2016 Annual Report – Phoenix Fund

2016 Annual Report – Phoenix Fund 1 2016 Annual Report – Phoenix Fund BACKGOUND Just a century ago, there were an estimated 100,000 tigers in the wild; today only about 3,500 survive and occupy 7% of their historic range. The tiger has traditionally been classified into nine subspecies, of which three are recently extinct and one likely so. Bengal, Amur, Sumatran, Indochinese, and Malayan tiger, are the surviving subspecies, while the Bali, Javan, Caspian, and, perhaps South China subspecies are extinct. A world without tigers would mean an ecological imbalance as they are the highest in the food chain and are predators. Nowadays, tiger is on the agenda at many highest level political meetings organized to discuss its conservation. At the end of one of such meetings, the International Tiger Forum held in St. Petersburg in 2010, leaders of 13 tiger range countries adopted a Global Tiger Recovery Program that includes a target of doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022, making core tiger areas inviolate, increasing public awareness of tiger conservation, setting up cross-boundary protected areas and cracking down on poaching and smuggling. Russia is one of the 13 tiger-range countries that signed a Declaration aimed at doubling tigers worldwide by 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin is deeply concerned about Amur tiger conservation and has conducted many visits to Primorsky krai in the south of the Russian Far East, which is home to 95 per cent of the global population of Amur tigers. Unfortunately, this subspecies, in spite of a relative stabilization during previous decades, still face many threats such as poaching, habitat destruction, prey depletion and others. Since 1998, the Phoenix Fund has been involved in Amur tiger conservation projects, and we make great efforts to help the Russian Government fulfill its pledges made at the International Tiger Forum. This year in April, wildlife conservation groups announced that the world’s estimated population of wild tigers had grown to 3890, up 20 per cent in six years. Although some of this increase can be attributed to more accurate recording methods, more effective anti-poaching policies are also responsible. In Russia, the wild population of Amur tigers is currently estimated at 540 animals, including 417-425 animals in Primorsky krai,100-109 in Khabarovsky krai, four in Jewish Autonomous Oblast and two in Amurskaya Oblast, according to a range-wide tiger survey-2015. Amur tiger 1940s 2005 2015 population in Russia 20-30 tigers 430-500 tigers 523-540 tigers 2015 Amur leopard Up to 2007 2007 population in 60-70 40 leopards 50 leopards Russia leopards Originally, the range of the Amur leopard extended across Northeast China, the Korean peninsula, and the southern third of Primorsky krai, Russia. Up to 2007, only an estimated 40 leopards remained in a thin sliver of habitat in Southwestern Primorsky krai, with a few individuals wandering into China. The Amur leopard numbers were reduced via overhunting of prey and poaching combined with habitat loss from agricultural and urban development. The Russian Government is deeply concerned about the current state of Amur leopard population. In 2012, Land of the Leopard National Park was created where critical populations of two of the world's big cats – the Amur leopard and Amur tiger - are protected. In February 2015, the simultaneous count of Amur tigers and Amur leopards showed that the global population of Amur leopards is estimated at 60-70 species. 2 2016 Annual Report – Phoenix Fund Such upward tendency in Amur leopard and tiger populations is very encouraging, but these big cats still remain at risk due to poaching, logging, forest fires, and prey depletion. Every year the wild populations of Amur tigers and Amur leopards officially loss up to ten individuals due to poaching and other human activities. And this year was no exception. In 2016, at least seven tigers have reportedly died. Brief description of the cases can be found below: 1) On December 30, 2015, specialists of Land of the Leopard National Park rescued a 4- month-old tiger cub that appeared for unknown reasons without its mother on a farmer’s yard in Filippovka village, Khasan district of Primorye. The emaciated animal was taken to the Centre for Rehabilitation and Reintroduction of Tigers and Other Rare Animals (‘Tiger’ Centre) in Alekseevka village. On January 4, 2016, the second tiger cub was found near human settlement. It was a 4-month-old tigress. Its weight was 15 kg that was almost half of normal weight. Unfortunately, the cub died on January 6 despite the efforts by veterinarians due to extreme emaciation and hypothermia. The third tiger cub was found severely emaciated on January 27. It could hardly move around due to hind leg weakness. On February 1, at 6:00 a.m. the young tigress died. 2) In March 2016, border guards