, it is only fitting that India continue to support and provideleadership on this front.

Bhutan is establishing a National Tiger Research Centre in the Royal National Park of Bhutan to conductresearch and advocate policies to ensure the persistence of tiger. We are hopeful that the Centre will be of benefit forboth Bhutan and India and in due course, to the wider tiger range countries. We solicit your support to ensure thesuccess of this timely initiative.

Honourable Prime Minister, Excellences', ladies and gentlemen, we carry the immense responsibility today, ofensuring that one of the most magnificent animal on our planet continue to survive and strive. Anything less wouldbe a failure on our part to hand over a thriving planet to our children. I am sure our deliberations will bemeaningful and our conference will significantly contribute to the well-being of the tiger and all other living beings.As responsible leaders, conservationists and citizens committed to protect and save one of the most animatic animalto walk this planet, our task remain unfinished. We have much more to do. I assure you, Bhutan's commitment inour collective efforts to ensure that the future of tiger is secure. I remain confident of receiving the support andguidance of your excellency and esteemed ministers and colleagues of all tiger range countries. I wish the conferencea great success and happiness.

Thank you


12 June 2016

Wild tiger conservation across tiger range countries is acollective responsibility between TRC governments,collaborating like-minded agencies and the civil society.The TRCs, over the years, in collaboration withorganizations having domain expertise, have evolved a"National Tiger Recovery Program" (NTRP) specific totheir countries. The GTF and other organizations haveplayed an important role in facilitating the saidprogramme through periodic updating of "ActionTiger". This forms the basis of the "Global TigerRecovery Program" (GTRP), shaped and firmed upover the years by the Global Tiger Initiative, inconsultation with TRCs and others. This is animportant collective action which has stood the test oftime, subjected to dispassionate monitoring through keyperformance indicators (KPIs). The entire process aimedtowards the Tx2 goal, with scope for course-correctionthrough lessons learnt during implementation. Themomentum generated through the GTRP process hasyielded rich dividends, as discernible in the improvedtiger densities in several TRCs, addition of tigerhabitats, enhanced capacity, modernization ofprotection infrastructure, intelligence based patrollingprotocols, support for field oriented research, evolvingspecific monitoring schedules for floral/faunal recovery,compensatory inputs for habitat restoration, promotingco-occurrence agenda to elicit support of local peoplewith a n overarching perspective for fostering tiger geneporosity at the landscape level.

As a mega tiger country, with more than 70% of theglobal wild tigers, India is known for its pioneeringtiger initiatives and related successful track record of itsin-situ conservation. It is an important augury thatIndia took the lead in organizing the 3rd ministerial.The inaugural of the Honourable Prime Minister of

India has almost covered the entire gamut of issuesrelating to tiger conservation, which has undoubtedlyset the stage for the future roadmap. The ecologicalnecessity for tiger conservation has been aptly flaggedby him as below:o Our genius lies in “smartly” integrating the tiger and

wildlife safeguards in various infrastructures at thelandscape level. This essentially takes us to the muchneeded “Smart Green Infrastructure”, while adopting alandscape approach.

o Conservation of tigers is not a choice. It is animperative.

It was equally heartening and re-assuring to hear thecommitment made by other ministers of TRCs.

Wild tiger conservation across TRCs has been alearning process throughout. There are quite a fewdampening factors which require to be addressed in anongoing manner such as: poaching, to satiate thedemand for body parts and derivatives of tiger, loss ofhabitat and corridor connectivity owing to urbanizationand developmental agenda, need for frontline staff withthe desired level of skill and motivation, paucity ofnational funding, and need for active bilaterals.

The TRCs have identified their long term prioritiesfor achieving the Tx2 goal and process in underway fora time bound plan of action.

Tiger being a sovereign issue of the TRCs, wouldalways warrant priority action from such countries.Their commitment towards GTRP and the willingnesselicited shown by like-minded organizations forcollaborating in its implementation are re-assuring.Nevertheless, there is a need for strong nationalfunding, complemented by donor support for someTRCs.

2016 June 13


Dr Rajesh Gopal, Secretary General, GTF & Mr S.P. Yadav, Assistant Secretary General, GTF, addressing the conference

Wild tigers remain endangered across Tiger Range Countries (TRCs). While someTRCs have made progress in increasing their populations of tigers in the last few years,the global scenario is still a cause for major concern. Tigers have become criticallyendangered or locally extinct in some TRCs. The extent and quality of habitat has alsobeen diminished in many. This is a serious impediment to achieving the goal ofdoubling the number of wild tigers range wide (Tx2) by 2022, the timeline envisagedin the St. Petersburg Declaration on Tiger Conservation of 2010. A renewed impetus isrequired to achieve the goal.

Therefore,Drawing inspiration from and reiterating and reconfirming the principles and

actions of the Hua Hin Declaration on Tiger Conservation (2010), the St. PetersburgDeclaration on Tiger Conservation (2010), the Thimphu Affirmative Nine-PointAction Agenda (2012) and the Dhaka Recommendations (2014) - such as workingcollaboratively to eradicate poaching, smuggling and illegal trade, strengtheningfrontline staff capacity, building partnerships, accelerating the flow of national andexternal funds - and building upon the first five years of implementation of the GlobalTiger Recovery Program (GTRP) and National Tiger Recovery Programs (NTRPs), werenew our collective pledge to ensure the conservation of tigers in the wild and theirhabitats.

Inspired by the statement of Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, during theconference that "conservation of tigers is not a choice, it is an imperative" and toachieve these concrete results by 2022.

We, the representatives of the Governments of the Tiger Range Countries, RESOLVEto:1. Accelerate implementation of the GTRP/NTRPs and agreed actions from the above-

mentioned declarations, review and update priority and differentiated action plans, andtrack progress through mutual and systematic reporting and evaluation.

2. Align development and tiger conservation in a mutually complementary manner by re-orienting development strategies to mainstream the concerns of tiger conservation, such asby integrating tiger and wildlife safeguards in infrastructure at the landscape level,developing partnerships with business groups, and strong engagement with localstakeholders.

3. Leverage funding and technical support from international organisations, bilateral andmultilateral financial institutions, foundations, civil society organisations, private sector,and climate funds, in addition to TRC governments.

4. Recognise and enhance the importance of tiger habitats by promoting them as providingecosystem services, as engines of economic growth and helping to address climatechange.

5. Emphasize recovery of tiger populations in areas with low tiger densities andrestoration in areas from which they have been extirpated by using successful programs oftiger reintroduction and rehabilitation of their habitats and prey.

6. Strengthen co-operation at the highest levels of government to combat wildlife crime,address the demand for tiger products, and increase formal and informal transboundarycoordination.

7. Enhance knowledge sharing and capacity development for all stakeholders andincrease the use of technology, including smart tools, monitoring protocols, andinformation systems, to improve management effectiveness.

Acknowledging and appreciating the contribution of different partners during theimplementation of the GTRP and NTRPs, we urge the Global Tiger Forum and theGlobal Tiger Initiative Council to continue their role in coordination, technicalassistance, and incremental resource mobilisation toward achievement of thisResolution.


14 June 2016

New Delhi Resolution on Tiger Conservation3rd Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation

April 14, 2016, New Delhi, India

2016 June 15


Shri Prakash Javadekar, Hon’ble Minister of environment, Forests & Climate Change, Government of India

Pledge was administered by the Hon’ble Minister of environment, Forests & Climate Change, Government ofIndia, to all participants during the concluding session of the conference.

PLEDGE FOR TIGER CONSERVATION


16 June 2016

DETAILS OF 3AMC PARTICIPANTS

SL. NO. NAME OF COUNTRY NO. OF PARTICIPANTS

1. Bangladesh 11

2. Bhutan 6

3. Cambodia 11

4. Canada 1

5. China 6

6. France 3

7. Germany 1

8. Hong Kong 3

9. India 218

10. Indonesia 7

11. Japan 4

12. Kyrgyz Republic 5

13 Lao PDR 3

14. Malaysia 10

15. Myanmar 3

16. Nepal 18

17. Russia 9

18. Singapore 4

19. South Korea 2

20. Switzerland 2

21. Thailand 13

22. United Kingdom 7

23. United States of America 17

24. Vietnam 3

TOTAL 367

2016 June 17


Under the aegis of the Ministry of External Affairs,Government of India & Government of Russia, a Sub-group has been formed between India and Russia forcooperation on tiger and leopard conservation, whichinter-alia involves exchange of officers to learn fromfield experiences of each other. In this context, the GTFhas been organizing the “Tiger Watch Programme” incollaboration with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI)and its international partner, the International Fund forAnimal Welfare (IFAW).

During the past ten years(2005 - 2015), nineteenRussian wildlife inspectors participated in the “TigerWatch Programme”, and visited tiger reserves for anappraisal conservation effort. The Russian Wildlifeinspectors also visited the fringe villages and buffer areasto study peoples’ perception and problems,besidesinteracting with forest staff. The Inspectors from Russiaalsoparticipated in field patrolling to learn about theprotocol and relating to protections and human wildlifeinterfere. The Inspectors also interacted with the FieldDirector of the respective Tiger Reserve to have abriefing on the conservation scenario of the state and toshare/exchange views and information. Site specificmanagement plans and programmes dealing withpoaching and conflict problems were provided by FieldDirectors and the Assistant Conservator of Forests.Besides, the Inspectors also visited the offices of theNational Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) ofIndia, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), GTFSecretariat and WTI’s Head Quarter to discuss tigerconservation and related issues. Their visits in the pastincludes: Pench, Kanha, Nagzira-Navegaon and PannaTiger Reserves.

Tiger Watch programme-2015-16The programme which was initiated in 2005 tomotivate the Frontline Wildlife Inspectors of theRussian Federation where viewing a wild tiger isdifficult due to harsh climatic conditions.

This year’s orientation programme spreads over 10 days (from 14th March to 23rd March, 2016), and two Inspectors from the Russian Federation, Mr Vladmir Malina and Mr Andrei Dadu participated in the programme. As part of theprogramme, they were exposed tofield experience on tiger conservation, coupled with in-houseinteractions with many Indian experts and managersinvolved in tiger conservation.

At Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, RajasthanTo have a firsthand field exposure in tiger conservationin India and to facilitate exchange of views, experienceand information at the ground level, the Russian teamwas taken to the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve(Ranthambore TR) in Rajasthan, India. The said tigerreserve was selected for conducting the field orientationprogramme as it is widely acclaimed at the global level.

The Field Director (FD) of Ranthambore TR, Mr.Y. K. Sahu briefed the participants on tigermanagement and conservation strategies. Theorientation at Ranthambore TR began with the formalinteraction with all forest officials of the reserve and awelcome note by the Field Director.

Orientation through audio-visual system: Variousmanagement activities, rescue operations, populationcensus techniques and monitoring techniques were also


18 June 2016

TIGER WATCH PROGRAMME

Russian Officers with the Secretary General, Assistant Secretary General & Technical Officer of the Global Tiger Forum

demonstrated using audio-visual systems at SawaiMadhopur office. The Russian officers also briefedIndian officers on the management practices adopted inRussia. Mr. Vladmir Malina also gave an overview onthe flora and fauna of Ussuri Tiger Reserve. The Indianofficers also briefed the management practices adoptedin India.

Anti poaching patrolling: The Russian officers weretaken to the different zones of Ranthambore TigerReserve for an appraisal of the anti-poaching systemadopted by the Forest Department, which includes fieldpatrolling teams deployed in outstation patrollingcamps for 24x7 monitoring.

Rescue, rehabilitation and animal health monitoringOfficials from the Ranthambore tiger monitoring teamdemonstrated the use of equipment/tools used forrescuing wild animals in distress. The forest guard, Mr.Rajveer Singh, demonstrated one such process.

Interaction with GTF team: In a meeting with theGTF team, comprising of Dr Rajesh Gopal, SecretaryGeneral, Mr S.P. Yadav, Assistant Secretary General and

Mr. Mohnish Kapoor, Senior Programme Manager, theRussian Inspectors were acquainted with variousconservation initiatives undertaken by theintergovernmental organization to conserve tigers acrosstiger range countries. They were also briefed aboutinitiatives taken by India in this regard.

Interaction with the National Tiger ConservationAuthority(NTCA), Government of India: The Russianteam had an interaction with Mr H. S. Negi, InspectorGeneral of Forests, NTCA on the initiatives taken byGovernment of India, for conserving its nationalanimal, the tiger, by launching ‘Project Tiger’ in 1973,with an increase in its coverage.

Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB): Inspectorsinteracted with Ms. Tilotama Varma, AdditionalDirector General, WCCB and her team, Mr NishantVarma (Regional Deputy Director, Northern Region,WCCB) and others and learnt various activities of thesaid Bureau to curb illegal wildlife trade. The Officersfrom WCCB apprised about various international illegalwildlife trades routes.

2016 June 19


(Clockwise) Russian officers interacting withNTCA officials & with WCCB officials

Vidya VenkatPublished :Saturday, 23 April, 2016, Time :12:00 AM

Tigers are among the most endangered animals onearth. The natural population of these beautiful felinesthat we are used to seeing under captivity isdisintegrating slowly. That has huge implications forthis ecosystem that we inhabit, as tigers have a crucialrole to play in the ecosystem.

Evolution and extinction According to Project Tiger, tigers are believed to haveevolved over 1 million years ago in Asia. From there,the tiger spread north to the Amur region of easternRussia, south to the islands of Indonesia, and southwestto Indochina and the Indian subcontinent, easternTurkey, and the Caspian Sea.

This species, which a century ago was believed tonumber 1,00,000 the world over, is today reduced toabout 3890, according to the World Wildlife Fund andthe Global Tiger Forum. However, even these figuresare disputed. The IUCN currently recognises ninesubspecies, three of which are extinct in the wild. Ofthe six subspecies still found in the wild, three areconsidered to be Critically Endangered -- the SouthChina Tiger, the Sumatran Tiger and the MalayanTiger. The first of these has not been observed in thewild since the 1970s and may be extinct. Three furthersubspecies have been declared extinct; Bali, Caspian andJavan Tigers.

Diminishing ‘source sites’ High-density tiger populations which are likely toproduce ‘surplus’ animals that can disperse and expandthe populations now occupy less than 10 per cent of theremaining 1.2 million square km of natural tigerhabitat, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.Almost 70 per cent of all wild tigers survive withinthese population ‘source sites’. Here the recruitment oftiger cubs exceeds mortality of tigers within thepopulation, explains conservation biologist SanjayGubbi. They are recovering slowly, only in somereserves where protection has improved, WCS says.Outside these source sites lie vast ‘sink landscapes’,which are continuing to lose tigers and habitat due tohunting and man-animal conflict due to developmentalpressures.

