THE WWF TIGER CONSERVATION INITIATIVE TIGERS ALIVE © Vivek R
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TigersAlive THE WWF TIGER CONSERVATION INITIATIVE TIGERS ALIVE © Vivek R. Sinha / WWF-Canon © Vivek The WWF Tiger Conservation Initiative 1 CONTENTS Introduction 2 WWF and Tigers 4 © WWF India Meeting the Challenge 5 WWF’s Tigers Alive Strategy in Brief 6 The Landscape Approach 7 Core Sites And Potential Core Sites – The Foundation For Recovery 8 © WWF-Russia / D. Kuchma Understanding a WWF Tiger Landscape 10 Critical Actions in WWF Priority Tiger Landscapes 12 Eliminating the Illegal Tiger Trade 23 Reducing Demand 25 Securing Tigerlands – © James Kemsey / WWF Malaysia Saving Tigers and So Much More 27 Conclusion: Together We Can Save the Tiger 30 © Christopher Wong / WWF Malaysia © Christopher Wong front cover photo: © Francois Savigny / WWF © David Biene / WWF Germany 2 TIGERS ALIVE Introduction At the turn of the 20th Century, there were an estimated 100,000 tigers living in a remarkably diverse set of habitats – from the Caspian Sea in the far west of Asia to northeast Russia and China, and as far east and south as the island of Bali in Indonesia. In less than 100 years, however, the wild population is estimated to have fallen to as low as 3,200. Entire sub-species such as the Caspian, Javan and Balinese tigers have gone extinct while the south China tiger may have also disappeared from the wild. The tiger’s once wide distribution has shrunk by 93 percent and in most cases tiger populations are restricted to a few desperate refuges in these last remaining patches of habitat. The future for the tiger could not look bleaker. © Andy Rouse / WWF The WWF Tiger Conservation Initiative 3 Introduction The threats to tigers are well known, and action that answers both the challenges include poaching to feed the voracious of having a will and a way to stop the demand for tigers and their parts, tiger’s decline. New partnerships have poaching of their prey, direct killing by been forged. Government engagement communities living amongst tigers to is growing and !nancing options have revenge livestock losses or even the loss never been so broad and creative. of human life, and the rapid, extensive destruction of the grasslands and forests In response to the urgency of the crisis where tigers and their prey live. These and to grasp the opportunities just threats have changed very little in outlined, WWF has launched a revitalised nature, but have intensi!ed in recent programme, Tigers Alive. We aim to stop years while tiger populations and their the decline of the wild tiger and help habitats have shrunk. create and support the conditions to double the number of tigers in the wild in The world’s largest cat and most the next 12 years. e"ective land predator, the tiger dominates the forests in which it lives. Together with our partners, WWF is Since tigers need a constant supply of mobilising the full force of its vast network prey and, consequently, vast areas to — from the !eld biologists monitoring maintain robust populations, and o#en the tiger and its prey, trainers building pose a threat to local people and their the capacity of forest sta", and rangers livestock, the struggle for the tiger’s protecting critical sites for tigers, to the survival in the wild is one of the greatest !nancial experts working with donors challenges facing wildlife conservation and governments to create new funding today. mechanisms for tiger protection, and the policy and advocacy specialists working Nevertheless, even as the tiger is on the with decision makers. verge of extinction throughout most of its range, there is hope. The chance to turn the future around for the tiger has come – it may be our last. The last four decades of intensive tiger conservation e"orts have yielded extensive knowledge. We know how to protect, manage and monitor tiger and prey populations and their habitat. We know more about the nature of the trade – why people want to buy tigers and their parts. WWF is using this knowledge to work with our partners and take © Andy Rouse / WWF R. Sinha / WWf-Canon © Vivek 4 TIGERS ALIVE WWF and Tigers WWF’s Tigers Alive Initiative operates this target in such a short period of time in 12 of the 13 tiger range countries – will require all those working on tiger Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, conservation to do things di#erently, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, better, and more intensively. The key Russia, Thailand and Vietnam. point is that unless we shi$ our e#orts, we will lose tigers from many of the Tiger conservation has been a priority landscapes in which they remain. To for WWF in these countries for the past lose this iconic species, which has