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Wednesday, March 7

GK: Global Tiger Survey (ENVIRONMENT)


In 2010, 13 countries committed to doubling big cat numbers. A survey seeking an information baseline has sent out an urgent wake-up call, even though India has not done too badly

In November 2010, the first “Tiger Summit” in St Petersburg, Russia, endorsed a Global Tiger Recovery Programme aimed at reversing the rapid decline of tigers, and doubling their numbers by 2022. India was one of the 13 tiger range countries that participated in the gathering.

A rapid survey across 112 tiger conservation areas in 11 range countries has now shown that at least a third of these areas are at severe risk of losing their tigers due to poor management. Three of the 13 countries, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia have lost all their tigers.

The survey was carried out by Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards (CA | TS) support group members, experts, and government officials.

The objective of the survey was to provide a baseline of information against which to measure progress in the future. “The results show whether or not governments are investing sufficient funds into tiger conservation. The information will assist the CA | TS partnership (a wide range of governments and funding bodies) in setting priorities for the most effective conservation investment, capacity building and training,” says the survey report.

Three-quarters of the surveyed sites had insufficient staff and lacked adequate management infrastructure, a crippling blow to efforts to stop poaching, manage community relations, and ensure safe havens for tigers and other wildlife. Only 16 of 112 sites had intelligence-driven anti-poaching processes in place.

The results are a “wake-up call” for all tiger range governments and stakeholders.

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