Forest land is now only 26 per cent of the total landarea in Asia and the Pacific put together, whichaccounts for about one-fifth of the world’s forests or734 million hectares, according to a 2005 Food andAgriculture Organization (FAO) report. What thatimplies is that the tiger, whose population is largely

found in this region, is restricted to 26 per cent of theland area.

Barometers of ecological health According to the Global Tiger Initiative, tigers areindicators of the ecological wellness of planet earth.Being the dominant predators of the ecosystem, theyensure that the numbers of herbivores like deer are keptbalanced. A steep fall in tiger population could lead to arise in herbivore population, which could potentiallydestroy forests by consuming the trees and plants. Andforests have a huge role to play in preserving this earththat we live in.

Carbon storage value At a time when the phenomena of climate change haveincreased concerns about environmental hazards,conservation of tigers offer immense ecological servicesin terms of carbon storage value. Forests have to besaved to ensure that carbon storage is achieved. In fact,under the Reduced Emissions from Deforestation andDegradation (REED) approach, climate change issought to be addressed by using forests as carbon sinks.Poaching or killing of large bodied vertebrates such astigers results in increase of herbivore population, whichin turn results in forests getting decimated.

In a study conducted in Ranthambore tiger reserveand published in 2012, geographer Kuldeep Pareta foundthat the estimated carbon stock in Ranthambhore TigerReserve fell progressively between 1975 to 2012: 34.15,32.35, 30.66, 28.78, and 27.52 M. Kg. / Ha for theyears 1975, 1990, 2000, 2006, and 2012 respectively.Agricultural expansion and resultant deforestation wereto blame for this, which has serious consequences fortiger population as well. Tigers feed on mammalianherbivores such as chinkara, chital and sambar in thisreserve area, thus keeping their population in check andhelping to preserve the forests. Tiger habitats also providecritical ecosystem services such as flood control andhydrological services/securing watersheds.

What are the current efforts being made to save thetiger? India is home to 70 per cent of global tiger population.Therefore, the country has an important role to play intiger conservation. The Government of India started‘Project Tiger’ in 1972 with a view to conserving theanimal. As part of this project nine core buffer areas formaintaining tiger population were notified. Now, thishas expanded to 48 tiger reserves.

In-principle approval has now been given for moretiger reserves to be set up to help expand and preservetheir territory. The in-principle approval has beenaccorded by the National Tiger Conservation Authority


20 June 2016

WHY DO WE NEED TO SAVE THE TIGER?

for the creation of four new tiger reserves at RatapaniTiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh), Sunabeda TigerReserve (Odisha), and Guru Ghasidas (Chhattisgarh).The Centre has given approval to Kudremukh NationalPark (Karnataka) for the State to declare it as a tigerreserve, which is yet to be done. The State Governmentshave been advised to send proposals for declaring thefollowing areas as tiger reserves: Suhelwa (UttarPradesh), Mhadei Sanctuary (Goa), SrivilliputhurGrizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary / MegamalaiWildlife Sanctuary / Varushanadu Valley (Tamil Nadu),Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary (Arunachal Pradesh) andCauvery-MM Hills (Karnataka).

CITES (Convention on International Trade inEndangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Besides protecting tiger territory, other measures beingtaken to save the tiger include: curbing wildlife tradethrough international agreements. CITES is aninternational agreement between governments aimed atensuring that international trade in specimens of wildanimals and plants, including tigers, does not threatentheir survival. India ratified this treaty in 1976.

Global Tiger Forum (inter-governmental tigerconservation network) Established in 1994, the Global Tiger Forum is the onlyinter-governmental body for tiger conservation. Its

membership includes seven tiger range countries:Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Cambodia, Myanmar,Nepal and Vietnam. International NGO membersconsist of World Wildlife Fund, International Fund forAnimal Welfare (IFAW), and TRAFFIC. Severalnational NGOs from India and Nepal are alsomembers.

Note from the GTF Secretariat: Now all TRCs aredeemed members of the GTF.

Threat remains As we have seen, apart from the ecological servicesprovided by the animal, the tiger also offers direct usesuch as attracting tourists, which provide incomes forlocal communities. The aesthetic, ethical and culturalvalue of tigers have also proved to be critical factors forsaving tigers, which has also ensured the success of tigerconservation in India.

However, despite measures being initiated to protectwild tigers, habitat loss and poaching continue to pose athreat to the animal’s survival. Tiger parts are used intraditional Chinese medicines, tiger skin is used fordecorative and medicinal purposes and tiger bones areagain used for medicinal purposes for curing body pain,et al. Between 2000 and 2014, TRAFFIC’s researchfound that parts of a minimum of 1,590 Tigers wereseized in Tiger range States, an average of two Tigers perweek.

2016 June 21



22 June 2016

NNEEWWSS FFRROOMM TTIIGGEERR RRAANNGGEE CCOOUUNNTTRRIIEESS

BBAANNGGLLAADDEESSHH

High-tech caravan to propeltwo-year national campaignto save tigers, SundarbansStaff Correspondent,bdnews24.comPublished: 2016-02-0316:52:16.0 BdST Updated: 2016-02-0318:56:30.0 BdST

A high-tech TigerCaravan wasrolled out to propel mass awarenesscampaign about conservation ofcritically endangered Royal BengalTigers and their habitat, theSundarbans.

The two-year-long NationalTiger Awareness Campaign wasinaugurated by Environment andForest Minister Anwar HossainManju on Feb 11 in Dhaka.

The organisers at a pressconference on Wednesday said thecampaign would be launched after a“forum discussion” titled ‘TigerTalk’at the auditorium.

A series of cultural events,including art competitions andexhibitions, and a folk musicconcert will be organised at theDhaka University’s Institute of FineArts on the second day of the two-day launching event.

The campaign will be heldunder the theme “Tiger is ourpride- we shall protect tiger.”

General people, younggeneration, communities,policymakers, partners, andstakeholders will be incorporated inthe campaign to forge a strongnational commitment, and catalysethis into actions to support tigerconservation, the organisers of the

event said at the press conference.

As part of the awareness drive,the caravan will visit 100 strategiclocations throughout the country toeducate people about conservationissues related to the tiger and theSundarbans through mobileexhibitions, street theatres, andsocial media activities.

The campaign is a part ofUnited States Agency forInternational Development’s(USAID) ‘Bagh Activity’, a four-year project that aims to strengthenlocal and international efforts tosafeguard the mangrove ecosystemin the Sundarbans and Bangladesh’sflagship species.

USAID has partnered with thegovernment to protect wild tigers inBangladesh through this project.

An NGO, WildTeam, isimplementing the project in closecollaboration with the forestdepartment with support fromSmithsonian Institution andBangladesh Centre for AdvancedStudies (BCAS).

DU begins two-year tigerconservation movement DU correspondentPublished: Sunday, 14February, 2016,Time : 12:00 AM

The premier Dhaka Universityjoined a two-year tiger conservationcampaign staging on the campus adaylong photography exhibition onbig cats of the world’s largestmangrove forests of Sundarbans on

February 12.Vice Chancellor Professor

AAMS Arefin Siddique attended asthe chief guest of the event with aslogan, “Bagh Amader Garbo; BaghSurakkha korbo” or “tiger is ourpride; we will protect it” at the FineArts Faculty of the university.

Traditional folk singersperformed at the function withmusic calling for tiger conservationswhile young children drew pictureson the Royal Bengal Tigers to markthe event.

A bus decorated with the shapeof a tiger paraded the campusthoroughfares as part of the eventwhile the vehicle named as “TigerCaravan” planned to visit 100strategic areas in the country innext two years as part of thecampaign.

The event came a day after thetwo-year nationwide campaign waslaunched by the Forest Departmentwith USAID assistance andcooperation of internationalconservation organisation WildTeam against the backdrop ofdwindling population of RoyalBengal Tiger in the Sundarbans.

“Tigers must be protected in theinterest of conserving thebiodiversity in the Sundarbans,”said the vice chancellor, who alsodistributed prizes among thewinning children of the drawingcompetition.

The latest census in July 2015revealed that the tiger populationrapidly dwindled with only around100 big cats remaining in themangrove forest stretching bothBangladesh and Indian coastlines,


sparking a massive uproar andprompting authorities to launch anintensified security and protectionvigilance.

Six alleged tiger poachers werekilled in what officials said agunfight with police in August2015 against the backdrop of the

uproar while the forest departmentsubsequently prepared a list of 475suspected tiger and deer poachers tobe hunted down.

Forest officials, however, lastmonth said the Sundarbanswitnessed no incident of tigerpoaching in the previous six months

as an intensified security campaigninvolving people in theneighbourhood yielded a positiveresult.

The officials said some 55 tigerswere poached alone in the last 15years from 2001-2015 in theSundarbans.

BBHHUUTTAANN

Bhutan’s Wild Cats: A storyof Hope

Bhutan is a small Himalayancountry that covers only 0.03percent of the world's surface-yet ishome to 30 percent of the world'swild-cat species. How is thispossible?

Bhutan's diversity of habitats,from subtropical jungles in the

south to snow-clad mountains inthe north, offer a uniqueenvironment for these wild cats tothrive. But in a region with rapiddevelopment and modernization,natural biodiversity is not enoughto ensure survival for wild catspecies. For years, Bhutan has madeconservation a priority. Itsconstitution mandates at least 60percent forest cover . . . forever.

Forward-thinking leadership,Buddhist ethics, sustainableresource use, and support fromconservationists around the worldmake Bhutan a beacon of hope forthese wild cats.

Please support the BhutanFoundation in conducting criticalresearch to help these wild cats thrivein Bhutan. With your support,researchers and wildlife biologists at

2016 June 23

the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute forthe Conservation and Environmentwill be able to carry about importantresearch to provide important datato protect these wild cats.

On the Tiger Trail…Posted May 26, 2016 by byTshering Yangzom

This past month, three of us fromthe Bhutan Foundation-BruceBunting, Dawa Sherpa, andPhuntsho Namgay-went on anadventure into the forgotten trailfrom Shingkhar, Bumthang, toAutsho, Lhuntse. As much as thetough terrain beat us down, mostlybecause it was not maintained andrarely used, we couldn't be happierto have experienced the richbiodiversity of ThrumshinglaNational Park and toserendipitously come acrossnumerous tiger tracks along thetrail. This was a reminder to us ofhow Bhutan's unique tiger habitatextends from lowland subtropicaljungles all the way to subalpineforests. Furthermore, it is atestament to Bhutan's conservationpolicies that have allowed tigers tothrive in its wilderness.

Restoration of Lingka LhakhangBefore we began our trek, weaccompanied board members of theBhutan Foundation to the newly

restored Lingka Lhakhang at theWangduechhoeling Palace groundsin Bumthang. We are glad to sharethat the Lingka Lhakhang is nowrestored to its original beauty. Over the next few days, Foundation staff, board members,the Bumthang Dzongda,community members, and theWangduechoeling Palace projectmanager engaged in a meaningfuldiscussion on the overall restorationof the palace. This re-emphasizedfor all present the historicalimportance of the palace-howBhutan's monarchy, architecture,and art were in the past and theimportance of preserving thiscultural heritage site in ways thatspeak to future generations.

Meanwhile, our colleagues andother board members traveled downsouth to Royal Manas NationalPark. They were the first guests toexperience the newly establishedJungle Camp set up by the RiverGuides of Panbang. The JungleCamp is a mix of a “Kheng style,”traditional design, thatched-roofstructure with modern amenities.With modernization creeping in,traditional Kheng houses are rarelybuilt, and the community is losingthis practice. However, we wereinspired to learn that the elderlycommunity members volunteeredto give the traditional touch to thecamp to keep this tradition alive. Inaddition to the existing rafting

services, the Jungle Camp providesa whole different experience ofPanbang and its rich, local Khengculture. This initiative was startedby the Bhutan Foundation toencourage tourism in the Khengregion and improve livelihoods foryouth so they can stay in theirvillages.

The tiger trail ended inLhuentse, where we found ourselves fortunate to be able tospend two days at Takila, whereDzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche isconducting six-month-longempowerment prayers. While atTakila, we also met with ourpartners at the Samdrup JongkharInitiative. They talked about theimpact that our small grant forweeders had made on farmers there and how they were able toincrease their yield production bytwo to three times using theweeders for systemic riceintensification methods.Furthermore, we talked about ourshared interests in promotingtraditional agricultural practices tosupport rural farmers, as well as toencourage healthier diets.

We then returned to Thimphu, rejuvenated and inspired by a month filled with fieldvisits to our project sites along withour board members and partnersand a renewed enthusiasm tocontribute to Bhutan's developmentwith values.


24 June 2016

2016 June 25


Tigers to Be Reintroduced toCambodia in 2019By Kang Sothear and Peter Ford | April 7, 2016

Eight tigers will be released into theCambodian wild in an unpreceden-ted plan projected to cost between$20 and $50 million, the Ministryof Agriculture and WWF-Cambodia announced at an eventin Phnom Penh on Wednesday.

The Cambodia Tiger ActionPlan 2016-2026, adopted by theministry on March 23, seeks torevive the tiger population in theMondolkiri Protected Forest, saidKeo Ormaliss, director of thewildlife and biodiversity departmentat the Agriculture Ministry’sForestry Administration.

He said the ministry hoped tofund the plan through donations, asmoney would not be coming fromthe national budget.

Tigers, which lived throughoutCambodia into the 1960s, are listedas “functionally extinct” in thecountry by the WWF. The lastrecorded sighting in the wild was in2007.

Mr. Omaliss explained thatpoaching was the primary reasonfor the dramatic decline in the tigerpopulation and said efforts toprotect the new animals-six femalesand two males-from hunters werecentral to the plan.

“We have to prevent theseactivities,” he said. “Strengtheninglaw enforcement means we have topunish those who do illegalactivities like putting traps in theprotected areas.”

There was no talk of a concrete timeframe duringWednesday’s event, but according to the WWF, its “Bringing BackCambodia’s Roar” campaign would see eight tigers released

into Mondolkiri’s forest in 2019.

The proposal calls for thegovernment to complete financialplans by October, a sourcingagreement with India by the end of2017, and the cultivation of asufficient amount of prey in theforest by 2018.

Thomas Gray, WWF-Cambodia’s head of speciesconservation, said the support ofPrime Minister Hun Sen and otherhigh-level officials was critical to apositive outcome, noting that thesuccess of tiger conservation effortsin Russia was at least partially dueto the backing of PresidentVladimir Putin. A similar messageneeded to be handed down inCambodia, he said.

“You don’t go poaching PrimeMinister Hun Sen’s tigers.”

