Nations United Against China, Vietnam ‘Tiger Medicine’

The Pioneer

China and Vietnam on Wednesday justified making of traditional medicines with bones and body parts of captive tigers, leading to a strong protest from participating countries at the ongoing three-day Global Tiger Recovery Programme (GTRP).

Both claimed that it was legal to make traditional medicines with bones of captive tigers and that these medicines are used for research purposes in its universities and schools. China also refused to come up with any concrete commitments to stop making of traditional medicines with tiger parts.

India, China, Russia to Sign Pact on Tiger Conservation

The Indian Express

Thirteen countries, including China, Russia and India, will in New Delhi to take stock of their efforts to save the big cat, and exchange notes with each other in a global initiative for tiger conservation.

The meeting will also see India and Russia signing a Joint Resolution of Agreed Actions on Tiger and Leopard Conservation, along with highlighting the global challenges and changing trends in protecting tigers from poaching and habitat destruction.

Cat Fight – A Debate Over the Best Way to Protect the Tiger

Smithsonian Magazine

The question of how best to save the tiger population is surprisingly contentious. In 2010, officials gathered for a summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, organized by the World Bank and produced the Global Tiger Recovery Plan, which calls for increasing conservation efforts in existing reserves while developing larger protected areas to connect the sanctuaries. The stated goal: double the world tiger population by 2022.

Nearly two dozen of the world’s leading tiger biologists—including Ullas Karanth and Panthera CEO Alan Rabinowitz— vehemently opposed the plan. They felt it would spread conservation resources too thin, because 70 percent of the world’s remaining tigers are concentrated in small reserves (like Nagarhole) that cover just 6 percent of their current range. Rather than trying to protect massive swaths of forest that harbor few cats, the biologists argued, conservationists have to circle the wagons and protect the last core breeding areas.

Green Infrastructure Takes Center Stage at Malaysia Tiger Forum

WWF

Kuala Lumpur – As the infrastructure growth in the “Asian Century” shows no signs of slowing down, Malaysia has taken a first bold step in addressing how this growth will affect tigers and tiger habitats by holding a leadership forum on including priority tiger habitats into land and infrastructure planning.

The meeting, entitled Cross-Sectoral Executive Leadership Forum on Mainstreaming Priority Tiger Habitats, is being held in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur on February 20 – 22. At the forum, the Government of Malaysia is announcing the construction of viaducts that will promote safe passage for tigers and other wildlife along a busy East-West Highway.

Putin Talks Tigers with Naomi Campbell

In November 2010, the world’s first tiger summit in St Petersburg ended with £330m pledged to make the great cat worth more alive than dead. The summit was attended by Vladimir Putin, Wen Jiabao, Leonardo DiCaprio, World Bank chief Robert Zoellick, and supermodel Naomi Campbell. During the summit, Naomi spoke with the Russian prime minister for GQ magazine.

GQ (Naomi Campbell)

Naomi Campbell: Now, Vladimir, you’re regarded as a tough leader, so why has the Russian prime minister decided to take part in the Global Tiger Initiative?

Vladimir Putin: It’s simple. I once saw a TV programme about Russian and US activists in the Far East with people engaged with tiger preservation. I was impressed by what I saw, so I decided to take a closer look, and started reading about the show and talking to experts. I decided support needed to be given to these activists, so I pulled together a programme, sponsored by extra funds. The total allocation was $5m and then we started expanding the programme, which now includes black bears, white bears and other species.