of Primorsky krai suppressed an attempt to sell a body of tiger cub. A 50-year-old man purchased the body of rare predator from unknown persons for further resale. He hoped to find buyers among Chinese citizens and gained up to 300 thousand roubles. A refrigerator container with rare derivatives was located in the courtyard of resident of Prokhladnoye village (Nadezhdinsky district of Primrsky krai). A high privacy fence shielded it from prying eyes. Besides tiger body parts, there were eight deer heads and body parts of wild boar and red deer and 20 different hoofs. According to the detainee, he was going to use animal parts for personal purposes. The man bought them from fellow-villagers who go hunting. The entire content of the container was forwarded to Amur Tiger Centre for expertise. According the experts, the body parts belonged to a 3- or 5-month- old tiger cub. The damage to the wildlife was estimated at 1.68 million roubles. The total damage was up to 6.5 million roubles. On April 13, 2016, the police officers initiated 3 2016 Annual Report – Phoenix Fund criminal proceeding against the man who violated article 258.1 of the Criminal Code of Russia that establishes criminal responsibility for the illegal capture, keeping, procurement, transportation and trading of especially valuable wild animals and aquatic biological resources which are listed in the Red Data Book of Russia and which are protected by Russia’s International Agreements. On November 7, 2016, Justice of the Peace of Nadezhdinsky district of Primorye passed a sentence of 200 community service hours on the accused. 3) On May 13, 2016, the officers of Ussuriiskaya Custom Office initiated a criminal proceeding against a Chinese found attempting to smuggle Amur tiger bones (66 grams). The incident occurred at the border crossing point. The detainee wanted to smuggle tiger bones hidden in his pockets. A criminal case was filed. 4) On July 6, 2016, in Khabarovsk, four men tried to sell a tiger skin for 600 thousand roubles. The skin belonged to a young tiger cub, approximately 1 year old. 5) On December 12, 2016, a 2-year-old tiger was found dead near the Obor River in Lazo district, Khabarovsky krai. Specialists suggest that a conflict between a young tiger and a tigress with a cub occurred there. The dead body was taken for examination. 6) On December 13, 2016, traffic police officers of the city of Ussurrisk and frontier guards of the Federal Security Service stopped a car to check driver’s documents. It turned out that a 23-year-old passenger was in possession of a tiger skin. The young trader went to the city of Ussuriisk in the hope to find a buyer there. Luckily, his criminal plan was suppressed by frontier guards. Moreover, in October-December 2016 there were a number of cases when Amur tigers strayed into human territory for different reasons. On October 21, a 2-year-old tiger cub weighing 140 kg was captured near Vladivostok city. It will be kept at the Centre for Rehabilitation and Reintroduction of Tigers and Other Rare Animals (PROO “Centre TIGER”) in the village of Alekseevka until it is ready for return into the wild. On the night of October 27, another Amur male tiger, approx. 3 or 4 years old, weighing 173 kg, was captured near Artyom town. Shortly after the capture, it was released back into the wild. On November 9, a tigress, approx. 3 or 4 years old, was captured near Solontsovy village, Khabarovsky krai and transported to Utyos Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. On December 16, specialists of the Primorsky Hunting Department and PROO “Centre TIGER” successfully captured an orphan tiger cub near Lazo village of Primorsky krai. It was a 5-month-old female tiger weighing 20 kilograms with 7.5 cm paw size. Unfortunately, the mother tigress was not found nearby that is why the decision was made to capture the cub. In July, a leopard was hit by a car on Razdolnoye-Khasan highway. The animal jumped to its feet after being shunted by the vehicle, and quickly disappeared in the bush. It is likely that the predator was not seriously injured, and it is good that a horrible tragedy did not happen as it occurred in October 2015 when the leopard Meamur died in a car collision. In view of this, it is crucial to carry on implementing activities aimed at protecting Amur tigers and leopards, their prey and habitat, and raising environmental awareness of local community. 4 2016 Annual Report – Phoenix Fund PROJECT SUMMARY The project was implemented in Primorsky krai, also “It’s not just about known as Primorye, a federal subject of Russia that is technology,” says Sergei home to Amur tigers included as endangered species in Bereznuk, director of the IUCN Red List and Russia’s Red Book and Amur leopards classified as Critically Endangered since 1996 by Phoenix Fund, “but also IUCN and also included in Russia’s Red Book.

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