GLOBAL TIGER FORUM IS AN INTER-GOVERNMENTAL AND INTERNAL BODY FOR THE CONSERVATION OF THE TIGER IN THE WILD GLOBAL TIGER FORUM NEWS Volume 4 No 9 June 2011 Payment to GLOBAL TIGER FORUM The payment to Global Tiger Forum may be made through an Account Payee Cheque or Demand Draft in US dollar payable to Global Tiger Forum at New Delhi Or Please transfer the fee amount to ABN AMRO NY, Swift Code ABNAUS33 for Credit to 574079107542 A/c Bank of Maharastra, Mumbai, under advice to Bank of Maharastra, Connaught Place, New Delhi, Swift Code MAHBINBBCPN for further credit to FCA - A/c 60001719391 of Global Tiger Forum, New Delhi GLOBAL TIGER FORUM AN INTER-GOVERNMENTAL AND INTERNAL BODY FOR THE CONSERVATION OF THE TIGER IN THE WILD
GTFNEWS Volume 4 No 9 June 2011
Edited by S P YADAV Design Coordinator ANANDA BANERJEE
TIGER DRAWINGS IN CHARCOAL BY CHARUMATI NIRWAN
Global Tiger Forum Secretariat D-87, Lower Ground Floor, Amar Colony, Raghunath Mandir Road, Lajat Nagar IV New Delhi 110024 GTFNEWS
Contents
1. Note from the Secretary General (05)
2. International Conference on Tiger Conservation (06)
3. 5th General Assembly of the Global Tiger Forum (08)
4. Action Tiger: Tiger Action Plans of 13 Tiger Range Countries (09)
5. Tiger Watch Programme 2010-11 (12)
6. News from Countries: (13)
Bangladesh
Bhutan
China
India
Indonesia
Lao PDR
Malaysia
Nepal
Thailand
Myanmar
Vietnam
7. News from International NGOs/Agencies: (22)
A) TRAFFIC
B) INTERPOL
C) International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
8. News from National NGOs: (26)
A) Wildlife Conservation Nepal (WCN), Nepal
B) The Corbett Foundation
C) Wildlife Trust of India
D) Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI)
9. Of the GTF (31)
04 June 2011 GTFNEWS
NOTE FROM THE SECRETARY GENERAL In the first half of the year (28-29 March, 2011) the Global Tiger Forum, in collaboration with the Government of India and the Global Tiger Initiative, organized an international Conference on Tiger Conservation and Global Workshop on Implementation of the Global Tiger Recovery Programme, at New Delhi, India. This was attended by delegates from all the Tiger Range Countries, besides scientists, conservationists, activists and NGOs. The Conference discussed plans, priorities and challenges for implementing the Global Tiger Recovery programme, which aims to double the wild tiger population by 2022. The Tiger Range Countries also presented their National 'To-Do List' of priority actions. The Indian Minister for Environment and Forests announced the results of the "2010 All India Tiger Estimation", which showed a12% increase in the Indian tiger population. The 2nd edition of "Action Tiger" a compilation of updated National Tiger Action Plans (NTAPs) of all 13 tiger range countries, compiled by the GTF, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) , was also released during the conference.
The Global Tiger Forum held its 5th General Assembly on 30th March 2011, at New Delhi, India, which was attended by all its members and several observers. The Assembly approved the membership of eight National NGOs, amendments to the Statutes and Regulations of GTF and proposed governance structure of GTF. India was unanimously elected as the Chair of the Forum for the next three years. The GTF signed a grant agreement with the World Bank to facilitate the Global Tiger Recovery Programme, which is to be a Tiger Range Countries' driven process.
Bhutan hosted the 2nd meeting of the e South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) from 29th to 30th January 2011. The SAWEN has been formed to curb the illegal trade of wildlife in the region. It is a joint effort of all the eight SAARC countries based on a model similar to that of ASEAN-WEN formed by the ten South East Asian countries. Bhutan also hosted a workshop on 'Smart Green Infrastructure (SGI)' in Tiger Conservation Landscapes. Practitioners from six tiger range countries, a team from the World Bank and Global Tiger Initiative, met in Thimphu between 30-31 May 2011. The workshop addressed the multispectral implications for planning and implementing of SGI tools with application to roads, hydroelectric projects, ecotourism development and land use planning that can poten- tially impact tiger conservation landscape.
SAWEN, in collaboration with the GTF and TRAFFIC-India, organized a capacity building/training programme of frontline staff of member countries on forensic/investigation of wildlife crimes at Gandhinagar, India.
It is our hope that the output of these meetings/workshop will commensurate with the efforts and tiger will get a renewed lease of life and their population will recover by 2022, for the wellbeing of ecosystems in tiger range countries.
Dr. RAJESH GOPAL Secretary General
June 2011 05 GTFNEWS
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON TIGER CONSERVATION
An International Conference on Tiger Conservation and The publication, compiled by the GTF, IFAW and WTI, Global Workshop on Implementation of the Global will be useful for stakeholders including funding agen- Tiger Recovery programme was organized by the cies, supporting non-tiger range countries, NGOs, and Government of India in collaboration with the Global concerned individuals to identify areas requiring focus Tiger Forum (GTF) and the World Bank's Global Tiger for appropriate interventions. Initiative (GTI) on 28th & 29th March, 2011. The Conference was attended by delegates from all the The second day of the Conference was devoted to dis- Tiger Range Countries, non-tiger range Countries, cussion of GTRP implementation in 2011. The Tiger Scientists, Conservationists, International and National Range countries presented an impressive National 'To- NGOs. The Conference was organised to discuss chal- Do lists' of priority actions to be completed by the first lenges, plans and priorities for implementing the Global GTRP review in December. Tiger Recovery Program, which aims to double the wild tiger population by 2022. The countries have already made impressive progress since the St. Petersburg Tiger Summit. A few of their Mr Jairam Ramesh, Indian Minister of State for achievements are highlighted below: Environment and Forests, Indian Minister for Corporate Bangladesh - The Cabinet approved the new Wildlife Affairs, Mr Salman Khursheed, and Deputy Chairman (Conservation) Act, significantly tightening penalties for of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, tiger killing, and the Wildlife Victim Compensation Government of India, formally opened the conference, Policy. A new World Bank IDA project ($36 million) was and were joined by Isabel Guerrero, World Bank Vice negotiated. The Cabinet acknowledged the St. President for the South Asia Region. Petersburg Declaration and provided full support to implement it. Indian Minister of Environment and Forests, Mr Jairam Ramesh announced the results of the "2010 All India Bhutan - The Cabinet acknowledged the St. Petersburg Tiger Estimation". "The number of 1411 is now Declaration with full support for implementation. An replaced by 1636, if we see like for like it is a 12% independent Forest Protection and Surveillance Unit was increase" said the Minister. He also added that the created to monitor wildlife crime. number 1706 came from new areas included in this sur- vey, which significantly includes Sunderbans which has Cambodia - Progress was made on completing the first an average population of 70 tigers. Cambodia Tiger Action Plan.