[email protected],[email protected]

CCAAMMBBOODDIIAA

CCHHIINNAA

China plans national parkfor Siberian tiger, AmurleopardBy Xinhua, Wednesday, May18, 2016, 16:26

CHANGCHUN: China ispreparing a national park forSiberian tiger and Amur leopard inJilin and Heilongjiang provinces inthe northeast.

A general plan on the park was passed by experts on Monday

and is now subject to scrutiny bythe provincial and centralgovernments.

In the last century, bothpopulations shrunk due to humanactivity. A 1998 survey put thenumber of wild Siberian tiger inChina at 12 to 16, and that ofAmur leopard at 7 to 12.

Both species have sincerecovered somewhat thanks toconservation efforts, includingprotection of natural forests,

establishment of nature reserves anda hunting ban.

Monitoring through infrareddevices between 2012 and 2014showed the number of the tiger andleopard in Jilin at 27 and 42respectively, but habitat isfragmented as a result ofdevelopment.

About 500 Siberian tigers arebelieved to live in the wild. TheAmur leopard is believed to be theworld’s most endangered feline.


26 June 2016

National parks to protectrare speciesBy Su Zhou, Friday, April 29, 2016, 09:45

Habitat fragmentation remains themajor factor threatening thesurvival of giant pandas in the wild,a senior official from China’swildlife watchdog agency said.

Zhang Xiwu, director of theWildlife Conservation and NatureReserve Management Departmentof the State ForestryAdministration, said on Thursdaythat, in the next five years, Chinawill complete the establishment offour national parks to protect thegiant panda, Asian elephant,Tibetan antelope and Amur leopardand tiger.

In June, the NationalDevelopment and ReformCommission of China and thePaulson Institute announced athree-year partnership to developChina’s emerging national park

system. The partnership will pilotthe park system in nine provincesby exploring models that fit theChinese context and reflectinternational standards.

“Protecting habitat is the key toprotecting wildlife,” Zhang said.“However, 87.7 percent of wildanimals are seeing their living spacessqueezed or their communicationssplit, along with the effects ofhuman activities.” That’s accordingto the national wildlife resourcessurvey, Zhang said.

For example, although thenumber of giant pandas in Chinareached 1,864 in 2014, theirhabitats contained 319 hydropowerstations, 1,339 kilometers of roads,268 kilometers of high-voltagetransmission lines, 984 districtswith more than 50 residents, 479mines and 25 scenic spots.

Due to geographic isolation andhuman intervention, wild giantpandas are fragmented into 33isolated populations. Twenty-four of

those have fewer than 100 pandas.Wang Hao, senior scientist at

Peking University’s Center forNature and Society said fragmentedhabitats increase the risk that small,dispersed populations will becomecut off, limiting their chances tocontact each other and reproduce.

Zhang said wildlife habitat inChina is managed by differentgovernment agencies, whichhampers habitat improvement.

“For example, we have naturereserves, scenic spots, forest parks,geological parks and wetland parks.Those are all in different regionsand have different administrativebodies,” Zhang said. “That’s thereason why we are speeding up theestablishment of national parks tointegrate one species’ habitat undera united management system.”

The first national park for theTibetan antelope was established inthe Tibet autonomous region inSeptember.

[email protected]

IINNDDIIAA

Tiger Express: A roaringjourney, blissful experienceIANS, New DelhiUpdated: Jun 13, 2016 15:01 IST

IRCTC’s new semi-luxury trainTiger Express embarked on a“Roaring Journey” on WorldEnvironment Day, June 5 toexperience the best of wildlife inMadhya Pradesh with some 24nature loving passengers.

By the time the train completedits first and last “tiger trail” of thisseason, a trial run, on June 10,(parks close from June 15),passengers had experienced amongothers - a magnificent tiger and its

other subjects in the beautifuljungles of Kanha and Bandhavgarh,a mesmerising boat ride inNarmada through marble rocks of Bedhagaht near Jabalpur and ahuge waterfall where fishes weretrying to jump up-stream andsucceeding!

“I enjoyed from platform toplatform. There's a need to createthe culture of love for the wildlifeand this train is a step towardsthat,” Raman Kant Garg, whotravelled with his son Shaurya, toldIANS.

He said he will suggest the trainjourney to his friends and lookingat the facilities and the guided toursit was overall cost effective.

“Watching the tiger looking youin the eye is beyond words. As weare getting older and softer, we startthinking where our meat is comingfrom. More sensitisation is requiredtowards the environment. This trainis for a good cause,” Steven Phipps,a retired Combat Engineer from theUS who visited India for the firsttime to experience wildlife, said.

“I believe that we must enjoythe jungle and keep the tiger as abonus,” said Raghvendra and hiswife Divya, a couple fromMaharashtra who had chosen TigerExpress for their honeymoon.

The train will return with itsfive day-six night package inOctober, while the officials are at


2016 June 27

work on its costing which may dropin the second journey.

“We are working on the costing,it may go down in the next journey.It was a quick decision and we hadto manage the entire train withintwo months,” an IRCTC officialtold IANS.

“An abandoned coach wasturned into this dining car atJagadhari workshop in Haryana.This was done in one month'stime,” said a railway engineer.

“I had been to places but neverseen a combination like this. Itended on a very good note at thewaterfalls. However, It was notpublicised and I too received anemail because I was registered withIRCTC,” said Virpal Singh, whohad also been on the BuddhaCircuit.

“The trip was good but it needsmore publicity. Wildlife protectionmust be sensitized and in that step,I feel that this train is also serving anoble cause,” S.K Singh, a Delhibased retired Professor said.

The train would begin its

regular monthly trips from Octoberonwards after the National Parksreopen following the monsoon. So,start working on your watch list,learn the names of your birds, packwell and please don't use perfumewhile on tiger circuit.

Tigress ST 9 seen with herfirst cub; count reaches 14 inSariskaHT Correspondent,Hindustan Times, JaipurUpdated: May 18, 201622:58 IST

A tigress relocated from Rajasthan'sRanthambore National Park haslittered her first cub, taking thenumber of striped cats to 14 inSariska reserve.

Forest guard Bhawani ShankarJoshi in Sariska's Indauka forest areahad spotted pug marks of the cubbehind those of tigress ST 9 onWednesday morning. Anotherguard also reported new pug marksfrom Bandipul forest area.

Later, a camera trap capturedtigress ST 9 with a cub, who, forestofficials said, is 5-month-old.

“The tigress was relocated toSariska in January 2013 and shemoved in Bandipul, Indauk,Duharmala, Rekamala, Sarunda,Nangalhedi, Berawas andTalvrikshya forest areas. She hasmated with tiger ST 6,” a statementfrom the office of Sariska TigerReserve (STR) field director RSShekhawat said.

More cameras have beeninstalled to check if there are morecubs.

The latest news brought joy inSariska where a tiger reintroductionprogramme began in 2008 with thehelp of National Tiger ConservationAuthority (NTCA),New Delhi, andWildlife Institute of India,Dehradun after the reserve lost allits big cats in 2005.

Sariska now has 14 striped cats.Seven of them were brought fromRanthambore while an equalnumber born here. Tigress ST 2littered two cubs, both females, in

IRCTC’s new semi luxury train Tiger Express embarked on a “Roaring Journey” on World Environment Day, June 5 toexperience the best of wildlife in Madhya Pradesh with some 24 nature loving passengers

PHOTO: ARUN SHARMA/HT

2012. Both of them are now adults.In 2014, ST 2 gave birth to a maleand a female cub. The same yearanother tigress ST 10 littered twocubs - a male and a female.

Tiger safari construction inPench will expose big cats topoaching: NTCAHT Correspondent,Hindustan Times, BhopalUpdated: May 19, 201614:48 IST

National Tiger ConservationAuthority (NTCA) has come downheavily on the Madhya Pradeshgovernment for construction oftiger safari inside Pench NationalPark without due permissions,stressing it was “detrimental to tigerdispersal” and would expose the bigcats to “poaching”.

NTCA has written to MPgovernment on the ongoingconstruction of tiger safari insidethe Pench Tiger Reserve. HT hascopy of the letter. In the letter tochief wildlife warden, NTCA says,“the ongoing construction of thetiger safari in Pench, in violation ofvarious rules and regulations, isdetrimental to tiger dispersal inhuman dominated landscapeswhich exposes them to poachingevents. The letter further says that asimilar issue may arise with theproposed safari at Bandhavgarhtiger reserve”.

Pench Tiger reserve has 40 to 45tigers in the core and 16 in thebuffer according to wildlife officials.Since January 1, nine tigers ofPench have died, including five inthe buffer area. Pench Tiger Reserveis spread over 1179 sq kmsincluding 411 sq km core and 768sq kms buffer in Seoni andChhindwara districts

In September last year , activistAjay Dubey had complained to theNTCA about construction work ontigers safaris in Pench Tiger Reserveand Bandgavgarh Tiger Reservewithout the permission of thecompetent authority.

In the letter, NTCA clearlypoints out that the tiger safaris werebeing constructed without duepermissions. “Safari comes underthe definition of zoo, for which it ismandatory to follow statutoryprovisions of the wildlife(protection) act, 1972…the CentralZoo Authority (CZA) has issuedguidelines for the establishment ofnew zoos under section 38 H (1A)of the wildlife (protection) act1972, which mentions that no zooshall be established withoutobtaining prior approval; of theCZA”, the letter says.

Dubey said the letter to MPgovernment has exposed thecorruption in the state wildlifedepartment. “If there is nopermission for tiger safaris, how didthe wildlife department create afinancial head for the constructionof the tiger safaris. This is purecorruption . And I will file apetition on this issue in the highcourt”, he said.

Dubey said at a time when MP was recording the highest tiger mortality in the country, the authorities concerned should have focused all theirattention on saving the tigers, notconstructing tiger safaris withoutdue permissions.


28 June 2016

A five-month-old cub is caught on camera in Sariska walking with tigress ST 9

The NCTA found violation of laws in construction of tiger safari in Penchnational park

PHO

TO

:HT

PHO

TO

:HT

The matter discussed beforethe court was the suggestionby experts from NTCA andNGO Wildlife ConservationTrust (WCT).Written by Vivek Deshpande| Nagpur | Published:August2, 2016 3:22 am

The Nagpur Bench of the BombayHigh Court Monday made it clearthat it would direct any structureraised on National Highway 7(NH7) for wildlife mitigationmeasures in violation ofrecommendations of the WildlifeInstitute of India (WII) to bedemolished.

The bench comprising JusticeBhushan Gavai and Justice VinayDeshpande said this while hearingthe case pertaining originally to badcondition of the highway.

The matter discussed before thecourt was the suggestion by experts

from NTCA and NGO WildlifeConservation Trust (WCT) thattwo of the nine structures proposedas mitigation measures be shifted100 metres to the south of thecurrent proposed position tofacilitate better movement ofwildlife across the highway. TheNational Highways Authority ofIndia (NHAI) actually wanted oneof the structures, the 750 metreflyover, to be shifted 50 metresnorthwards to merge with the 50metre underpass proposed to besituated there as one of theproposed nine mitigation structures,to “save the cost”.

WCT counsel Sudhir Puranikalso pointed out that a siteinspection by the experts' team hadfound one structure beingconstructed across 8-metre widenullah where two wall like piershave already been raised. A 50 meterunderpass is actually proposed at

this place. The NHAI said theconstruction was undertaken beforethe mitigation measures had beenhammered out and hence it willnow construct two extensions of 20meters each on both sides of thecurrent structure to make it a 50meter one. The experts' team,however, felt that the 50 meterstructure needs to be without breaksfor facilitating wildlife crossover.

On this the bench said that itwas in favour of any changessuggested by WII, NTCA and theForest department in mutualagreement. Anything done contraryto these suggestions will not beaccepted, the bench clarified. Thecourt said it will not entertain anydeviation from WIIrecommendations already acceptedby the court and that any structuresraised in violation of the acceptedmitigation measures will bedemolished.

2016 June 29


Of the 21 tigers confirmedthrough the camera-trappingexercise, 14 were on theIndian side, 11 in Bhutanand four appearing commonon both sides of the border.Written by Samudra GuptaKashyap | Guwahati |Updated: June 24, 2016 5:53am

Amid reports of increase in the tigerpopulation in the country, there ismore good news. The number oftigers in Manas National Park andthe contiguous Royal ManasNational Park in Bhutan has goneup from 14 to at least 21 in threeyears. While this figure has beenascertained through the camera-trapping method applied in alimited area, the overall estimatednumber of tigers is 44.

“The study has confirmed theminimum presence of 21 tigers inthe study area, which stood at 14during the last exercise in 2011-12.Of the 21 tigers confirmed throughthe camera-trapping exercise, 14were on the Indian side, 11 in

Bhutan and four appearingcommon on both sides of theborder. The maximum number oftigers present in both the nationalparks was estimated to be 44,” saidan official who was part of the 72-day exercise.

SOU

RC

E: F

ILE

PH

OT

O

MAHARASHTRA: STRUCTURES IN VIOLATION OF WILDLIFE INSTITUTE OFINDIA GUIDELINES ON NH7 TO BE DEMOLISHED

COUNT UP FROM 14 TO 21 IN 3 YEARS: MANAS NATIONAL PARK HAS 7 MORE TIGERS

The Manas National Park in Assam, which once had 80 tigers, was declared aworld heritage site by Unesco in 1985


IINNDDOONNEESSIIAA

Protecting tiger habitats:Challenges, opportunitiesReidinar Juliane, AriefWijaya and Satrio A.Wicaksono World ResourcesInstitute IndonesiaJakarta | Mon, June 13 2016| 10:50 am

The tiger is not only a charismaticexample of megafauna, but also anumbrella species. As a predator atthe top of the food chain, tigersmaintain the balance betweenherbivores and the vegetation uponwhich they feed. Thus, byprotecting and conserving tigers, wealso help preserve biodiversity and awhole suite of ecological processes

within their habitat. Tigers are mostly solitary, which

is why they need a large territory tosurvive. Unfortunately, habitat loss,along with poaching, hassignificantly brought down tigerpopulations. According to theWorld Wildlife Fund, the world haslost 97 percent of wild tigers in justover a century and less than 3,500tigers remain in the wild today.

There are currently 13 tiger-range countries in the world,including Indonesia with sixpriority Tiger ConservationLandscapes (TCLs) in Sumatra, i.e.protected areas to conserve tigers:Ulumasen-Leuser, Kampar-Kerumutan, Bukit Tigapuluh,

Kerinci Seblat, Bukit Balai RejangSelatan and Bukit Barisan Selatan.