decade, and more in some. For example, been revered for generations and still in India, WWF has been supporting tiger symbolises mystery and strength today – conservation since the 1970s. During the brilliance of nature and biodiversity in this time, we have gained valuable our increasingly small world – is a tragedy experience, developed expertise, we cannot a#ord to let happen on our and forged critical partnerships and watch. Only an upsurge of e#ort, working collaborations with various stakeholders. at higher levels of intensity, cooperation and accountability, will stop this scenario TRAFFIC, WWF’s joint programme becoming reality. with IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, specialises in WWF refuses to let the tiger slip away. We wildlife trade issues, working with external are dedicated to bringing the tiger back partners on the ground to address from the brink of extinction and doubling poaching and tra!cking issues. With the its numbers in the wild. increase in sophistication in the methods of poaching and illegal trade, it has become clear that we must do more, and "nd new ways to complement tried and tested methods. Raising the bar WWF launched its revitalised tiger programme in 2010, the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese lunar calendar. We intend to support e#orts to stop the decline and double the number of tigers in the wild by the next year of the tiger in 2022. Many ask if it is possible to raise the population from around 3200 to over 6000 in 12 short years. It is certainly possible, but it will require a profound shi$ in the approaches that have been tried until now, and intensifying and strengthening those that work. To reach © David Lawson / WWF-UK The WWF Tiger Conservation Initiative 5 Meeting the Challenge WWF is well positioned to meet the ?**5*3.3,(445*6&8.43&3) challenges and opportunities facing tiger (411&'46&8.43 conservation. We have identi!ed six key The real success of our ambitious goal approaches in our tiger conservation will rely on an e"ective network both strategy that will help us achieve greater, within WWF and with external partners. more sustained impact. We will improve our capacity and that of our partners where needed and ? Strengthening ‘what we know works’ learn from the successful actions of We will intensify and strengthen others. approaches that we know work. Examples of these are the engagement ? 86*3,8-*3.3,5648*(8.43&3) of local communities living with or close *3+46(*2*38 We will strengthen protection of the to tigers, and the use and sharing of tiger, its prey and their habitat through e"ective tools such as for monitoring building capacity of !eld sta" of forest law enforcement. We will invest and wildlife agencies. Collaboration su#cient resources and stay the course with enforcement agencies responsible in the landscapes we have identi!ed for curbing poaching and illegal wildlife as our focal points. trade will also be a critical strategy. ?*:*145.3,8&6,*8)6.:*3 ?*:*6&,.3,,6*&8*6541.8.(&1;.11&3) 2*&796&'1*&3)+4(97*),4&17 &((4938&'.1.8< We will set clear and measurable goals In order to be truly successful, WWF so that we can focus our e"orts where and partners need to ensure tiger they will have the greatest impact, conservation is regarded as a priority at create measurable and accountable the highest levels of government and that senior o#cials are accountable work plans for each aspect of our for the recovery of the tiger. We have programme, and target resources already begun this, with our role at to actions critical to achieving our all three levels – local, national and objectives. international – and this work has expanded as of late. ?"7.3,1&8*788*(-3414,<84.2564:* @*1)7(.*3(* Today’s technology allows WWF to be better at measuring and monitoring tigers, their prey and habitat. For example, the increasing use of remote technology, such as camera traps and satellite imagery, helps us make better- informed decisions and monitor where our interventions are having an impact, or where we might need to adapt our strategies. © Des Syafrizal / WWF Indonesia 6 TIGERS ALIVE WWF’s Tigers Alive Strategy in Brief The overarching goal of our Tigers Alive The strategy has three objectives strategy is to double the number of wild designed to help us reach the tigers by 2022. overarching goal. We have a bold plan to galvanise r Objective 1 – Protecting tigers, their political will and take action to double prey and habitat the number of wild tigers in the next 12 We will ensure that by 2022, the 12 WWF years, focusing on 12 landscapes that some of the world’s top tiger experts managed through better enforcement, sound monitoring and adequate chances of increasing the world’s tiger populations across the species’ range.