Authorities have attributed the increase in tiger popula- China - The State Council acknowledged the GTRP and tion to a number of factors including better enforce- approved the National Plan for Recovery of Wild Tiger. ment and habitat protection, as well as greater aware- SFA included wild tiger actions in the 12th five-year ness. Additionally, some more areas including plan and developed a proposal for GEF 5. Sunderbans in the East Indian state of West Bengal and northeast Indian states, which were excluded in the India - $20 million equivalent was allocated for reloca- 2008 estimation, were covered in the latest census. The tion of villages from 8 tiger reserves. The Special Tiger methodology used was more scientific and uniform Protection Forces was authorized in 17 reserves. throughout the country, and was coordinated by the Funding was earmarked for 8 new tiger reserves. National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Economic valuation studies of tiger reserves were Wildlife Institute of India (WII). approved.
In addition to the release of the tiger estimation report, Lao PDR - GEF-5 project concept note for protected the first day of the ICTC also saw the launch of the sec- area management was developed. ond edition of the Action Tiger, a compilation of updat- ed National Tiger Action Plans (NTAPs) of all 13 tiger Malaysia - New Wildlife Conservation Act of 2010 range countries (TRC). The NTAPs establish holistic but increased penalties for tiger poaching 30-fold. focussed and achievable conservation strategy which Development of a wildlife corridor based on principles lays out specific action plans towards an overarching of Smart Green Infrastructure was initiated. vision of securing viable tiger populations in the respec- tive TRCs. Myanmar - The Ministry of Forestry provided full sup-
06 June 2011 GTFNEWS
port to implement the St. Petersburg Declaration and preparation. approval from Cabinet is under process. Thailand - The Cabinet approved the GTRP and Nepal - The Wildlife Crime Control and Coordination acknowledged the St. Petersburg Declaration. A GEF-5 Committee and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau was concept note project proposal has been developed, a established. The South Asia Wildlife Enforcement new Wildlife Crime Center, and two Wildlife Crime Network Secretariat was established in Kathmandu. Units were set up. A regional center for training front- line staff in Smart Patrolling 'MIST' technology was Russia - Prohibition on logging of Korean pine (a critical launched. food source for tiger prey) was enacted as well as a ban on all logging in regional protected areas. The Vietnam - The Cabinet approved National Commitments Environmental Council of the Parliament supported on Tiger Conservation and the GTRP, and acknowl- amendments to Criminal and Administrative Codes for edged the St. Petersburg Declaration with full support strengthening penalties for harming endangered for its implementation. A full GEF-4 proposal to address species including tigers. A GEF project concept is under wildlife consumption was developed.
June 2011 07 GTFNEWS
5TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE GLOBAL TIGER FORUM
The Fifth General Assembly of the Global Tiger Forum The Assembly also approved the amendment proposals (GTF) was held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, India, on to the Statutes and Regulations of the GTF and the pro- the 30th of March 2011. The sessions were chaired by posed new governance structure of the GTF. Mr Krishna Prasad Acharya, Director General, Department of National Parks and Wildlife A DGF grant proposal was signed between the GTF and Conservation, as Chair country of the Global Tiger the World Bank during the Assembly, for facilitating the Forum. In all 70 distinguished delegates and observers Global Tiger Recovery Programme. participated in the Assembly. In addition to routine administrative and financial The Assembly unanimously elected India as the aspects, the Assembly gave formal approval to the Chairperson of the Forum for the next three years. The membership of eight National NGOs in the GTF viz. Assembly also elected the members of the Executive Ranthambhore Foundation, Wildlife Trust of India, Committee for the next three years. Wildlife Protection Society of India, Tiger Research and Conservation Trust, The Corbett Foundation, National The Assembly also decided that the next General Trust for Nature Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Assembly of the GTF would be held in Bhutan in the Nepal and Centre for Wildlife Studies. year 2013.
08 June 2011 GTFNEWS
Action Tiger: Tiger action plans of 13 tiger range countries
The second edition of the updated compilation of tigers, Bhutan has identified three main focal thematic National Tiger Action Plans of 13 tiger range countries, objectives viz. Species conservation covering the tiger, compiled by the GTF, IFAW and WTI, was released dur- its prey species and their status, habitat conservation ing the International Conference on Tiger Conservation, including forests, protected areas and biological corri- by Mr jairam Ramesh, Hon'ble Minister of Environment dors and human wildlife conflict management including and Forests, Government of India on the 28th March, conflicts arising from human and wildlife. A fourth 2011. With fewer than 4000 tigers left in the wild, fac- theme to further enhance these three themes, focuses ing sever threats throughout its range, the status of on creating and enabling factors such as education and tiger remains endangered globally with each Tiger awareness programme for various stakeholders and Range Country (TRC) having its specific conservation audiences, regional cooperation to reduce trans bound- problems and therefore, the needs and priorities to save ary poaching and trade and human resources develop- the tiger may vary with each TRC. The National Tiger ment through increase in number of adequately trained Action Plan of all the countries was compiled by the staff. GTF secretariat into a single document to provide stake- holders an insight into the respective conservation Cambodia Tiger Action Plan (2011 - 2022): The promis- needs and priorities of each country. An abstract of the ing and viable tiger conservation units (TCU) in salient features of the National Tiger Action Plans are Cambodia were determined in the Northern plains, summarized as below:- Cardamom Mountains and the eastern plains. The tiger recorded in these TCUs were estimated to between 11 Bangladesh Tiger Action Plan (BTAP - 2009 - 2017): The and 50 tigers (2004 national census). However, in the action plan for tiger conservation in Bangladesh was consultative meeting held in May 2010, the participants chosen for eight years which provide vision for future of reached a consensus that there is no evidence of a resi- tigers and set goals to guide conservation efforts, with dent breeding population of tiger in any Tiger set of objectives and strategic actions to combat threats Conservation Landscape in Cambodia, except for few and challenges. The mangrove forests of Bangladesh scattered individuals remaining in the eastern plains. support one of the largest tiger populations of tigers in The Eastern plain was therefore identified as the best the world. The tigers are threatened by direct loss. Prey potential source site for eventual tiger reintroduction of depletion and habitat degradation. It has high levels of sufficient size to support a breeding population. human tiger conflict, manifested in human killing. Cambodia's long term goal is to restore and conserve at Livestock depredation and ultimately the retribution least one defined, delimited and inviolate tiger source killing of tigers by local communities. The plan provides site within well defined tiger conservation landscape a vision that the protected tiger landscapes in that is tiger