In addition to the Sumatrantiger, Indonesia used to be home toBali and Javan tigers, but theybecame extinct in the 1960s due torampant poaching and abuse. A2010 study by the SmithsonianInstitution estimated that there areno more than 400 tigers inSumatra. With only a few tigersremaining in Sumatra, TCLs havebecome more important than ever.

A recent joint study byresearchers from the University ofMinnesota, RESOLVE, StanfordUniversity, the Smithsonian, theUniversity of Maryland and theWorld Resources Institute revealed

Tigers are mostly solitary, which is why they need a large territory to survive. According to the World Wildlife Fund, theworld has lost 97 percent of wild tigers in just over a century and less than 3,500 tigers remain in the wild today

PHO

TO

: SHU

TT

ER

STO

CK

2016 June 31


Plenty of forests but nospecies to call them homeVientiane Times, June 17,2016. By KeoxomphouSakdavong

Laos is rich in natural resources andbiodiversity, yet there is only theNam Et-Phou Louey NationalProtected Area (NEPL-NPA) which

provides a suitable home for thecountry’s many endangered species.

NEPL-NPA is located across thethree northern provinces ofHuaphan, Luang Prabang and XiengKhuang. It has a total area of 4,200sq km and features 129 villages ineight districts.

The NPA is home to a numberof endangered species, including the

rare Indochinese tiger.At least nine tigers live in Nam

Et-Phou Louey, according to the areaDeputy Head, Mr BouathongXayavong.

Laos has long been recognised asone of several countries around theworld with thick forest cover,providing one of the bestenvironments in the world for a

that saving tigers from extinction iswithin reach as long as theirremaining landscapes are effectivelymonitored and protected. The studysuggests that less than 8 percent ofall 76 TCLs (nearly 79,600 squarekilometers) was lost from 2001-2014, which was less thananticipated given that tiger habitatsgenerally span fast-growingdeveloping economies.

Other encouraging news is thatthe Khata corridor in the Terai ArcLandscape, Nepal, connectingNepal’s Bardia National Park andIndia’s Katerniaghat Tiger Reserve,gained tree cover over 2.7 percentof its area in the last 14 years,which has likely resulted in anincrease of 32 tigers between 2009and 2013 in Bardia. Nepal andIndia in general also experienced 61and 31 percent increases in tigerpopulations from 2001-2014thanks to community-drivenforestry programs and antipoachingefforts.

Unfortunately, their findings forSoutheast Asia were not as rosy asthose for Nepal and India. The vastmajority ( 98 percent) of tiger foresthabitat loss occurred within just 10TCLs in Indonesia and Malaysia.Indeed, our analysis based on theGlobal Forest database revealed thatthe six priority TCLs in Indonesiahave lost 12.5 percent of theirforests in the past 14 years.Kampar-Kerumutan experiencedthe highest tree cover loss of

3,389.5 sqkm ( 34 percent of itstotal area), followed by BukitTigapuluh with almost 3,000 sqkmtree cover loss ( 42 percent) andKerinci Seblat with 2,361.60 sqkmtree cover loss ( 8.35 percent).

However, Bukit Balai RejangSelatan, Bukit Barisan Selatan andLeuser experienced less than 270sqkm (less than 9 percent) treecover loss, with Leuser onlyexperiencing tree cover loss of 0.09percent of its total area, suggestingthat these landscapes are relativelyintact and there is still hope forprotecting Sumatran tigers’remaining habitats.

Our analysis also revealed thatmore than 12,000 sqkm of oil palmand timber concessions overlap with16 percent of the six priority TCLsin Sumatra, strongly suggesting thatthe conversion of natural forest toplantations for agriculturalcommodities has become a majordriver of tiger habitat loss inIndonesia.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, thethree TCLs that recorded thehighest tree cover loss also recordedmajor overlaps with oil palm andtimber concessions. Theseconcessions overlap with 48 percentof Kampar Kerumutan’s landscape,42 percent of Bukit Tigapuluh’s and13.5 percent of Kerinci Seblat’s.

We cannot afford to lose moreSumatran tigers. Many havesuggested that habitat loss,poaching of tigers’ prey and tiger

poaching are three major threats totiger populations in Sumatra. Ouranalysis highlighted the threatsposed by oil palm and timberplantations to defined TCLs inIndonesia, most of which have beendesignated as national parks orwildlife reserves. Therefore, merelyturning tiger habitats intoconservation areas is not enough.Collaborative efforts are needed toensure that habitats for one of themost iconic species are protectedand restored.

To protect existing Sumatrantiger habitats, continuousmonitoring is needed. Satellite-driven data to monitor near real-time forest change via Global ForestWatch will be useful to preemptfurther efforts to encroach upon orconvert TCLs for other land uses.

The involvement of locals bothto protect habitat loss and tocombat illegal tiger poaching iscrucial.

The government shouldintegrate the management of TCLswith the land-use plans ofsurrounding regions, including in addressing the challengesassociated with human populationgrowth. Finally, restoring degradedor deforested areas within TCLs will be critical. The lesson fromNepal, which succeeded inincreasing its number of tigers byprotecting and expanding tree coverin its TCLs, provides us with aglimpse of hope.

LLAAOO PPDDRR


32 June 2016

variety of plants, wildlife and aquaticspecies to thrive.

At an environmental conferenceat Vientiane’s National Culture Hallin 2011, Deputy Minister ofAgriculture and Forestry, Dr TyPhommasak, said the Lao forestswere a unique place, home to morethan 8,100 flower varieties, 100 largemammal species, 166 reptile andamphibian species, 90 types of batand more than 700 species of bird.

The Lao government hasapproved 24 national forest protectedareas around the country to conservebiodiversity, wildlife, aquatic speciesand trees, and each year the countrycelebrates World WildlifeConservation Day on July 13.

The national forest protectedareas cover about 4 million hectaresof land. Apart from this, there are afurther 66 areas protected at aprovincial level, covering 600,000ha,and 143 forest areas protected at adistrict level on an area of400,000ha.

But despite nearly 5 millionhectares of land being marked asprotected areas, forest cover in Laoshas declined dramatically over theyears.

According to the Ministry ofAgriculture and Forestry, forest coverdropped from 64 percent of theentire country in 1960 to 47.2percent by 1992, and was down to

41 percent in 2001.The Lao government aims to

boost forest cover back to 65 percentby 2015 and 70 percent by 2020.

Relevant government ministriesand international organisations,including the Wildlife ConservationSociety and the World Bank, haverecognised Nam Et-Phou Louey asone of the last homes of a number ofendangered species, the Indochinesetiger in particular.

The tigers’ main food is meatsuch as pig, deer, monkey, gaur, goatand water buffalo. If the forest doesnot continue to have a great deal ofbiodiversity and hence food sourcesfor the tiger, the unique species willnot last in Nam Et-Phou Louey.

Out of 24 national forestprotected areas, Nam Et-Phou Louey is the only one to play host to tigers.

That alone demonstrates howhealthy the area’s ecosystem is - tigershave chosen Nam Et-Phou Louey tobe their home, rather than any of theother protected areas lying rightacross the country, north to south.

The tigers are sending a messageto the concerned ministries; morethan 20 protected areas in Laos arenot rich enough in natural resources,and their ecosystems are not doing aswell as Nam Et-Phou Louey.

To preserve endangered species inLaos and ensure the country provides

the best possible home to its raretiger population and the other 100mammal species originally from here,Nam Et-Phou Louey should be heldup as a model for conservingbiodiversity and forestry.

If Nam Et-Phou Louey was notpart of active conservation effortsthere would be no tigers left in Laos,and according to a report from theWorld Bank’s Global EnvironmentFacility, the area has biologicalsignificance at a global, national andlocal level.

The lessons learnt from Nam Et-Phou Louey should be shared withauthorities responsible for otherforest protected areas across thecountry, and the Forestry Law needsto be strictly upheld.

Article 18 of the law says forestprotected areas are set aside toprotect plants, animals and anythingelse in the forest which may havevalue for history, culture, tourism,the environment or educationpurposes.

If the law and its definition of aprotected area are followed strictly,Laos and its 24 national protectedareas will remain a safe home forendangered species, which will beable to thrive in the country forevermore.

“Nam Et-Phou Louey should beheld up as a model for conservingbiodiversity and forestry”.

Status of 1st National TigerSurvey Implementation inMalaysiaSalman Bin Hj. Saaban,Director of Ex-situConservation DivisionforDirector General, Dept. ofWildlife & Nat. ParksPeninsular Malaysia

The National Tiger ConservationAction Plan (NTCAP) for Malaysia

was adopted at the 6thNationalBiodiversity and BiotechnologyCouncil Meeting which met on4November 2009 to ensure theMalayan tiger remain wild in theirnatural habitat and to increase itspopulation up to 1,000 individualsby 2020.

One of the key actions underNTCAP is to conduct a scientificand comprehensive survey to gainan accurate number of the Malayan

tiger population. Malayan tiger isthe top predator in the tropicalrainforest of Peninsular Malaysiaand a flagship species known as anindicator for a balance ecosystem.

Therefore, a total of USD 4.5million has been allocated forimplementation of the 1stNationalTiger Survey (1stNTS) through theprovision of the 11th MalaysianPlan. The1stNTS project will beimplemented over a 3 years period

MMAALLAAYYSSIIAA

2016 June 33


from 2016 until 2018 and lead byDWNP’s in collaboration with theForestry Department of PeninsularMalaysia and NGOs such as theWorld Wide Fund for NatureMalaysia (WWF Malaysia), WildlifeConservation Society and RimbaResearch Enterprise which isaregistered research company.

1stNTS will be implementedsystematically via camera trappingmethod in 20 plots identifiedwithin the Central Forest Spineforests, Peninsular Malaysia. Thesurvey covers a minimum plot of600 km 2 (60,000 ha). In 2016 twosurvey plots were conducted byDWNP’s in Tekai Forest Reserve,Pahang and Gunung Aais ForestReserve, Pahang/Terengganu whileanother survey plot was conductedby WWF Malaysia in TemengorForest Reserve, Perak.

The objective of this study is to

determine the Malayan tigerpopulation in its natural habitat offorested areas in order to improvethe conservation and managementplans with the aim to protect andincrease the number of wild tigersto an optimum level in Malaysia.

In addition, the implementationof enforcement activities andhabitat management should also beimproved with cooperation fromFederal and State Governmentagencies to protect the Malayantiger population

Team effort launched to savetigersBY T. AVINESHWARAN,Thursday, 24 March 2016

Back in the 1950s, Malaysia wasthought to have as many as 3,000tigers, but over the years the

number of tigers has dwindleddrastically.

According to World Wide Fundfor Nature Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia), in 2014, the number ofMalayan tigers had declined to anestimated 250-340, down from theprevious best-guess of 500 tigersback in 2003.

In order to stem the loss oftigers, The Wildlife and NationalParks Department (Perhilitan),together with WWF-Malaysia is setto release sambar deer into theBelum-Temenggor forest complex.

WWF-Malaysia ExecutiveDirector and CEO Datuk DrDionysius Sharma said, biologically,the deer, a prey species for tigers, isable to breed quickly, provided thatenough food and space is providedfor its survival.

“We already have examples thatshow the commitment of the

Camera trap installation at survey siteUsing canoe as transportation and DWNP’s ranger searching for tiger sign


34 June 2016

federal government inacknowledging that we have tostrive now to save the species.”

“These include the carrying outof Malaysia’s first National Tigersurvey to count our tigers and theannouncement on extending ahunting moratorium for another sixyears on the tigers’ preferred preyspecies — the sambar deer,” saidDionysius.

Perhilitan’s BiodiversityConservation Division DirectorSalman Saaban said they arediscussing the budgetaryrequirements now becauseconservation work is not cheap.

“The work will be conductedeven if there are budget constraints.The tigers are not only forPerhilitan, the ForestryDepartment, state government andWWF-Malaysia, but for allMalaysians.”

WWF-Malaysia is also set tojoin hands with MaybankFoundation in their on-going tigerconservation efforts in the Belum-Temenggor forest reserve, whichstarted in 2007.

The collaboration will involve aprogramme called “StrengtheningTiger Conservation in the Belum-Temenggor Forest Complex”.

WWF-Malaysia an Maybankwill develop a long-termprogramme in the area of tigerconservation.

WWF-Malaysia’s tigerconservation work includes researchon tigers and their prey,engagement with local communitiesand supporting enforcementagencies such as the Department ofWildlife and National Parks.

On Monday, Sultan NazrinMuizzudin Shah of Perak, who isalso the patron of WWF-Malaysia,witnessed the launch of theconservation efforts in Belum-Temenggor.

He was accompanied by PerakMentri Besar Datuk Seri DrZambry Abd Kadir and StateSecretary Datuk Seri Abdul PuhatMat Nayan, Maybank FoundationCEO Shahril Anuar Jimin andWWF-Malaysia President Prof

Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Mohamad.In terms of WWF-Malaysia’s

strategy, Dionysius said the focus ison developing measures to improvethe protection and management oftiger habitats, conducting scientificmonitoring of tigers and looking atforest connectivity issues and land-use changes.

In order to achieve that,Maybank Foundation has pledgedRM1.2mil for the first year of thefour-year project which will helpWWF-Malaysia continue itsexisting work.

The funding is expected to totalRM5.2mil over the four years andMaybank has said it is a conditionalcommitment and they will reviewthe partnership every year.

“In these trying economic times,it is timely that a leading corporateentity such as Maybank made adecision to step in to help save thetigers.”

“Tigers, interestingly havebecome synonymous withMaybank’s corporate logo, so muchso that many of the Orang Aslipeople in Belum-Temenggor referto tigers as ‘Maybank’ due to theirbelief that one should not refer to atiger by its actual name,” Dionysiussaid.

“It is my hope that theMaybank-WWF-Malaysiapartnership, with the full support ofPerak state government willcontinue over several years, till weachieve our goals in increasing tigernumbers in Belum-Temenggor andsecuring their survival well into thefuture.”

Maybank Chairman Tan SriMegat Zaharuddin Megat MohdNor was the driving force behindthe proposal to implement aframework for ensuring the survivalof tigers in Belum-Temenggor.

“We knew that WWF hasexperience doing something similarthings elsewhere in the world andthat gave us confidence that wewould be working with veryprofessional partners.”

“Their efforts are well rounded,not just in assessing the number oftigers that are in the forest but

ensuring that other stakeholders dotheir respective parts to ensurecontinuing generations of tigers forthe future.”

“After all, we do not wantpeople in the future to look at ourcorporate brand and ask why tigersare no longer in our midst,” MegatZaharuddin said in his speech.

After the four year deal, WWF-Malaysia and Maybank hope todouble the number of tigers in theforest reserve.

Based on a study conducted byWWF, there are 34 adult tigers and17 cubs in Belum-Temenggor.

