Secretary of State Clinton Calls for End to Illegal Wildlife Trafficking

National Geographic (David Braun)

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called today for a global strategy to protect wildlife in their environments and begin to dry up the demand for trafficked wildlife goods. “I’m calling for the creation of a global system of regional wildlife enforcement networks to take advantage of those networks that already are operating and the lessons we have learned from them. The sooner we get this off the ground, the better, and to that end, the State Department is pledging $100,000 to help get this new global system up and running,” she said at a Partnership Meeting on Wildlife Trafficking, attended by conservation groups and representatives of several countries at the Department of State in Washington, D.C.

Rare Amur Leopard Photographed in Northern China for the First Time

Discovery News

Rare, endangered Amur leopards have been photographed for the first time in China by camera traps in a protected area, the Wildlife Conservation Society announced today.

The photos, taken in Hunchun Amur Tiger National Nature Reserve in Jilin Province, bolster a survey estimating that eight to 11 leopards live in the northern Chinese province, suggesting the rare animals are returning to China, the WCS said in a statement.

Tigers Migrate to China…in Pieces

WWF

Customs officers in Primorsky Province in Russia’s Far East have arrested a suspect found attempting to smuggle three Amur tiger paws across the border into China.

The arrest comes only a day after Primorsky police and the Federal Security Service discovered a large quantity of illegally obtained animal parts – including bear paws and pelts as well as two Amur tiger skins – in the province’s port city of Nakhodka. A businessman from the city and his accomplices have been arrested in relation to the incident.

Russian Reserve Created for Amur Leopard and Tiger

BBC (Victoria Gill)

The Russian government has announced a 1,000 square mile protected reserve to safeguard habitat for rare Amur leopards and Amur tigers. The national park, dubbed Land of the Leopard, is in Russia’s Far East.

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) says it combines existing wildlife refuges and previously unprotected land along the Chinese border. But one expert said it was “too little, way too late” to save the Critically Endangered leopard.

Russian Tigers to Take Their Stripes to Iran

RT

In their toughest fight for survival, two pairs of Russian Amur Tigers will have to change citizenship. The animals will soon be sent to Iran to help local zoologists repopulate the country with the world’s biggest cats.

­Iran’s Caspian tiger population has been all but wiped out by hunters, so local preservation specialists chose the Amur tiger as a replacement as it is genetically close to the domestic big cat.

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.