permeable and can potentially hold atleast Bangladesh, where wild tigers thrive at optimum carry- 50 tigers. ing capacities and which continue to provide essential ecological services to mankind. In building successful China Tiger Recovery Plan (2010 - 2022): In order to tiger conservation efforts, Bangladesh has identified a save and facilitate the growth of four subspecies of wild range of challenges relating to institutional development tiger population in the country, China intends to take a and policy, forest protection and law enforcement, edu- series of measures which include vegetation rehabilita- cation and awareness, research and monitoring, and the tion, establishment of adequate ecological corridors need for collaboration. The BTAP has outlined a set of between habitats, intensification of field patrols and objectives and strategic actions to achieve its threats monitoring of such conservation areas, exploration of and challenges. However a strategic document, wit h a tiger reintroduction, and putting in place adequate detailed implementation plan including activities, methods of economic development in combination with responsibilities, and budgets is required. a national programme for protection of natural forest, recovery of farmlands for forests, nature reserve devel- Bhutan Tiger Action Plan (2006 - 2015): Buddhism was opment, etc. By 2022, China expects to achieve signifi- brought to Bhutan on a flying tigress; hence tiger is a cant growth of wild tiger population by focusing on symbol of a great reverence and is one of the four pro- promoting population growth of wild tiger based on tector animals in Bhutanese society. The Bhutan TAP is population and habitat information, relevant conserva- the culmination of the outputs from the tiger confer- tion management, scientific research, law enforcement ence held in September 2004. To achieve the goal of and supervision. The objectives are to achieve a maxi- maintaining a viable interconnected population of mum expansion of tiger range and a notable improve- breeding tigers, a population thriving predominantly on ment in its habitat quality, besides achieving genetic wild prey with minimal conflict between humans and exchange among key isolated population groups
June 2011 09 GTFNEWS
through restoration and optimisation of habitat in eco- (m) Independent monitoring and evaluation of tiger logical corridors. In addition, China intends to establish reserves. pilot areas at adequate sites for reintroduction of cap- (n) Establishment and development of new Tiger tive bred south China tiger. Reserves. Two Russian wildlife inspectors were invited to attend (o) Provision of Project Allowance to staff of Project Tiger. the "Tiger Watch" programme from 16th May to 26th (p) Staff welfare activities. May 2011 and visit the tiger occupied central Indian (q) Fostering Eco-Tourism in Tiger Reserves. landscape to see tigers in the wild and learn about the tiger conservation efforts in India. The programme was Indonesia Tiger Action Plan (2007 - 2017): Indonesia jointly organized by the Global Tiger Forum (GTF) and was once the home for Javan, Bali and the Sumatran International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) - Wildlife tiger, of which the first two have been declared extinct. Trust of India (WTI). The Sumatran tiger has been categorised as critically endangered by the IUCN, with its populations found in India Tiger Action Plan (2011 - 2011): fragmented and isolated habitats exclusively on the India has a strong National legislation in the form of the island of Sumatra. With a vision, to conserve the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which provides the legal Sumatran tiger while fostering harmonious tiger coexis- frame work for both 'in-situ' (National Park/Wildlife tence with development activities on Sumatran islands, Sanctuary) and 'ex-situ' (zoos) conservation. The besides providing direction for conservation manage- "Project tiger"- is one of the most ambitious conserva- ment especially in areas adjoining to Sumatran tiger tion projects in the world, hardly having any parallel in habitat, it targets at the very least, a stable population terms of its scale, magnitude and diversity of field oper- and landscape of tiger maintained until 2017 and at ations and challenges. It has a holistic, ecosystem public support for conservation of the Sumatran tiger approach. Its core-buffer strategy, protection and devel- conservation and its landscape increased. opment initiatives gave a new perspective to the con- cept of wildlife management in the country and has Lao PDR Tiger Action Plan (2010 - 2020): Tigers have been "role model" for conservation. been confirmed only in the Nam Et-Phou Louey National As per the findings of the recent All India Tiger Protected area, based on camera trapping and genetic Estimation in 2010, using the refined methodology, the analysis of scat, while in other parts tiger presence is total country level population of tiger is 1706 (mid- based only on reports of animal signs which require value) the lower and the upper limits being 1520 and confirmation. Despite the decline, much of the land of 1909 respectively. The National Tiger Action Plan of Lao PDR is covered by forest, which is described as India includes detailed prescriptions for: "green gold" that could potentially harbour abundant (a) Anti-poaching activities prey population for supporting a viable tiger population. (b) Strengthening of infrastructure within Tiger Reserves: The primary objective of the NTAP is to establish a (c) Habitat improvement and water development: focused strategy that lays out specific actions to be (d) Addressing man-animal conflict (ensuring uniform, taken over the next ten years with an overarching vision timely compensation for human deaths due to wild ani- of securing healthy functioning forest ecosystem for a mals, livestock depredation by carnivores, crop depreda- viable tiger populations. The overall goal of this action tion by wild ungulates) plan is to elevate the existing tiger numbers to the level (e) Co-existence agenda in buffer / fringe areas. of viable breeding populations at the source site, Nam (f) Rehabilitation of traditional hunting tribes living Et-Phou Louey National Protected area, ensuring con- around tiger reserves. nectivity between all the eight identified tiger conserva- (g) Research and field equipments. tion landscapes (TCL), and obtain baseline data on tiger (h) Staff development and capacity building. populations for all TCLs by 2020. The plan will be (i) Deciding inviolate spaces for wildlife and relocation of implemented using an adaptive management approach, villagers from core or critical tiger habitats in Tiger where monitoring is used to measure the impact of the Reserves within a timeframe and settlement of rights. interventions on the status of wild tigers, their prey and (j) Mainstreaming wildlife concerns in tiger bearing the threats they face. forests and fostering corridor conservation through restorative strategy involving locals to arrest fragmenta- Malaysia Tiger Action Plan (2008 - 2020): Within tion of habitats. Malaysia, tigers are found only in the peninsula in three (k) Safeguards / Retrofitting measures in the interest of landscapes, (east, west and south), each having a priori- wildlife conservation. ty core area, forming the basis for spatial planning of (l) Providing basic infrastructure/ Project Tiger tiger conservation. The aim of the Malaysia tiger action Headquarter expenditure for consultancy, all India tiger plan is to establish a holistic but focused and achievable estimation/continuous monitoring of tigers outside tiger conservation strategy that lays out specific actions reserves, strengthening of NTCA at the Center. towards an overarching vision of securing viable tiger
10 June 2011 GTFNEWS