According to WWF, protectingtigers and their forested habitat willresult in the protection of entireecosystems, the benefits of whichhumans rely on for things such aswater, carbon sequestration, foodand shelter.

“If the Malaysian tigers aregone, when every last life is stolen,how will we remember them?”

“As the saying goes - extinctionis forever! The very symbol ofstrength and courage on ournational crest cannot be allowed todiminish from our forests,” saidDionysius.

“I am convinced that is ascenario that we will not allow tohappen and that we shall worktogether in partnership, strongerthan ever, to prevent extinction ofthe Malayan tiger.”

“We need to do whatever ittakes to double the number of tigersby 2020. Together, it is possible,”he said.

The Belum-Temenggor forestreserve is located in Northern Perakand spans about 3,000km sq - anarea of about four times the size ofSingapore.

It has been identified as one ofthree priority sites for tigers in thecountry under the National TigerConservation Action Plan.

Belum-Temenggor represents acritical area for tigers as thebreeding population of tigers foundthere is an important populationsource for the larger Northern MainRange, which, at over 8,000 km sq,is one of the largest contiguous

2016 June 35


habitats for tigers in PeninsularMalaysia.

Dynamic steps to save thetigerFriday, 8 April 2016

Only proactive, creative andinnovative steps will ensure that theMalayan tiger continues to roamour forests.

As an ardent supporter ofwildlife and conservation, I havesome suggestions.

Government departments and NGOs involved in tigerprotection and conservation effortsneed young blood to initiate newideas and programmes to save thetiger. This also calls for morecommitment and dedication onthose involved.

The job of protecting the tigercannot be the normal 9-to-5arrangement. Wildlife Departmentofficers need to go beyond the call of duty, and they need toequate the success of increasing the number of tigers with their owncareer success.

Only those who really love thetiger and other wildlife shouldconsider a career in the WildlifeDepartment.

The orang asli need to be anintegral part of the tigerconservation efforts. Presently,many of them are indifferent andnot cooperating as they appear tohave some grievances with theGovernment over their customaryrights.

The orang asli should berewarded with economic benefitsfor helping in tiger conservation.This can be done by employingthem in various capacities as theyare well versed with the jungle. Itwill keep them from poaching ontheir own or helping other poachersas well.

All logging, trapping, hunting,searching for agar wood and otheractivities should be strictlyprohibited in the tiger reserves.

Impose a curfew from dusk todawn in the tiger reserves with a

shoot-to-kill order against poachers.Bring in the armed forces to patrolthe tiger sanctuaries when poachersare sighted.

Ban all hunting with dogs as allwild animals, big and small,including the tiger are stressed bythe canines hunting in packs.

Hunting of wild boar, deer andother potential tiger prey should betotally banned even if these animalsare numerous, and hunting permitsshould not be issued. A plentifulsupply of tiger prey will translateinto healthier tigers and more cubs.

Rope in more wildlife supportgroups, NGOs and individuals tohelp in the tiger conservation effortsthrough corporate sponsorships,donations and other contributions.

Impose strict speed limits onhighways and roads runningthrough the tiger sanctuaries andalso install electric fences alonghighway stretches where tigers areknown to frequently cross.Signboards prohibitingunauthorised people from entering the tiger reserves should be placed at various spots along the border.

Tourism is a big revenue earnerfor this country and a reasonablepercentage of it should be set asidefor the protection of wildlife whichis essential for ecotourism.

The Tourism and CultureMinistry should also producebrochures on wildlife to enlightenlocals and tourists. Moredocumentaries about local wildlife should be shown in thevarious media to enable moreMalaysians to know and beconcerned over the plight of ourwildlife, especially those underthreat of extinction.

Closely monitor the activities ofvillagers living near tiger reserves asthere are many who own guns andmay collaborate with the poachers.Effective intelligence-gathering isneeded to eliminate poaching.

The Government can engagethe villagers in these efforts byoffering them economic benefits,perhaps through ecotourismactivities.

Tiger cubs need to be watchedclosely to ensure their survival.Nursing tiger mothers need to be helped if their food supply isscarce by placing animal carcassesnear them. We have now come to the point where we have to save the tiger even throughunnatural means!

Motion-sensitive cameras and other technological advancesneed to be used to monitor bothtigers and cubs. More attentionshould be given to the cubs as they are the means to stop thedecline in the tiger population. The cameras can also be used tomonitor any illegal activities in thetiger reserves.

The Government could alsoconsider giving “denizen” status(similar to human citizenship) toendangered wildlife such as thetiger. This will enable theGovernment to formulate newlegislation against poaching andkilling of wildlife and to mete outstiffer punishment. The killing of atiger should be equated withmurder, or something close to it, toensure punishment.

Worldwide, many wild animalsare ruthlessly being killed bypoachers. Unless these animals areprotected through the enhanceddenizenship status, there is no wayto stop their extinction.

For a start, arrested poachersand killers of endangered wildlifeshould be remanded and regardedas guilty and they need to provetheir innocence, not the other wayround as at present.

Help the depleted stock of tigerprey - animals such as wild boarand deer - to recover by protectingtheir habitat.

Malaysians need to be morecommitted and dedicated inhelping out with sponsorships,programmes and activities to savethe tiger.

Even though one may not belucky enough to see a tiger in thewild, knowing that there is a largenumber of them in the jungle willbe a big consolation.

— V. THOMAS, Sungai Buloh


36 June 2016

Endangered Tiger Killed inMyanmar Came fromThailand

“Because national borders are notboundaries for wildlife, this episodeunderscores the importance of thetransboundary forests of Thailand andMyanmar, and the opportunity forthe two countries to work together tomanage conservation areas that ensurea future for both tigers and people.”

NEW YORK (MARCH 9, 2016) -Experts from the Wildlife Conser-vation Society (WCS) say that a tigerkilled on Feb 25th in Myanmarcame from a protected area inneighboring Thailand that currentlyhosts between 60 and 70 tigers.

Using a database of camera trapimages, Thai government and WCS

experts were able to identify thetiger as a male approximately threeyears old known by scientists asHKT-206M. It was photographedin the Huai Kha Khaeng WildlifeSanctuary last February with itsmother (HKT-141F). In anotherstriking image, the tiger waswalking past the camera with apangolin in its mouth.

The tiger is believed to havetraveled approximately 170kilometers (105 miles) crossing theDawna Mountain range in thetransboundary Taninthayi regioninto Myanmar. The natural range ofmale tigers is about 300 sq.km (115sq. miles), but the range of transientanimals like this one can be muchlarger.

The tiger was killed afterinjuring two fishermen in a wetland

in Kayin State. When authoritiesfrom the Myanmar Border GuardForce and Myanmar Police Forceattempted to subdue it, the tigerattacked a soldier and was shot.

Some villagers believed that theappearance of tiger was connectedto the spiritual world. Monksstripped the skin off the animal inorder to preserve it at the localmonastery and cremated theremaining tiger carcass in aceremony.

A recent study by a team ofThai and international scientistsfound that tigers in Huai KhaKhaeng Wildlife Sanctuary arerebounding thanks to enhancedprotection measures. Monitoring ofthe population from 2005-2012identified 90 individual tigers andan improvement in tiger survival

MMYYAANNMMAARR

Camera trap photos reveal tiger last seen in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary· Tiger traversed mountain range to reachMyanmar

2016 June 37


and recruitment over time.“This incident is a bittersweet

story of a healthy population oftigers dispersing into new areas,then coming into conflict withhumans.” Said Colin Poole, WCSRegional Director, Greater Mekong.“Because national borders are not

boundaries for wildlife, this episodeunderscores the importance of thetransboundary forests of Thailandand Myanmar, and the opportunityfor the two countries to worktogether to manage conservationareas that ensure a future for bothtigers and people.”

President warns againstillegal wildlife poachingBy Pyae Thet Phyo |Monday, 06 June 2016

While looking at photos after theceremony, he told officials at theconservation department, “Youmust take action to stop it. Youreally need to do it.”

“Wildlife poaching andsmuggling could damage theecosystem and fuel gang crimes,”the president said.

“Until the past decade, we knewvery little about the effects of illegaltrading of wildlife on theenvironment, business sector andsocial community.”

“But today, due to advances intechnology and knowledge, we canassess the situation. And, as it is aworrisome situation, we need toconduct preventative measureeffectively,” he said.

Illegal wildlife tradingproliferates across Myanmar’sborders. Mong La in Shan State isknown as a transit haven forpoachers, and a hot spot for tradingin endangered pangolins. Reportssuggest there is also significant tradein elephants, Asiatic bears, sun

The killed tiger roaming in the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary in February 2015

The line sight distance between the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaryand thelocation where the tiger was killed

bears, tigers, leopards, snowleopards, cloud leopards, turtles andtortoises from Myanmar to itsneighbours.

“In Asia’s smuggling market, akilogram of ivory is priced atUS$220, while a kilogram ofrhinoceros horns is about $60,000.They are more expensive than goldand platinum,” U Htin Kyaw said.

“The amount of money spenton transactions involving wildlifeacross the world is $20 billion ayear. It is the fourth-biggesttrafficking business after the tradeof drugs, weapons and persons.”

In 1994 Myanmar enacted theProtection of Wildlife and WildPlants and Conservation of NaturalAreas Law, which forbids thepossession, sale or export ofendangered animals or their partsand carries fines of K30,000 to

K50,000 or imprisonment of up toseven years.

Myanmar is also a signatory ofthe Convention on theInternational Trade of EndangeredSpecies.

Conservation ministry takesaim at Mong La wildlifetradeBy AFP | Wednesday, 08June 2016

Authorities plan to shut down anotorious market where exoticanimal parts are sold openly, anofficial said yesterday, as SoutheastAsia struggles to stem a billion-dollar wildlife trade fuelled byChinese demand.

Mong La, a lawless border townlocated in territory controlled by

the Myanmar National DemocraticAlliance Army in Shan State, is ahotbed for buying and sellingendangered species. Products suchas elephant tusks and tiger wine arefreely traded, largely to Chinesetourists.

It is part of the “golden triangle”of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand,where illegal activity - includingdrug, wildlife and people trafficking- proliferates.

“We are planning to close themarket. But without [cooperationfrom] local people and local police,we won’t be successful,” U KyawSan Naing, the director ofMyanmar’s conservation ministry,told AFP.

He said previous governmentshad allowed the trade to flourish,making it hard to quickly shutterthe lucrative zone.


38 June 2016

President U Htin Kyaw attends a World Environment Day ceremony in Nay Pyi Taw

PHOTO: PYAE THET PHYO / THE MYANMAR TIMES

The ministry plans an educationcampaign to teach people about thevalue of protecting Myanmar’swildlife and natural resources.

“It concerns [locals’] livelihoods,so it will be difficult to close themarket urgently. But to kill anelephant for two tusks is not theright way,” U Kyaw San Naing said.

Southeast Asia is a biodiversityhotspot, but weak governance,

endemic corruption and porousborders across the region haveallowed an illegal wildlife trade toboom.

Many of the products arefunnelled to China, where there is ahigh demand for exotic pets,traditional medicines and luxuryfashion products.

WWF-Myanmar yesterdaywelcomed the news that steps were

being taken to shutter Mong La.“It is an important step toward

addressing the illegal wildlife tradein Myanmar and the GoldenTriangle, and WWF will continueto work with the Myanmargovernment and other conservationorganisations to ensure that furthersteps are taken to tackle wildlifecrime,” said country directorChristy Williams.

2016 June 39


NNEEPPAALL

NTNC, ZSL sign tigerconservation agreement- Post Report, Kathmandu

May 18, 2016- National Trust forNature Conservation (NTNC) onTuesday signed an agreement withZoological Society of London(ZSL) to launch awareness raisingactivities in national parks andwildlife reserves in Tarai region,stretched along the Nepal-Indiaborder.

Concerned over the increasedpoaching of tiger in major habitatsin the country, particularly in theWest Nepal in the recent months,the national and internationalorganisations working in wildlifeconservation have agreed toorganise activities focusing onraising awareness about tigerconservation in Bardia NationalPark, Banke National Park, ParsaWildlife Reserve, ShuklaphantaWildlife Reserve and buffer-zoneforest areas.

The agreement signed betweenGovinda Parajuli, member secretaryat the NTNC and Hem SagarBaral, national coordinator of ZSLin Nepal, focuses on conductingcamera trapping to study the statusof tiger and their prey species,providing training to increase thecapacity of government authorities

working in conservation, improvingthe effectiveness of securitynetwork, setting up new securityposts and support in patrollinginside the protected areas.

The three-year project with anestimated cost of Rs 95.23 millionwill be implemented with theinvolvement of the Department ofNational Parks and WildlifeReserve, ZSL and localcommunities, according to theagreement. It will also work toenhance the capacity ofcommunity-based units in variousdistricts to combat poaching andillegal wildlife trade. The 13 tigerrange countries, including Nepal, in2010 pledged to double the existingwild tiger populations by 2022.Nepal is home to 198 wild tigers, asper the 2013 census. http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/printedition/news/2016-05-18/ntnc-

zsl-sign-tiger-conservation-agreement.html

Nepal, India chalk out plansto save the tiger- Pragati Shahi, Kathmandu

Mar 17, 2016- Wildlifeconservation authorities from Nepaland India have concluded thatBawaria and Banjara tribal

communities in India pose keythreat to tiger conservation, anddecided to come up with measuresto track down the poachers,monitor their activities and restricttheir movement along the trans-boundary corridor.

A dramatic surge in tigerpoaching with cases of arrests andseizures of tiger skins and bodyparts in Nepal has triggered alarmbells in both the countries. Tigerconservation remained a key agendaof discussion between the wildlifeofficials from both the countriesduring the two-day trans-boundarymeeting that ended in New Delhion Tuesday.

Fourteen incidents involvingarrests of more than two dozenpeople, including groups ofBanjaras, along with tiger parts atdifferent times from different partsof the country, were reportedbetween January 2015 and February2016 in the country, said MahesworDhakal, deputy director general atthe Department of National Parksand Wildlife Conservation(DNPWC). “This possibly indicatesthat 14 tigers were killed during theperiod, as most of the skins werefresh,” he said.

An investigation by NepalPolice’s Central InvestigationBureau found that six out of the

total 14 tigers killed by the poachersbelonged to the Bardiya NationalPark, a potential tiger habitat wherethe number of the wild cats wasfound to be increasing in recentyears. The CIB has also found thatIndia’s nomadic Banjara andBawariya communities-notorioustiger hunters-are also in the trade oftiger skins and body parts, saidDhakal.