population in the country. The goal is to actively man- Federation having the maximum possible genetic diversi- age tiger populations at carrying capacities across the ty. To achieve this strategic goal, there are three princi- three landscapes within the central forest spine, con- pal objectives, viz. to conserve the existing Amur tiger nected with functioning corridors. The objectives identi- population, to identify mechanisms which conserve the fied towards achieving the goal are, to secure the cen- Amur tiger population whilst taking into account the tral forest spine with strictly protected priority areas in growing impact on ecosystems, and to minimize the landscapes connected with corridors, provide effective negative impacts of humans and the Amur tiger popula- and long term protection of tigers and prey, promote tion. The updated action plan pays special attention for and practice ecologically sound land use, compatible extending the set of activities that will effectively protect with tiger conservation outside the priority areas and the Amur tiger, its main prey species and habitat, reduc- apply science in monitoring the efficacy of conservation ing the degradation of habitat by introducing best prac- while improving the knowledge of tiger ecology. tices and improving forest and wildlife management, strengthening civil and criminal penalties for poaching Myanmar Tiger Action Plan: The Myanmar Tiger Action and illegal possession of and trade in Amur tiger parts, Plan consists mainly of recovering the tigers to their for- providing incentives to encourage small businesses with mer abundance in key parts of their range where they local communities and improving population monitoring still exist, and restoring areas where the tigers have systems for the Amur tiger. been lost to foster natural recolonization in future. The plan addresses the key threats which are hunting for Thailand Action Tiger Plan (2010 - 2022): The Thailand commercial trade in the tiger products, prey depletion, action plan consists of two parts, the first is a review of habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation, displace- the ecology and conservation status of tigers and a dis- ment, illegal trade in tiger products, genetic erosion, cussion on conservation challenges that face the tiger, protected area management and social perceptions to and the second part consists of a detailed description of achieve the larger goal of species recovery. An annual the visions and goals, recommended actions for achiev- review of progress was suggested towards achieving ing those goals, detailed indicators, means of verifica- short term goals. Success at reaching the short term tar- tion and anticipated timeframe. The vision is to have gets will set a stage for meeting the long term goals. recovered populations of tiger by 2022 thriving in priori- The efforts to save the tigers in Myanmar are part of a ty landscapes, managed under high standard interven- larger global effort to save the species. tions with monitoring systems. Thailand has become a strong supporter and international collaborator on tiger Nepal Tiger Action Plan (2008 - 2012): The action plan and wildlife conservation and protected area manage- aims at identifying areas that are most important for ment in Southeast Asia. The action plan has five main maintaining the largest, least fragmented land base for thematic objectives to achieve the goals, viz. tigers, and developing conservation strategies that Strengthening direct conservation action and enforce- include and benefit local communities. The goal of the ment, building capacity based on successful models, NTAP is to preserve, recognize, restore and increase the strengthening monitoring, research and information effective land base that support tigers in Nepal in order management, promoting education, awareness and to maintain a viable tiger population. On basis of the public participation and strategic financing for tiger con- Nepal's tiger conservation efforts, achievements, chal- servation. lenges, strengths and opportunities, the NTAP formu- lates five specific objectives to meet the overall goal of Vietnam Tiger Action Plan (2010 - 2015): The main the action plan: tiger and prey information, habitat objective of the national tiger action plan is to identify management, conflict resolution, anti poaching and anti suitable habitats to recover tiger prey population and trafficking operations and trans boundary cooperation. tiger habitat, establish the tiger landscape with a moni- For each objective, key issues and strategies and activi- toring system, and improve the inter - boundary conser- ties have been identified based on the information gath- vation cooperation with Lao PDR and Cambodia in tiger ered and literature surveys. conservation. The only Indo-Chinese tiger sub species population in Vietnam is endangered primarily due to Russia Tiger Action Plan (2010 - 2020): The action plan human activities, and there has been no comprehensive is based on the strategy for conservation of the Amur survey or a tiger monitoring programme or any project tiger in Russian Federation. The overall goal of this strat- focus on the species. The Vietnam tiger action plan is egy is to identify mechanisms which help to conserve a therefore, a commitment from the government to con- viable population of Amur tigers within the Russian serve tigers and wildlife in general.
June 2011 11 GTFNEWS
Tiger Watch Programme 2010 - 11
Two Russian wildlife inspectors were invited to attend the "Tiger Watch" programme from 16th May to 26th May 2011 and visit the tiger occupied central Indian landscape to see tigers in the wild and learn about the tiger conservation efforts in India. The pro- gramme was jointly organized by the Global Tiger Forum (GTF) and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) - Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).
The major tiger population of India is restricted to the Central Indian tiger landscape, with the population consti- tuting to 43 % (601 (mid value) lower and upper values 486 and 718 respec- tively) of the total tiger estimates of the country. The best managed tiger reserves, Pench and Kanha Tiger Reserves in the Central Indian tiger landscape were therefore, selected for their visit. The two Russians Inspectors also visited the office of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Government of India, Global Tiger Forum (GTF) Secretariat and IFAW - WTI and discussed the overview of Indian tiger conservation scenario and priorities, briefing on International tiger conservation scenario and National Tiger Action Plans.
Field visits to the buffer and core areas of both the parks to see the overall activities and exchange of views / information was conducted. The Field Directors of Pench and Kanha Tiger Reserves briefed them on the conservation scenario of the state and management They visited the villages in the fringe areas to under- of the tiger reserves, site specific management plans stand and study the perception and problems of the vil- and programmes and dealing with the poaching prob- lagers who were relocated from the tiger reserve to the lems in the TR's. On foot patrolling was conducted in fringe areas. Kanha Tiger Reserve and by vehicle in Pench The wildlife sightings in Pench TR and Kanha TR were They were briefed on the patrolling methods used in the best experiences the two of them ever had. Apart the TR's and interacted and exchanged their experiences from nine tigers (a tigress with five cubs in Pench and with the ground staff. Anti fishing camp and the anti three in Kanha), two sloth bears, two separate packs of electrocution camp was amongst the camps they visit- wild dogs 23 and 15, more than 50 gaurs, about 30 ed. They also were shown the daily monitoring registers swamp deers, many wild boars, plenty of spotted deers maintained in the patrolling camps of both the TR's. and sambhar deers, few raptors and many more birds.
12 June 2011 GTFNEWS
News : from Tiger Countries
BANGLADESH regions from natural disasters such as cyclones, storm Sundarban Tigers At Risk From Rising Sea Level: Study surges and wind damage. SATURDAY, 23 JANUARY 2010 Providing the habitat for between 250 and 400 One of the world's largest tiger populations could disap- tigers, the Sundarbans is also home to more than 50 pear by the end of this century as rising sea levels reptile species, 120 commercial fish species, 300 bird caused by climate change destroy their habitat in the species and 45 mammal species. While their exact num- Sundarbans along the coast of Bangladesh, according to bers are unclear, the tigers living in the Sundarbans of a new World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-led study published India and Bangladesh may represent as many as 10 per- in the journal Climatic Change. cent of all the remaining wild tigers worldwide. Tigers are among the world's most threatened Using the rates of sea level rise projected by the species, with only an estimated 3,200 remaining in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its wild, Swiss-based WWF, the worlds largest conserva- Fourth Assessment Report (2007), the study inbdicates tions organisation, said in a report on Friday. that a 28 cm sea level rise may be realized around WWF officials said the threats facing these Royal 2070, at which tigers survival in the Sundarbans is Bengal tigers and other iconic species around the world unlikely. However, recent research suggests that the highlight the need for urgent international action to seas may rise even more swiftly than what was predict- reduce greenhouse gas emissions. ed in the 2007 IPCC assessment. "If we don't take steps to address the impacts of cli- In addition to climate change, the Sundarbans mate change on the Sundarbans, the only way its tigers tigers, like other tiger populations around the world will survive this century is with scuba gear," said Colby already face tremendous threats from poaching and Loucks, WWF-US deputy director of conservation sci- habitat loss. Tiger ranges have decreased by 40 percent ence and the lead author of the study on Sea Level Rise over the past decade, and tigers today occupy less than and Tigers: Predicted Impacts to Bangladesh's seven percent of their original range. Scientists fear that Sundarbans Mangroves. accelerating deforestation and rampant poaching could "Tigers are a highly adaptable species, thriving from push some tiger populations to the same fate as their the snowy forests of Russia to the tropical forests of now-extinct Javan and Balinese relatives in other parts Indonesia. of Asia. "The projected sea level rise in the Sundarbans will Tigers are poached for their highly prized skins and likely outpace the tiger's ability to adapt." body parts, which are used in traditional Chinese An expected sea level rise of 28 cm above 2000 lev- medicine. The 2010 Year of the Tiger will mark an els may cause the remaining tiger habitat in the important year for conservation efforts to save wild Sundarbans to decline by 96 percent, pushing the total tigers, with WWF continuing to play a vital role in population to fewer than 20 breeding tigers, according implementing bold new strategies to save this magnifi- to the study. cent Asian big cat. Unless immediate action is taken, the Sundarbans, its wildlife and the natural resources that sustain mil- Recommendations in the study include: lions of people may disappear within 50 to 90 years, the n Locally, governments and natural resource managers study states. should take immediate steps to conserve and expand "The mangrove forest of the Bengal tiger now joins mangroves while preventing poaching and retaliatory the sea-ice of the polar bear as one of the habitats most killing of tigers. immediately threatened as global temperatures rise dur- ing the course of this century," said Keya Chatterjee, n Regionally, neighboring countries should increase acting director of the WWF-US climate change program. sediment delivery and freshwater flows to the coastal "To avert an ecological catastrophe on a much larger region to support agriculture and replenishment of the scale, we must sharply reduce greenhouse gas emissions land; and prepare for the impacts of climate change we failed to avoid." n Globally, governments should take stronger action to The Sundarbans, a UNESCO World Heritage Site limit greenhouse gas emissions; shared by India and Bangladesh at the mouth of the Ganges River, is the world's largest single block of man- "It's disheartening to imagine that the Sundarbans - grove forest. Mangroves are found at the inter-tidal which means 'beautiful forest' in Bengali - could be region between land and sea, and not only serve as gone this century, along with its tigers," Loucks said. breeding grounds for fish but help protect coastal "We very much hope that in this, the Year of the Tiger,
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the world will focus on curtailing the immediate threats ignation of core tiger habitats, develop an overall to these magnificent creatures and preparing for the hydropower development strategy that takes into long-term impacts of climate change." account sensitive environment areas, including tiger Source: bdnews24.com breeding zone. Practitioners recommended that tiger conservation BHUTAN landscape (TCL) plans should be developed, encompass- Bhutan hosts SAWEN 2nd Expert Group meeting. ing habitats, buffer zones, corridors and wider produc- The South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) tion landscapes to ensure protection of core habitats was formally launched In January, 2011 after the 2nd and compatible land use in the remaining landscape. Expert Group Meeting. The SAWEN has been formed to It was stated that the responsibility for SGI should curb the illegal trade of wildlife in the region. It is a joint be shared across public agencies, the private sector and effort of all the 8 SAARC countries based on the model civil society. Conserving tiger landscapes should not be similar to that of ASEAN-WEN formed by the 10 South the sole responsibility of the forest and wildlife depart- East Asian countries. ments but a shared responsibility. Human resource and The meeting hosted by the Royal Government of technical capacity to design, implement and supervise Bhutan and coordinated by the Wildlife Conservation SGI must be built in infrastructure, planning and finan- Division of the Department of Forests and Park Services, cial institutions. All sectors must contribute to the nec- with financial support from WWF's TRAFFIC essary resources. International, was held from 29th-30th January 2011 at The need to use and enhance existing in-park road Tashi Namgay Resorts at Paro. The meeting was formal- guidelines was pointed out. It was also recommended ly opened by His Excellency, Lyonpo Dr. Pema Gyamtsho that every tiger range country need to come up with in the afternoon of 28th January. guidelines to regulate tourism in and around TCL and The meeting was also attended by representatives establish larger framework for role of tourism in conser- from US Department of State, US Aid, representatives vation. from Department of National Parks of Thailand and Keshav Varma, the programme director of GTI, said Malaysia and other International Organizations like, that tigers are an iconic indicator of the biodiversity, CITES, GTF, GTI, WWF, TRAFFIC, World Bank and and that the world is losing them on a significantly high Interpol. A representative from ASEAN-WEN also rate. attended the meeting while presenting the lessons from He said that the recommendations from the work- ASEAN-WEN. shop are applicable to all tiger range countries. "I did The Bhutanese delegation to this meeting was head- not realise saving 3,200 tigers is such a tiring and con- ed by the Director of the Department of Forests and fusing job," he said. Park Services and included relevant members Wildlife Lyonpo Pema Gyamtsho said that tigers are at the Conservation Division, Nature Recreation and top of the food chain. "When we conserve tiger, we Ecotourism Division, BAFRA and also a member from conserve all the