“Tiger poaching is not onlyNepal’s problem. India is facingpoaching as serious threat to theexistence of the remaining tigerpopulation in the country. Both thecountries have agreed to strengthentheir conservation efforts at alllevels to control poaching andillegal wildlife trade,” he said.

The tiger population in Nepal isestimated to number around 200individuals, and in India around2,200.

During the meeting, Nepalidelegates put forward the agenda ofsigning a memorandum ofunderstanding between the twogovernments to work on theconservation sector. Despiterepeated efforts, no agreements hasbeen signed at government level totackle wildlife conservation andwork towards biodiversityconservation, between the twocountries, while Nepal has alreadysigned an agreement with China onenvironment and biodiversityconservation.

“We hope some concrete

decisions will be taken to enhancethe trans-boundary cooperationbetween India and Nepal, and otherregional countries in tigerconservation during the upcomingministerial meeting next month,”Dhakal said.

Representatives of wildlifeconservation authorities, wildlifecrime control agencies and securitybodies of both the countriesparticipated in the annual trans-boundary meeting to discuss onconservation efforts in both thecountries to protect biodiversity.India has also agreed to shareknowledge, expertise and providemale gharial crocodiles to theChitwan National Park to facilitatebreeding.


40 June 2016

Introduction Seminar OnCameratrapsAsemyonov posted onFebruary 01, 2016 22:04

A training seminar titled “Usingcamera traps for monitoring andresearch of wildlife populations”took place over January 25-30 2016in the Sikhote-Alin Reserve and atthe Wildlife Conservation Society’sresearch center in Ternei.

Its goal was to providebackground information for thosewildlife practitioners who recentlystarted using camera traps, for thosewho would like to start using them,and for those who already havesome experience but would likemore information on how toanalyze and manage data theyobtained.

“In recent years, camera trapshave become a very popular methodof collecting wildlife data all overthe world. However, they are oftenused without clearly stated goals, or

without the use of a clearmethodology needed to reach thedesired objectives. During ourtraining we will try to “guide” theparticipants through the entireprocess of conducting researchusing camera traps: starting withstating and correctly formulatinggoals, on to obtaining, storing, andanalyzing the data”, says DaleMiquelle, director of the WildlifeConservation Society’s RussiaProgram.

This seminar was organized byemployees of the WildlifeConservation Society and theSikhote-Alin Reserve, who acquiredmany years of experiencesuccessfully conducting camera trapsurveys of the Amur tiger, FarEastern leopard, and Amur goral.

The seminar was attended byover 30 participants. Among themare employees of 11 reserves, 2national parks, 2 Institutes of theRussian Academy of Sciences,several environmental NGOs,

students of the Far Eastern FederalUniversity, and a representative of amajor Russian camera trap suppliercompany.

“Such gatherings provide aunique opportunity to meetprofessionals with experience usingcamera traps to study differentanimals, from birds to tigers andbears. The exchange of experience,and discussion of problems eachresearcher encounters in their work,present an opportunity to take afresh look at the issue and to learnabout each participant’s ways ofusing cameras, and their tricks ofthe trade” says Svetlana Soutyrina,Deputy Director for Science at theSikhote Alin Reserve.

As part of the training, fieldwork was carried out in usingcamera traps to assess the sika deerpopulation in the Blagodatnoe areaof the Reserve, and workshops wereconducted on the use of currentsoftware for individualidentification of animals from

RRUUSSSSIIAA

photos and on the statistical analysisof information. This knowledge willenable participants to elevate thequality of their research and obtaininteresting data.

“For us, this is the first, andrather successful, experience incarrying out such a large-scaletraining event. Our Reserve and ourcolleagues from the WildlifeConservation Society have vastexpertise and knowledge in the fieldof research and wildlifeconservation, so we can confidentlysay that this seminar is one of manyto come. Even now we are puttingtogether a program for a followingseminar” said Dmitry Gorshkov,Director of the Sikhote-AlinReserve.

Released orphaned tigersBorya and Svetlaya survivesecond winter in wildBy: Ekaterina BlidchenkoPosted: Wed, 06/01/2016

New photographs of the tigersfamously released back to the wildshow that Borya and Svetlaya havesuccessfully survived their secondwinter. Their good physical conditionconfirms that during the winter theydid not suffer from lack of food.

While other predators-lynxes,wolves and bears-inhabit the tigers’range, there are no “strained”relationships. This situation differsfrom the one in the “Khingansky”Natural Reserve, where female Ilonahas established her range; she has

hunted wolves several times, whichled to the wolves moving to adifferent territory. The experts havenot researched interactions betweenpredators within ranges ofreintroduced tigers in detail.

Monitoring is performed jointlyby PRNCO “Tiger Center”,inspectors of Hunting InspectionDepartment of the JewishAutonomous Region government,Wildlife Conservation Society(WCS), experts of A.N. SevertsovInstitute of Ecology and Evolutionof the Russian Academy of Sciences,staff of “Bastak” Natural Reserveand “Khingansky” Natural Reservewith support of Fund “Phoenix”and the International Fund forAnimal Welfare.

2016 June 41


(Top) The Introduction Seminar on Cameratraps was attended by more then 30 participants from all over the Russia. (Left) Outdoor practice for participants of the Cameratraps Introduction Seminar. (Right) Setting camera-traps - outdoorpractice learning for participants of the Cameratraps Introduction Seminar


Antipoaching efforts havehelped the wild tigerpopulation in Thailand’sHuai Kha Khaeng WildlifeSanctuary to nearly triple insizeBy John R. Platt on February19, 2016

Thailand’s wild tigers finally havesome good news. Camera trapsdeployed in Huai Kha KhaengWildlife Sanctuary have revealedthat its population of Indochinesetigers (Panthera tigris corbetti) hasincreased from a low of about 35 to90. According to a study publishedthis month inConservation Biology,this is now the only tigerpopulation in all of Southeast Asiathat is actually growing.

The entire wild population ofthe Indochinese tiger subspecies wasestimated at just 350 animals in2010. The subspecies can also befound in Laos, Myanmar,Cambodia and Vietnam. It may ormay not still exist in China.

The study credits thepopulation increase to intenseantipoaching efforts which were putin place in Huai Kha Khaeng in2006. Armed guards regularlypatrol the sanctuary to protect notjust the tigers but also the animalsthe big cats eat.

“The prey, too, have rebounded,which is the reason why we areseeing increased recruitment andreproduction towards end of theperiod of this study,” says UllasKaranth, director of the WildlifeConservation Society’s IndiaProgram and a co-author of thenew study.

Karanth says Huai KhaKhaeng’s tiger population holdsparticular importance because it’swhat’s called a “source” populationof animals which can disperse into

the broader range for the species.“These are the areas where there issufficient prey and protection forsome reproduction to take placeand provide a small surplus fordispersal and colonization of widerempty forests,” he says, adding thatthe sanctuary probably now holdsthe “the largest source population oftigers outside of the Indiancontinent.”

The ten years of protectiveefforts have obviously paid off andbegun to pay dividends as tigersborn over the past few years reachmaturity and have the opportunityto reproduce. “We are currentlyanalyzing the tiger data gatheredafter this study, but it is clear thatwe are getting more tigers and morecubs in our traps suggesting thepopulation is beginning to take off,based on all the good work,”Karanth says.

Of course, the situation fortigers in Thailand is not completelyrosy. Poaching still exists, possiblyeven with the protected sanctuary.A tiger skin and body partsrecovered from poachers this pastNovember was identified, thanks tocamera traps photos and her uniquefur patterns, as a female known tohave lived in Haui Kha Khaeng.Whether her two cubs survived theloss of their mother remainsunknown.

Meanwhile, Thailand has athriving commercial tiger breedingindustry which supports cruel andinhumane tourist attractions such asthe infamous Tiger Temple, whichitself holds more big cats than theentire wild population in Huai KhaKhaeng. Animals from that facilityhave also been linked to the blackmarket trade in tiger bones andother body parts, according to aninvestigation published last monthby journalist Sharon Guynup in

National Geographic. The tigersfrom this industry are useless forconservation purposes due torampant inbreeding and poorhusbandry. The commercialdemand created by commercialindustry also puts pressure on wildtigers, as products made from wildanimals aremore valued in Asianculture.

Still, the population in thissanctuary remains a rare bright spotfor Thailand and for all ofSoutheast Asia’s embattled big cats.Karanth says he expects the tigers inHuai Kha Khaeng to continue theirgrowth and to reach the habitat’scarrying capacity in another 10 to15 years as long as protectivemeasures remain at their currentlevel.

The broader story for tigers,though, remains bleak. “I alwayswelcome good tiger news because itis so rare,” says wildlife investigatorJ.A. Mills, author of Blood of theTiger. She added, “I cautionoptimism for wild tigers based onreports like this. The key takeawayfor me is ‘this is the only site inSoutheast Asia where tigers areconfirmed to be increasing inpopulation.’ That is scary.”

Tiger Temple monk held ‘forsmuggling’

Thai authorities say they havedetained a monk attempting tosmuggle tiger skins and fangs froma Buddhist temple.

Operators at Wat Pha Luang TaBua temple, known as the “TigerTemple”, are accused of wildlifetrafficking and animal abuse. Theydeny the charges.

On Wednesday, wildlife officialsfound the bodies of 40 dead tigercubs at the temple complex.

TTHHAAIILLAANNDD

42 June 2016

2016 June 43


The discovery came during aweek-long effort to relocate 137tigers from the tourist site inKanchanaburi province.

The temple operators hadresisted previous attempts to removethe tigers.

Police intercepted the monk,and two other men, in a lorryleaving the temple in westernThailand on Thursday.

The authorities confiscated twofull-length tiger skins, about 700amulets made from tiger parts, and10 tiger fangs, TeunchaiNoochdumrong, director of of theWildlife Conservation Office, toldthe BBC.

“This confiscation shows thatthe temple is likely involved inillegal tiger trade. They are clearlyviolating the law in selling,distributing of transferring theprotected animals or their parts,”she said.

Wildlife authorities in Thailandhave said they will press chargesagainst the temple.

On Wednesday, tiger cubcorpses were found in a freezer atthe complex, along with body partsfrom other animals.

Police Col BandithMeungsukhum told the AgenceFrance-Presse news agency the cubs

would have been one or two daysold, but it was not clear how longthey had been dead.

Alarm over illegal wildlifetradeBy Nirmal Ghosh, TheStraits Times / ANN,Tuesday, June 7, 2016, 14:39

It was a discovery that shocked eventhose who feared the worst: 70 deadtiger cubs and other wildlife speciesstuffed in freezers.

The Thai authorities, raiding

the now infamous Tiger Temple inthe western province ofKanchanaburi over the past week,uncovered what they suspect couldbe a transnational tiger-smugglingracket.

For years, it had been breedingtigers and attracting paying tourists,reaping a windfall as an attraction.But under the noses of the visitors,the temple was apparentlypackaging tiger parts to be sold aspotions in labelled jars acrossSoutheast Asia and China.

Last Friday, the UN’s Office onDrugs and Crime (UNODC) said

This file photo taken on May 30, 2016 shows Thai wildlife officials using a tunnel of cages to capture a tiger and remove itfrom an enclosure at the Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi province, western Thailand

PHO

TO

: AFP

In this photo released by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and PlantConservation, the remains of tiger cubs and a bear are laid out at the “TigerTemple” in Saiyok district in Kanchanaburi province, west of Bangkok, Thailand,June 1, 2016

PHO

TO

: AP

the tiger seizures at the templerepresented “only a tiny proportionof the enormous extent of an illegaltrade in wildlife that is pushingspecies to the brink of extinction”.

“Until the illegal trade inwildlife is stopped, we are onlylikely to see more of these types ofsituations,” it said.

Environmental crime - whichincludes wildlife and timbertrafficking - is growing at an“alarming pace”, Interpol secretary-general Juergen Stock said in astatement on Saturday, the eve ofWorld Environment Day. Thisyear’s theme is “Fight against illegaltrade in wildlife”.

Globally the value of such crimeis between US$91 billion andUS$258 billion, a sharp jump fromthe US$70 billion to US$213billion in 2014, according to theUnited Nations EnvironmentProgramme (UNEP) and Interpol.

Weak laws and poorly fundedsecurity forces are enablinginternational criminal networks andarmed rebels to profit from a tradethat fuels conflicts, devastates

ecosystems and is threateningspecies with extinction, the reportsaid.

Environmental crime is theworld’s fourth largest criminalenterprise after drug smuggling,counterfeiting and humantrafficking, the two agencies noted.

Criminal syndicates have linksdeep in the forests of Asia, Africaand Latin America, with wildlifetrade routes leading to China andEast Asia where the big markets lie -China for ivory, rosewood andother wildlife and timber products;and Vietnam for timber and rhinohorn among others.

The rich tropical jungles ofSoutheast Asia are only one areabeing looted by environmentalcriminals.

Globally, over the past 10 years,over 1,000 park rangers have beenkilled, 80 per cent of them bycommercial poachers and armedmilitia groups.

According to the Britain-basedGlobal Witness, over 1,000environmental and land rightsactivists and protesters have been

murdered worldwide since 2002.Between 2010 and 2012,

100,000 African elephants werekilled out of a population of fewerthan 500,000. Close to 100 Africanelephants are killed every day fortheir ivory - one every 15 minutes.

Chimpanzees, killed for meatand for the exotic pet trade, arenow completely extinct in Gambia,Burkina Faso, Benin and Togo,where they were once numerous.

The harmless pangolin has beenkilled at the rate of an estimated117,000 to 233,000 from 2011-2013.

Pangolin processing factorieshave been found deep in the junglesof Indonesia, and trucks stuffedwith tonnes of pangolins have beenfound trying to cross from Malaysiato Thailand on the way to Laos andChina. The UN has called for “zerotolerance for wildlife crime”.

There are, however, someencouraging signs, says Bangkok-based regional coordinatorGiovanni Broussard of UNODC’sprogramme on combating wildlifeand forest crime.


44 June 2016

National Parks and Wildlife Officers examine the skin of a tiger at the “Tiger Temple” in Saiyok district in KanchanaburiProvince, west of Bangkok, Thailand on June 2, 2016

PHO

TO

: AP

2016 June 45


“The perception at least is thatthere is more awareness of theproblem here in the region,” hesaid.

“Asean ministers of publicsecurity last year agreed to listwildlife and timber trafficking as apriority area under transnationalorganised crime, and areestablishing a working group. Sothe gravity of the situation isbeginning to be appreciated.”

In its first report on crime,released in May, the UNODCnoted that “the trafficking ofwildlife is increasingly recognised asboth a specialised area of organisedcrime and a significant threat tomany plant and animal species”.

Analysts and activists say seizingcontraband wildlife and timber isnot enough; it must be followed bywide-ranging investigations of thesort that are brought to bear onterrorism and drug trafficking cases.

In one such case, the Thaiauthorities are prosecuting a womanin the north central province ofChaiyaphum, who ran a tiger farm

- and whose brother was caughtpoaching rosewood.

The authorities confiscatedmillions of dollars worth of assetsfrom them, said Tim Redford of theFreeland Foundation in Bangkok,which trains Thai rangers in thefight against poachers.

Halfway across the world, inTanzania, a prominent Beijing-bornChinese businesswoman, YangFenglan, 66, is on trial, accused ofleading one of Africa’s biggest ivorysmuggling rings, responsible formore than 700 elephant tusksworth US$2.5 million illegallyshipped out of Tanzania. She deniesthe charges.

In his message to mark WorldEnvironment Day, which isobserved annually on June 5, UNSecretary-General Ban Ki Moonsaid this year’s observance “shines amuch-needed spotlight on theillegal trade in wildlife”.

“There is grave cause for alarm.Elephants are being slaughtered fortheir ivory, rhinos for their horns,and pangolins for their scales. From

sea turtles to tigers to rosewood,thousands of species of wild animalsand plants are being driven evercloser to extinction,” he said.

They will be DNA tested to seewhether they were related to othertigers at the site. Officials say thetemple operators could be chargedwith keeping the carcasses withoutpermission.

The temple previously said ithad decided in 2010 to stopcremating cubs which died soonafter birth. It has always deniedtrafficking allegations.

Authorities started the operationto remove all 137 living tigers fromthe temple on Monday. Dozenshave already been removed, andtaken to animal refuges.

The site, west of Bangkok, is apopular tourist attraction, withvisitors able to post for photos withthe animals for a fee. It has beenclosed to the public since the raid.

Animal activists and formerworkers have claimed the tigers aremistreated and kept in smallconcrete cages.

Four tiny tiger cubs foundfrozen in Vietnam animalsmuggling operationPublished time: 18 May,2016 17:19

A man was arrested in northernVietnam on Sunday for traffickingthe frozen carcasses of four tigercubs.

Pham Van Tu, 26, was held atthe border of Vietnam and Laoswhile attempting to deliver thecarcasses to a buyer.

The man was tracked downafter he brazenly advertised theanimals for sale on Facebook, wherehe found a buyer willing to part

with VND$8 million (US$359) forthe carcasses, according toVietnam’s VN Express.

The illegal tiger trade is asignificant problem in Vietnam,where the animals are sold mainlyfor their skin, meat, claws andbones. These are made into a glue-like ointment believed to havehealing properties.

The man is now beingquestioned by police and isreportedly suspected of being amember of a wildlife traffickingring. Tigers are categorised as an“endangered” species by theInternational Union forConservation of Nature and

Natural Resources. The world’s tigerpopulation has decreased by over 95percent in the last century,according to the World WildlifeFund.

In Vietnam, the tigerpopulation has plummeted frommore than 100 in the early part ofthe century, to as few as five today.Tigers are now being bred incaptivity in order to cater for thehigh demand in illegal animaltrading.

News of the frozen tiger cubdiscovery comes ahead of Vietnamhosting the third InternationalWildlife Trade Conference inHanoi.

VVIIEETTNNAAMM


46 June 2016

NNEEWWSS FFRROOMM NNAATTIIOONNAALL NNGGOOss

The Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT)

The Wildlife Conservation Trust(WCT) currently works in 118national parks and sanctuaries andseveral territorial forests in Indiaacross 20 states, covering 75% of 49tiger reserves and 15% ofapproximately 730 Protected Areas(PAs). With over 3.5 million peopleliving inside tiger reserves andseveral hundred million dependenton natural ecosystems, we cannotseparate communities fromconservation. Thus, WCT lays equalemphasis on wildlife conservationand community development.

ProtectionWCT works closely with state forestdepartments to ensure they have thebest equipment and training tocarry out their duties.

Support to Forest Department:WCT’s Rapid Response Unit(RRU) is presently deployed in theCentral Indian Landscape. It dealswith cases of wildlife rescue,human-wildlife conflict and extendssupport to the forest department asand when required. So far in 2016,the RRU has assessed cases of tigerattacks on humans in theBrahmapuri and Bhandari forestdivisions. Following which, theteam presented a set ofrecommendations, like setting upwarning systems and conductingawareness camps in villages to

mitigate chances of attacks, to theMaharashtra Forest Department(MFD). The team has also lentassistance to wildlife rescueoperations and conducted post-mortems on two tigers, a leopard,and a sloth bear in Maharashtra andMadhya Pradesh.

Anti-poaching Camps (APCs)are critical for the protection offorests. They are often located inremote places and lack basicamenities. WCT equips APCs toease the challenges faced byfrontline forest staff. Since Jan2016, WCT has equipped 100APCs in Navegaon-Nagzira TigerReserve, Katepurna and DyangangaWildlife Sanctuaries. WCTprovided essential items such asintegrated solar systems, first aidkits, mosquito nets, GPS devices,binoculars, digital cameras, metaltrunks, cooking sets, water filters,water tanks and personal equipmentfor guards such as raincoats, shoes,winter jackets and water bottlesamong others. WCT also extendedits support to 88 members of theSpecial Tiger Protection Force(STPF) teams in Melghat andSatpura Tiger Reserve.

WCT with the Madhya PradeshForest Department (MPFD) andthe MFD introduced MSTrIPES (aPatrol Based Wildlife MonitoringGIS Database system) module inthe Pench Tiger Reserve of both

states. The system provides criticalinsights by revealing patterns ofpatrolling and crime, therebyensuring informed decisions andimproving overall effectiveness ofthe on-going patrolling activities.The systematic and tactical patrolcan significantly control illegalactivities.

Capacity-building for frontlineforest staff: A key focus of WCT isto build capacity within the forestdepartment. To this end, WCTconducts various trainings for foreststaff, often bringing in experts fromvarious fields such as veterinarymedicine and law to supplement theofficers’ skill sets.

While India has excellentlegislation on environmentalprotection, proper enforcement ofthe same is impeded by lack oftraining of forest officials. WCTworks to redress this by conductingWildlife Crime Prevention trainingprograms that introduce forest staffto India’s wildlife laws, powers theyhold and how best to utilise them.This year, WCT led trainings havereached over 1200 forest guards inten preparatory forest traininginstitutes in Madhya Pradesh andMaharashtra. WCT also conductedtwo-day training in collaborationwith the Chief Conservator ofForest’s (CCF) office in MadhyaPradesh with 53 senior field staff

2016 June 47


from Hoshangabad, Balaghat forestdivisions and Satpura TigerReserve.In addition, WCT hasdeveloped and distributed posters,which depict various illegal wildliferesources, offences and briefly statesectional laws from the WildlifeProtection Act, 1972 in Hindi andMarathi. These are intended to aidforest guards in detection andconviction of wildlife or forestrelated crimes.

WCT in collaboration withPanthera conducted a two weekSite-Security Trainings (SST) forthe 25 frontline staff of Pench TigerReserve from Maharashtra andMadhya Pradesh. WCT alsoconducted training of trainers,wherein four STPF guards weretrained on imparting trainings onsite security.

Conservation Research: Increasedor stable tiger densities are animportant measure of protectionawarded to the species, thereforeresearch and monitoring exercises inboth PAs and territorial forests areessential components of the WCTconservation strategy.

WCT conducted a cameratrapping study in Madhya Pradesh

covering approximately 5,600 sq.kms including the forest divisionsin the districts of Hoshangabad,Chhindwara, Seoni, Mandla,Balaghat, Khandwa and Dewas,entire core and buffer zone ofSatpura Tiger Reserve (2000 sq.kms), Kanha-Pench corridor(approx. 3000 sq. kms), and theproposed Omkareshwar NationalPark (600 sq.kms). WCT alsoconducted training sessions forsetting up camera traps, monitoringtechniques and prey densityestimates with forest guards, so thatthey can carry out assessmentsindependently.

Images from the extensivecamera trapping exercise in Kanha-Pench corridor and Satpuda TigerReserve yielded a spectaculardiscovery of a rare mammal species,the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra).This is the first- ever photographicevidence of the species in India andnow the only known site outside itsexisting geographical range.

Conservation Policy: BetweenJanuary and March 2016, WCT incollaboration with the NTCA andthe Global Tiger Forum (GTF),organised three bilateral

consultations on trans-boundarytiger habitats between India-Bangladesh, India-Bhutan andIndia-Nepal respectively. Theconsultations were aimed atincreasing inter-country cooperationon these critical landscapes. Topsenior forest officials from eachcountry participated in theconsultation that focused onrenewing existing MoUs andresolutions, capacity-building offrontline forest staff and sharing ofbest practices. These consultationswere a part of the WCT-USAIDTiger Matters project.

Community InterventionsWCT works closely withcommunities living in the bufferzones of tiger reserves in three keyareas: health, education andlivelihoods. Our goal is to raisetheir standard of living and reducetheir dependence on forests.

a) Health: The WCT healthinitiative focuses on providingquality healthcare to forest staff andcommunities in the buffer zones oftiger reserves. WCT conducted 33community health camps covering30 villages in the buffer zone of theTadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve,


48 June 2016

Maharashtra. A total of 2,256outpatient-care services wereprovided through health camps.

In early 2016, WCT in alliancewith Dr. Chetan Trivedi of the TulsiFoundation conducted a TraumaManagement workshop forfrontline forest staff in the foreststaff in the Bor & Pench TigerReserves and Umred KarhandlaWildlife Sanctuary. The workshopswere aimed at improving guards’responses to medical crises in thefield. They included modules onBasic Life Support (BLS), how tohandle burns, severe allergicreactions, bites, broken bones,malaria and other field-relatedaccidents. The staff was given basicfirst-aid equipment such as gloves,masks and bandages. A total of 122forest guards participated in thetraining, along with 40 forest guard trainees.

In order to raise awareness on

personal hygiene and promotepreventive health measures among forest staff, WCT conducted eight Caring forConservators (CFC) health campsin Matkuli, Pachmarhi, Madai,Churna of the Satpura TigerReserve in Madhya Pradesh. WCT conducted pathologicalscreenings, followed bycomprehensive clinical healthcheck-ups for 618 forest guards.

b) Education: WCTunderstands the value of educationto a child’s future and worksextensively with government schoolsin the buffer zones of the PAs tobuild the capacity of teachers,provide infrastructural support,create alternate avenues for learningthrough digital platforms like theGuru-G tablets and support NonFormal Education Centres(NFECs). Currently, the WCT’seducation initiative supports schools

in buffer zones of the followingPAs: Ranthambhore, Panna,Bandhavgarh, Satpura, Kanha,Pench (Madhya Pradesh andMaharashtra), Bandipur,Madhumali, Tadoba-Andhari and BRT Hills. Over 42,000students and 1700 teachers in 498villages are benefitting for variouseducation initiatives.

Among other interventions, the WCThas initiated a preliminarystudy to set up a centre for Science, Technology, Engineeringand Mathematics Education(STEM) at Garhi, near Kanha Tiger Reserve. This study isexpected to strengthen thegovernment educational institutesand create permanent work stationsaround Tiger Reserves. Additionally,the Naanu Odutiddene (I AmReading) program was establishedin the Bandipur Tiger Reserve withan aim to instil the habit of reading

(I) Wildlife Conservation &Research(a) Study on dispersal routes oftigers and other wildlife species inBandhavgarh Tiger Reserve: TheCorbett Foundation has begun atwo-year study on the dispersalroutes of tigers and other wildlifespecies in the buffer zone ofBandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. Thebuffer zone of protected forests iscrucial habitat, protecting the corezone from anthropogenic pressures

and providing forest cover to ‘spillover’ and migrating animals seekingout new territory, where they canalso avoid competition for finiteresources. The collection and studyof data about the current status ofwildlife here, dispersal routes,habitat and food resources isnecessary to develop efficientmanagement strategies for thishabitat. The study so far revealspromising findings for the longterm conservation of tigers and

other wildlife here. The ongoingstudy has to its credit the firstreport of the Asiatic Wild Cat(Felissilvestris) in BandhavgarhTiger Reserve

(b) Fencing wells: The Governmentof Madhya Pradesh providesfarmers with dug-wells as a sourceof water. There are hundreds ofsuch wells in the vicinity ofBandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.However, there is no protective

2016 June 49


and learning in children, beyondschool hours, with the help of their parents.

c) Livelihoods: Thecommunities living in and aroundIndia’s forests depend heavily onforest produce to supplement theirmeagre income. WCT helps impartvocational training to young peopleand coordinates with a network ofjob providers to find them gainfulemployment, thereby reducing theirdependency on forests. WCT alongwith its local partners have trained315 youth from the buffer zones ofthe Tadoba-Andhari and PenchTiger Reserves in Maharashtra and

the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve inRajasthan. Five vocational trainingcentres have also been set uparound the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve.

WCT in partnership with theSnow Leopard Conservancy IndiaTrust (SLC-IT) has initiatedcommunity based homestays totackle the existing conflict betweenlocal communities and snowleopards in the Trans HimalayanRegion of Ladakh. The programencourages tourists to stay inpeople’s houses, providing themwith an opportunity to learn aboutlocal culture and traditions. It is

perceived that the income generatedfrom this for the household, will actas an incentive to refrain fromretaliatory killing of snow leopards.

In another initiative, WCTalong with Gram Oorja is settingup solar micro-grids for four villagesin the buffer zone of Melghat TigerReserve, Maharashtra, who have noaccess to the government grid. Theintervention, apart from improvingtheir quality of life, is expected toenhance their agricultural yield. Thevillagers in return have agreed tostop indiscriminate grazing andfuelwood collection from thesurrounding forest.

THE CORBETT FOUNDATION (TCF)


50 June 2016

parapet or boundary wallsurrounding the mouth of the well,and in the dark, the open wells area death trap for wildlife venturingoutside the core zone. Wild animalsfrequently fall into these wells byaccident and die of injuries orstarvation. To prevent suchaccidental deaths, TCFBandhavgarh implemented aproject, supported by Big CatRescue (USA) to fence open-dugwells in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.After successfully fencing 200 wellsalong the core zone of Bandhavgarhin 2015, TCF has fenced 56 wellsalong the core zone from January toJune 2016.