animals on the food chain." He said the Bhutan's InterPol Unit of the Royal Bhutan Police. that in Bhutan the tiger number has increased and that The meeting discussed road map of SAWEN besides the per capita tiger is high. the formal formation of SAWEN Secretariat which will He assured the practitioners that their work and be based in Kathmandu, Nepal, headed by an officer to ideas will not go to waste. be designated as Chief Enforcement Coordinator, as Participants at the workshop included Bhutan's suggested by the Head of Delegation from Bhutan and senior officials and representatives from the natural agreed by all. resource management and infrastructure sectors as well as experts from several other tiger range countries Tiger experts recommend tiger-ffriendly policies including Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal June 8, 2011 and international experts from public and private sec- Practitioners from six tiger range countries, a team from tors. World Bank and Global Tiger Initiative ,met in Thimphu By Tandin Pem in June, 2011. The workshop called Smart Green Infrastructure CHINA (SGI) in Tiger Conservation Landscapes addressed the Volunteers in NE China clear traps to protect endan- multispectral implications for planning and implement- gered Siberian tigers ing of SGI tools with application to roads, hydroelectric English news on 2011-01-10 16:34:28 projects, ecotourism developments and land use plan- HARBIN, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Over 100 volunteers are ning that can potentially impact tiger conservation land- searching for and clearing traps in snow-covered moun- scape. tain forests in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province Some of the recommendations from the workshop to protect the endangered Siberian tigers. were to expedite official definition, delineation and des- By Sunday night, the trap-clearing work that started
14 June 2011 GTFNEWS
Saturday morning had cleared 67 iron wire traps and a In Xishuangbanna, direct losses caused by wild ele- clip, team head Wang Lin told reporters Monday. phants has ranged from 3 million to 10 million yuan per Poachers usually set traps and clips to catch roe year over the past three years, with the yearly average deer, rabbits and wild boar, said Ma Jianzhang, an aca- standing around 6 million yuan, said Wu. demic at the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) Chang Zongbo, an official with the Xishuangbanna who does research on wild animals. Prefecture Forestry Police, said more than 4,000 cases of Ma said the wild animals the poachers trap are the damage caused by wild animals have been reported in Siberian tigers' food. Poaching the wild animals breaks recent years, and more than 130 people have been the forest food chain, threatening the endangered tiger killed or injured since 1991. species that once roamed western and central Asia and Government compensation paid to victims was often eastern Russia. less than 10 percent of losses, said Chang. The New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society In Shuangla Village, Lisu Autonomous Prefecture of (WCS), the Heilongjiang Provincial Administration of Nujiang, for instance, black bears attacked more than Forest Industry, the Harbin Daily Newspaper Group and 20 sheep and destroyed 150 mu of crops in one year. online news company www.harbinnews.com jointly Villager Feng Yuzhong said black bears do not fear sponsored the trap-clearing campaign, said Wang Lin. scarecrows at all. The volunteers, aged between 19 and 65, were "Later, we found a tape recorder and high-pitched selected from more than 300 applicants from across the sounds played through a loudspeaker proved effective country. They include public servants, university stu- in scaring them. But this might not last," said Feng. dents, teachers and journalists, Wang said. In another case, in Mengla County, wild elephants Volunteer Ma Xinda is a junior at Yanbian University killed a 67-year-old farmer picking chilis in the moun- in northeastern Jilin Province. tains in November. "I was hungry and exhausted after a day's walk in Fang Shengguo, director of the State Conservation deep snow. But when I found a trap, I became excited Center for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, said and energized again," Ma said. the rise in wildlife populations does not mean China's "I think our efforts have been worthwhile," said vol- ecology has been optimized. "On the contrary, these unteer Qiao Junxian from north China's Hebei Province. attacks reflect the lack of a complete food chain for the "I hope we can ensure a quiet and safe habitat for wild animals," he said. the wild Siberian tigers, so they can make it their home To prevent the killing of protected wildlife in the and breed here," Qiao said. area, Fang said compensation must be adequate. There are only about 20 wild Siberian tigers left in China, with eight to 10 in Jilin Province and 10 to 14 in INDIA Heilongjiang Province. Bengaluru to be south hub for tiger protection June 4, 2011 Local government in southwest China purchases By Amit S. Upadhye /DECCAN HERALD insurance policy to compensate residents attacked by The tiger population may have gone up in Karnataka wild animals and elsewhere as a result of conservation efforts, but English news on 2011-01-04 21:46:36 fortunately, the authorities have not become smug and KUNMING, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Some southwest China are continuing to do more to save the big cat. residents will receive more compensation if they are The Southern Regional Cell of the National Tiger attacked by protected animals, after one local government Conservation Authority (NTCA) will soon set up base in purchased a public liability insurance policy. Bengaluru to work closely with all southern states with The Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna, tiger populations and coordinate their efforts to protect Yunnan Province, and China Pacific Insurance Co. signed the animal under constant threat from poachers. an agreement in December that took effect Jan. 1. The NTCA which is headed by Prime Minister The insurance policy costs 6.6 million yuan in premi- Manmohan Singh will now have three centres around ums and its maximum payout is 40 million yuan in the country, at Gawhathi, Nagpur and Bengaluru. 2011. The Nagpur unit which is expected to oversee tiger All endangered wild animals under state protection - protection efforts in Central India was inaugurated - including elephants, boars, bears, tigers and leopards - recently and the Bengaluru unit is also likely to be oper- - are covered by the policy. Local farmers who suffer ational soon. It will be headed by an officer of the rank losses due to the animals' attacks can receive appropri- of Chief Conservator of Forests."Once the centre is ate compensation. operational all wildlife wings in southern states which Government compensation for wild animal attacks have tigers will work in coordination with it," says an has been limited, even as the numbers of wild animals NCTA officer. in the area has increased, said Wu Jianlei, a Yunnan NTCA member secretary Dr Rajesh Gopal explains Provincial Forestry Bureau spokesman. that such coordination is important to deal with poach-
June 2011 15 GTFNEWS