(c) Conflict Mitigation - InterimRelief Scheme: Corbett TigerReserve and the adjoining forestdivisions in Uttarakhand are animportant conservation landscapein the Terai arc region, with 250villages and 25 Gujjar settlementslocated in the buffer zones.Depredation of cattle and livestockby tigers and leopards occursfrequently, causing losses to thecommunity. Procedural and

financial compensational delayscause frustration and resentment inthese communities towards wildanimals and the Forest Department.They carry out revenge killings ofthe responsible predator bypoisoning the carcass it returns to,posing a great threat to big catconservation here. To mitigate thishuman-wildlife conflict, TCF beganan Interim Relief Scheme (IRS) in1995, to give ex-gratia financialassistance to villagers whose cattlehave been killed by a tiger or aleopard in the buffer zone of CTR.WWF-India has partnered TCF inthis scheme since 1997. With nearly100% reporting of cattle kills, TCFpromptly responds to kill-reports,providing immediate effectivemonetary assistance and medicaltreatment to the injured. Thisscheme has reduced the antagonismof locals and the revenge killing ofwild carnivores and herbivores.Between January and July 2016,317 cases of cattle depredation bytigers and leopards have beenrecorded and a total amount ofINR 4, 95,330/- was disbursed asinterim relief.

(II) Wildlife AwarenessTCF regularly conducts awarenessprogrammes and campaigns for localcommunities in and around theprotected areas it works in, toimpress upon them the importanceof tiger conservation and conserva-tion-friendly practices. BetweenJanuary and June 2016, TCF Band-havgarh created awareness about tigerconservation among students of 20schools through essay and art compe-titions, movie screenings and shows,rallies, wildlife and environmentalquizzes as well as workshops forteachers. TCF Corbett in collabo-ration with EarthWatch Indiaengaged its 3rd batch of volunteers inits ‘Citizen Science’ programme,wherein individuals from all walks oflife and with a passion forconservation, assist scientists andresearchers in laying transects,conducting socio-economic surveys,monitoring avifauna and more. TCFalso celebrates global environmentaldays such as Earth Day and WorldEnvironment day with local studentsand teachers. TCF Corbett heldpainting competitions for 500students in 30 schools in Ramnagar.

During 1st half of 2016, WPSI hasassisted enforcement officials inIndia and Nepal to detect fourseparate instances of tiger relatedcrime. On 19 January 2016, withWPSI assistance, the WildlifeCrime Control Bureau and BiharPolice seized 2 tiger skins and 35kilograms of tiger bones in Valmikitiger reserve. Acting on theinformation received from theaccused in this case, another tigerskin was recovered fromNawalparasi district of Nepal on 25January 2016. During the

investigation of this case, the bodiesof two tigers killed by poacherswere found in Valmiki tiger reserveon 21 February 2016, and 7 March2016. 10 people have been arrestedin this case.

On 10 February 2016, based onWPSI information, the NepalPolice seized two tiger skins and39.5 kilograms of tiger bones atKailali district. 8 people, including6 Indian nationals from organizedpoaching gangs were arrested in thiscase. On 14 March 2016, with theassistance of WPSI, the Special Task

Force of the Uttakhand Policeseized 5 tiger skins and 125kilograms of tiger bones near theUttarakhand - Uttar Pradesh borderin Haridwar district. One memberof an organized poaching gang hasbeen arrested so far in this case.

On 15 May 2016, 1 tiger skinand approximate 20 kg of tigerbones were seized by Special TaskForce of Uttarakhand police withthe assistance of WPSI at Haridwar-Dehradun Road, under Raiwala P.S,Dehradun dist, 4 persons werearrested.

2016 June 51


WILDLIFE PROTECTION SOCIETY OF INDIA (WPSI)

Madhya Pradesh StateGovernment supports solarfencing intervention aroundthe Kanha Tiger Reserve For famers residing in the vicinityof forests, crop raiding byherbivores is a source of constantfear. Across the country, farmersspeak of losing a significantpercentage of their crops each yearto wild animals such as deer,monkeys, porcupines and wild pigs.

While farmers suffer from huge crop losses, the wild animalsmostly ungulates often face the fury of agitated farmers andvillagers. Mr. Soumen Dey, TeamLeader of the Satpuda MaikalLandscape, WWF India shares that,“Farmers in Kanha-Pench Corridorannually lost almost sixty per centof their crop due to crop raiding bywild ungulates.”

Borrowing from the experience

of colleagues in the Western GhatsNilgiris Landscape who havedeveloped a low cost solar powerednon-fatal electric fence which hasproven to be successful in deterringcrop raiding by elephants. TheSatpuda Maikal Landscape (SML),team in 2013 initiated mitigationmeasures to address the increasingcases of human wildlife conflict andcrop depredation by wild animalsaround Kanha TR. A low-cost solar

WWF-INDIA

52 June 2016

powered fence was installed inPatpara village located in theperiphery of Kanha TR. Thedemonstration fence was put uparound a crop field of 2.25 hectares.The success spurred interest in thefence not just among the otherresidents of Patpara village but alsoother villages adjacent to the park.As the number of interested farmersgrew both the villages as well asfarms were chosen through closeconsultations with the communityand other key stakeholders such asthe forest and agriculturedepartments. The pilot eventuallygrew to include fencing of around30 hectares of crop fields.

Involvement of the agriculturedepartment was crucial as they toowere constantly beseeched bydistraught farmers asking forassistance to deal with the crop

raiding by wild herbivores. Theinteraction with senior agriculturedepartment officials led to an invitebeing extended to WWF India todemonstrate the solar fencingduring the Krishi Mela - a districtlevel agriculture fair- in October2014 in Mandla district. The meetwas attended by the Hon’ble ChiefMinister of the state- Shri ShivrajSingh Chauhan, the StateAgriculture minister, local Memberof the Legislative Assembly, theDistrict Collector, Mandla andmany local farmers.

The dignitaries and officialspresent greatly appreciated the effortsundertaken by WWF-India on thesolar fencing and also led to the stateAgriculture Department requestingthe Field Directors of Kanha,Satpuda and Bandhavgarh TigerReserves to develop and implement a

similar model in the buffer areas ofthese tiger reserves.A positive spin offhas been that the State Agriculturedepartment recently sanctioned anamount of INR 4 crores (USD600,000 approximately) for takingup the solar fencing work acrossselect villages in the buffer of KanhaTR. Similarly, INR 40 lakh(USD60000 apprximately) and INR 12lakh (18000 USD approximately)have been sanctioned to Satpuda andBandhavgarh tiger reservesrespectively.

This is a perfect example of thework that WWF India is seeking toundertake across critical tigerlandscapes where pilots in thisinstance one on addressing humanwildlife conflict has beensuccessfully bought into by stateactors and scaled up to cover amuch larger area.

Cause of Death / Seizure InfoNaturalDrowningElectrocutionIn FightingIn FightingNaturalIn FightingPoisoningEliminated by Authorities in a conflict eventIn FightingPoisoningPoisoningPoisoningIn FightingPoachingNaturalNatural

TIGER MORTALITY IN INDIA - JANUARY TO JUNE 2016State

AssamMaharashtraMadhya PradeshUttar PradeshUttar PradeshMadhya PradeshKarnatakaKeralaKarnatakaRajasthanMadhya PradeshBiharMadhya PradeshKeralaUttarakhandNagalandBiharMadhya PradeshTamil NaduTamil NaduKarnatakaMadhya PradeshMadhya PradeshMadhya PradeshRajasthanKarnatakaTamil NaduKarnatakaMadhya PradeshMaharashtraMadhya PradeshMadhya PradeshMadhya PradeshMaharashtraArunachal PradeshKarnatakaMadhya PradeshMaharashtraMaharashtraUttarakhandMadhya PradeshMadhya PradeshMaharashtraMaharashtraKarnatakaTamil NaduMadhya PradeshMadhya PradeshMadhya PradeshKeralaKeralaRajasthan

LocationDhupguri, Orang NP/Mangaldai Wildlife DivisionCompt 492 Deolapar Range, Nagpur, NagpurRF 381 Ghogri Beat Ghatkohka Buffer, PenchSouth KheriKishanpur WLS, DudhwaCompt no 1376 Chourai Range, ChhindwaraMathigod, Anechowkur, NagaraholeWayanad Wildlife SanctuaryKachavinahalli, Hunsur Wildlife Division, NagaraholeKhandar, RanthambhorePalashpani, Gumtara, PenchGonoli, ValmikiUmari Shahdol Highway, Shahdol, ShahdolNilambur SouthSavalde, Bijrani, Corbett, 4Medziphema, DimapurGonoli, ValmikiCompt 653, Kisli, KanhaNilgiris South, MudumalaiGudalur, Gudalur, MudumalaiYediala, BandipurCompt 610 Satosha Beat, PenchCompt 610 Satosha Beat, PenchCompt 610 Satosha Beat, PenchKota, Ranthambhore/MukundraKalahalla, NagaraholeNilgiris North DivisionChickmagalur Territorial DivisionGhorella, Mukki, KanhaBrahmapuri DivisionCOmpt 141, Dhamokar Buffer, BandhavgarhSupkhar, KanhaMukki, KanhaBrahmapuri Division, TadobaAniniNagarahole, NagaraholeKisli, Kanha, 695Buffer, Tadoba Andhari, 348Chorkhamara, Pitezari, Navegaon-Nagzira, 128Haridwar, Rasiyabad Range, Haridwar, RajajiMagadhi, BandhavgarhKanhaVairat, Chikaldhara, Melghat, 784Chikaldhara, MelghatGandattur, Gundre, BandipurKottadai, Hasanur, SathyamangalamBilahata, Hinhauta, PannaKanhaBandhavgarhWayanadAchenkovilRanthambhore

Date2 Jan 20162 Jan 20162 Jan 20163 Jan 20164 Jan 20168 Jan 2016

19 Jan 201620 Jan 201621 Jan 201621 Jan 201631 Jan 201621 Feb 201622 Feb 201624 Feb 201625 Feb 201629 Feb 20167 Mar 20169 Mar 2016

15 Mar 201619 Mar 201628 Mar 201628 Mar 201628 Mar 201628 Mar 201631 Mar 20162 Apr 20162 Apr 20165 Apr 20168 Apr 20168 Apr 2016

10 Apr 201616 Apr 201618 Apr 201626 Apr 201626 Apr 201626 Apr 201626 Apr 20164 May 20167 May 20167 May 2016

19 May 201621 May 201627 May 201627 May 201628 May 20164 Jun 2016

11 Jun 201616 Jun 201617 Jun 201619 Jun 201623 Jun 201625 Jun 2016

S.NO.123456789

10111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546474849505152

Uttar PradeshChhattisgarhBiharBiharUttarakhandUttarakhandUttarakhandUttarakhandUttarakhandKeralaWest BengalMadhya PradeshUttarakhandAssamTamil Nadu

Barahai, PiibhitAntagad, Antagad Range, East BhanupratappurGonoli Village, ValmikiGonoli Village, ValmikiKotkadar, Nagina, Bijnor, CorbettKotkadar, Nagina, Bijnor, CorbettKotkadar, Nagina, Bijnor, CorbettKotkadar, Nagina, Bijnor, CorbettKotkadar, Nagina, Bijnor, CorbettAttapadyBelcoba Range, Baikunthpur DivisionChhindwaraRaiwala, Haridwar, RajajiDhemajiDindigul

5 Jan 20166 Jan 201624 Jan 201624 Jan 201614 Mar 201614 Mar 201614 Mar 201614 Mar 201614 Mar 201614 Mar 201619 Mar 20165 Apr 201615 May 201614 Jun 201617 Jun 2016

123456789101112131415

S.NO. DATE LOCATION STATE SEIZURE INFOTIGER PARTS SEIZURE IN INDIA - JANUARY TO JUNE 2016

SOURCE: tigernet.nic.in

2016 June 53


54 June 2016

OOff tthhee GGTTFF

1. The GTF in collaboration with the National TigerConservation Authority (NTCA), Government of Indiaand the Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) organiseda Bi-lateral Consultative Meeting between India andBangladesh on transboundary biodiversity conservationwith special focus on tiger, in January 2016.2. The GTF in collaboration with the National TigerConservation Authority (NTCA), Government of Indiaand the Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) organiseda Bi-lateral Consultative Meeting between India andBhutan on transboundary biodiversity conservationwith special focus on tiger, in February 2016.3. The GTF in collaboration with the National TigerConservation Authority (NTCA), Government of Indiaand the Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) organiseda Bi-lateral Consultative Meeting between India andNepal on transboundary biodiversity conservation withspecial focus on tiger, in March 2016.

4. The GTF organised Senior Officials Meetings ofTiger Range Countries at Dehradun, India in January2016 and at Bangkok, Thailand in March 2016, tointrospect and review the status of tiger, their habitatand prey and to try to achieve political will andauthorization for a comprehensive and well-integratedimplementation of the NTRP and the GTRP at the 3rd

Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation inApril, 2016. 5. The GTF attended Tiger Reintroduction Workshopat Phnom Penh, Cambodia on 29 February, 2016organised by the Forestry Administration, Governmentof Cambodia and WWF- Greater Mekong.6. The GTF jointly hosted the 3rd Asia MinisterialConference on Tiger Conservation at New Delhi, Indiaon 12-14 April, 2016. The GTF also organized post-conference field trip to Corbett Tiger Reserve andRanthambhore Tiger Reserve for the delegates.

2016 June 55


SSTTAAFFFF OOFF TTHHEE GGLLOOBBAALL TTIIGGEERR FFOORRUUMM SSEECCRREETTAARRIIAATT

DR RAJESH GOPALSecretary GeneralPh: +91-011-40793453Mob: +91-9868286591

MR S.P. YADAVAsst. Secretary General

Ph: +91-011-40522423Mob: +91-9958103359

MR G.C. LAMAdministrative Officer

Ph: +91-011-43586287Mob: +91-9711692721

MR MOHNISH KAPOORSenior Programme ManagerPh: + 91-011-43586287Mob: +91-9718043401

MR ANANDA BANERJEESr. Communication Consultant

Ph: +91-011-43586287Mob: +91-9810157584

Ms ANEETA MALHOTRA(TYKEE) Media AdvisorPh: +91-011-43586287Mob: +91-9899172211

MR INDRANIL BASUEvent Coordinator

Ph: +91-011-43586287

MR RAJIV HANGWALData Entry Operator

Ph: +91-011-43586287Mob: +91-9810735234

MR RAKESH SINGHGroup D Staff

Ph: +91-011-43586287Mob: +91-9654295535

MR UDAL GONDPeon

Ph: +91-011-43586287Mob: +91-9871230883

MR SHANKARGuard

Ph: +91-011-43586287Mob: +91-8527675689

GLOBAL TIGER FORUM IS ANINTER-GOVERNMENTAL INTERNATIONAL BODY

FOR THE CONSERVATION OF TIGERS IN THE WILD

june 2016 - global tiger forumglobaltigerforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/june-2016.pdf ·...

Documents