ing and tribal relocation from critical wildlife habitats nature of humans and argued that people should come and tiger reserves. down heavily upon poachers. Tiger biologist Dr K Ullas Karanth welcomes the fact Mrs Lalitha Suresh, headmistress of Our Own English that the regional centre will involve qualified tiger High School, Dubai, spoke her mind on the subject. She experts and non-governmental groups working for tiger said: "[The] 'Save The Tiger' project is an emblemising conservation. "Presently the tiger habitat management initiative by the school and involves other schools, with is more government centered," he points out. the sole motive of creating awareness! Praveen Bhargav, trustee, Wildlife First Organisation, Obviously, as a school, for such a project we cannot hopes the authorities concerned will now reconsider the go to an advanced level - for instance, going to the for- current guidelines issued for critical wildlife habitats, est and monitoring the status of each animal. which in his view , encourage diversion of forest land But as educated individuals, we can advise our chil- for non- forestry activities even while talking of saving dren, and create awareness and empathy within them." the tiger and other endangered wildlife. While classroom activities have been successful in encouraging and promoting greater awareness at the Long live the majestic tiger! grassroots level, the 'Save the Tiger' project has also Students at a Dubai school have taken it upon them- been effective in persuading students in our school as selves to haul the endangered cats from the brink of well as various other schools to stop purchasing prod- extinction ucts such as authentic fur. By Leanne Rose Thachil, Nikita Sudhir, Krithika Narayan Special assemblies were conducted in various and Meghna Tony Gulf News Readers schools across the emirate, which brought to light vari- Published: 00:00 June 7, 2011 ous facts and figures about tiger conservation and what COMMUNITY REPORT every individual can do to make a difference - whether Endangered, extinct, indiscriminately killed - such terms great or small. have become synonymous with animals, thanks to An educational trip to Kenya further helped students man's actions. develop empathy for the big cats. The attempt to make One such victim is the symbolic legend of the wild in the longest pledge by thousands of people to curb the Asia - the tiger - which now stands on the brink of use of products made from this animal is also one of extinction. the many accomplishments that the project targets to Students of Our Own English High School, Dubai, achieve in the months to come. have initiated a project to save the national animal of Only collective responsibility can bring about tangi- India - the majestic tiger. ble change. Encouraged by activities worldwide to save wildlife, we have prepared posters and badges, got pledge INDONESIA forms signed, screened the adventure movie Two Camera captures tiger cubs in Sumatra Brothers and more. The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru, Riau | Tue, 05/10/2011 Under the guidance of the school management, stu- 10:56 PM dents also have an ambitious plan to set up a new PEKANBARU: WWF camera traps recorded 12 tigers in world record of making the longest pledge, in view of two months in the central Sumatran landscape of Bukit promoting the conservation of tigers. Tigapuluh, including two mothers with cubs, the organi- After watching Two Brothers, an adventure family zation said. film directed by Jean Jacques Annaud, students cho- A video camera trap in the same area also captured rused: "It's the mind of every individual that needs a footage of three young tiger siblings playfully chasing a change". leaf, WWF International said in a release sent to The Students have cheerfully decorated their classroom Jakarta Post on Monday. bulletin boards, displayed posters and have done every "Our team was thrilled to discover 47 tiger images bit for the success of this project. We even painted our in our camera traps, from which we identified six faces yellow and black! unique individuals," said Karmila Parakkasi, who leads The teachers organised skits and we imitated tigers WWF's tiger research team in Sumatra. "That was the and hunters. Young girls also made placards and creat- highest number of tigers and tiger images obtained in ed slogans. One of the placards captured the reality the first month of sampling we've ever experienced. today with the words: "Are there tigers still in the And then the results from the second month were even woods?" more impressive - not just one tiger family but two, Another said: "Leave them alone". with another six tigers." A visit by primary school students to the Dubai Zoo The forest where the tigers were recorded is under further enhanced the empathy that children had for ani- imminent threat of being cleared by the pulp and paper mals. Viewing caged animals that looked unhealthy and industry, despite being designated a "global priority traumatised, the young hearts debated on the callous tiger conservation landscape". It is one of six areas the
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Indonesian government pledged to protect at last pushback from the central government, the regional November's tiger summit of world leaders in Russia. leaders may have little problem bulldozing through their The area, known as Bukit Tigapuluh, or "Thirty proposal. Hills", is located in Riau and Jambi provinces in central Provincial officials in Jambi, Bengkulu and West Sumatra. Sumatra argue that four roads up to 40 feet (12 meters) There are an estimated 400 critically endangered wide are needed in the park to serve as "evacuation Sumatran tigers left in the wild. Evidence of three cubs routes" for people in the event of volcanoes, earth- surviving is extremely rare, WWF tiger experts said. quakes, flooding and other natural disasters. Between 2004 and 2010, Bukit Tigapuluh lost "We fully understand the importance of this nation- 205,460 hectares of forest to pulp and paper and palm al park and will do everything to make sure that the oil industries, according to the WWF. environment is not destroyed," said Nashsyah, head of Bengkulu's development planning board, adding that a Road-bbuilding plans threaten Indonesian tigers comprehensive study still needs to be done to educate Ali Kutarumalos, Associated Press, Jakarta | Thu, all parties about the project. 04/28/2011 4:35 PM Two-thirds of the tigers in the Kerinci Seblat park Indonesia is preparing to greenlight the construction of are adult females. several highways through a park that has one of the It is one of the few places where populations have world's few viable populations of wild tigers, conserva- actually grown over the last five years, thanks largely to tionists warned Thursday. untouched habitat and anti-poaching patrols that have The move would be especially alarming, they said, helped protect one of the few genetically viable popula- because it would come just months after the govern- tions left in the world. ment signed a deal in Russia promising to do everything There already are four roads through the park. The possible to save the iconic big cats from extinction. construction of new, larger highways would bring in There are about 3,500 tigers are left in the wild tons of heavy equipment, chain saws and hundreds of worldwide. The Kerinci Seblat National Park, which workers for months on end. spans four provinces on Sumatra island, is home to an "These roads would further fragment tiger commu- estimated 190 of them - more than in China, Vietnam, nities and disrupt their movement corridors," said Zen Nepal, Laos and Cambodia combined. Suhadi of Indonesia's most prominent environmental "We need to do everything possible to stop this," group, Walhi. said Mahendra Shrestha of Save the Tigers in "That's our main concern." Washington D.C. "It would be disastrous to one of the He is among 350 conservationists from dozens of core tiger habitats in Asia." different national and international nongovernment The plans for four roads through the park would groups that have banded together to argue that the open up previously inaccessible land to villagers and ille- plans would turn Kerinci Seblat into a mishmash of for- gal loggers, divide breeding grounds and movement est blocks putting both tigers and their habitat at risk. corridors, and destroy vulnerable ecosystems. If approved, they say, it would open the way for Shrestha said it makes a "mockery" of the agree- road building in every protected area in Indonesia. ment signed by 13 countries that still have wild tigers to "We've called on the government to reconsider the preserve and enhance critical habitats as part of efforts plan," said Hariyo Tabat Wibisono, chairman of the to double populations by 2002. local tiger conservation group, Forum HarimauKita. "But The 1.4-million hectare Kerinci Seblat park, which is we hear it's already gotten the green light." divided by the Barisan mountain range and fringed by oil palm plantations as far as the eye can see, also is Tiger headed to Tommy Winata's conservation site home to critically endangered Sumatran rhinoceros, ele- The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 04/22/2011 11:45 AM phants, clouded leopards, sun bears and more than 370 A Sumatran tiger roaming a village in the Bengkulu bird species. regency of Seluma has been captured and will soon be It also has more than 4,000 plant species. relocated to a private conservation area owned by busi- The Forestry Ministry, which would have to sign off ness tycoon Tommy Winata. on any deal and request parliamentary changes to The South Bukit Barisan National Park is located in Indonesian law on protected land, has remained Tambling area in the neighboring province of Lampung. tightlipped about the plans except to say building roads The female tiger, named Tarisa by the villagers, is for development in protected areas is illegal. "It's still about two years old, weighs 65 kilograms and is 135 just a proposal," ministry spokesman Masyhud, who centimeters long. goes by one name, told The Associated Press. It was often seen in Talang Sebaris village before Still, conservationists are worried because regional being captured in March by local Natural Resources leaders - who increasingly hold sway in the nation of Conservation Agency officers. 237 million - are pushing the plans. With no visible "We're ready to relocate Tarisa and are planning to
June 2011 17 GTFNEWS
take her to Tambling on April 26, 2011. Based on vari- mechanism to operationalized national commitments to ous considerations, we've decided to move her to the ASEAN-Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN- Lampung," the head of the agency's administrative divi- WEN). Today's Lao-WEN Inaugural Meeting in Vientiane sion, Supartono, said as quoted by Antara on Friday. will commit Lao PDR to the international effort against A Sumatran tiger roaming a village in the Bengkulu wildlife crime in partnership with other Southeast Asian regency of Seluma has been captured and will soon be Nations. relocated to a private conservation area owned by busi- ASEAN-WEN stands for the Association of Southeast ness tycoon Tommy Winata. Asian Nations' Wildlife Enforcement Network. It is the The South Bukit Barisan National Park is located in world's largest wildlife law enforcement network that Tambling area in the neighboring province of Lampung. involves police, customs and environment agencies of all The female tiger, named Tarisa by the villagers, is 10 ASEAN countries - Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, about two years old, weighs 65 kilograms and is 135 Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, centimeters long. Vietnam and Thailand. Through annual meetings, work- It was often seen in Talang Sebaris village before shops and trainings, ASEAN-WEN facilitates increased being captured in March by local Natural Resources capacity and better coordination and collaboration of Conservation Agency officers. law enforcement agencies between Southeast Asian "We're ready to relocate Tarisa and are planning to countries, regionally and globally. take her to Tambling on April 26, 2011. Based on vari- The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, His ous considerations, we've decided to move her to Excellency Sitaheng Rasphone said, "Today, we are Lampung," the head of the agency's administrative divi- pleased to welcome representatives of the Lao PDR sion, Supartono, said as quoted by Antara on Friday. Government and government departments, internation- al non-government organizations, sponsoring agency LAO PDR representatives, local community groups and private New Law Enforcement Task Force to Combat Wildlife industry to the inaugural meeting of the Lao Wildlife Crime holds Inaugural Meeting in Lao PDR Enforcement Network. The success of Lao-WEN will EMBARGO RELEASE 20 MAY 2011 involve collaboration between both national and inter- (Vientiane, 20 May 2011) - The Government of Lao PDR national partners. The Department of Forest Inspection is kick-starting its new Law Enforcement Task Force to will work hard to meet our commitments to ASEAN and Combat Wildlife Crime named "Lao-WEN". Lao-WEN is the high expectations required through membership in a national effort to stop poaching, trafficking and illegal ASEAN-WEN." trade of protected flora and fauna. Today the Inaugural Mr. Phoumy Phoumanivong, Director-General of the Meeting of Lao-WEN is being held in Vientiane to begin Department of Forest Inspection said,"This inaugural a process of strengthening wildlife law enforcement, meeting of "Lao-WEN" is a practical example of our part of a broader regional effort called the ASEAN- commitment as a partner to the ASEAN Wildlife Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN). Enforcement Network. We look forward to working Representatives from the ASEAN-WEN Program with the ASEAN law enforcement community and our Coordination Unit (PCU), Vietnam-Wildlife Enforcement local community groups. Together we will develop pro- Network (VN-WEN) and Cambodia-Wildlife Enforcement grams and strategies that prevent, detect and suppress Network Coordinating Unit (CWCU) are observing the wildlife crime that endangers not only our rich biodiver- event to share best practices. sity, but also national security and human health" The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry document Mr Manop Lauprasert, Senior Officer of the titled: Forestry Strategy to the Year 2020 for the Lao Bangkok-based Program Coordination Unit of ASEAN- PDR is intended to guide the development of the WEN added that, "The ASEAN-WEN PCU is pleased to forestry sector within Lao PDR. One recommendation see the networking progress in Lao PDR. A very positive contained within the Forestry Strategy was to enhance step in ensuring that wildlife crime does not flourish in the existing legal framework in support of a new law this region. Let it be stressed that we are not merely enforcement and governance process. protecting endangered plant and animal species in the The Department of Forest Inspection (DOFI) was cre- ASEAN region. We are protecting the sustainability of ated to inspect and investigate suspected violations of our own future. The illegal wildlife trade weakens natu- the new Forest Law, the Wildlife & Aquatic, the ral ecosystems, supports organized crime, and is recog- National Penal Code and other subsidiary laws. DOFI nized to increase the risk of transmitting emerging works in close collaboration with the Department of infectious diseases such as avian pandemic influenza Forest Resource Conservation and other government and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)." departments on a wide variety of environmental protec- tion initiatives to address these high expectations. MALAYSIA In September 2010, the Minister of Agriculture and US gives grant to tiger conservation project in Forestry announced the government's implementing Endau-RRompin parks
18 June 2011 GTFNEWS
2011/05/12 : Newstraitstimes (Hugawng) Valley in Kachin state but farther south in JOHOR BAHARU: The United States Fish and Wildlife Block B2 in Sagaing Division. Service (USFWS) has awarded a grant of RM150,000 to A press release by Silver Wave Exploration last week World Conservation Society-Johor (WCS-J) for tiger con- stated that the joint venture firm would conduct oil and servation projects at the Endau-Rompin National Park. gas exploration in the ecologically sensitive Hukaung Paul W. Jones, the US ambassador to Malaysia who Valley which the press release incorrectly stated as block presented the grant, said the USFWS has been collabo- B-2. The Hukaung Valley is listed by Burma's state- rating with WCS-Johor and the Johor National Parks owned Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) as block Corporation (JNPC) in their conservation efforts at PSC-A while B-2 is farther south in an area of Sagaing Endau-Rompin for a decade. Division called Zebyutaung-Nandaw "We have worked together to provide tiger conser- According to the Silver Wave Exploration press vation education and workshops to local educators and release, the firm was formed recently as a joint venture leaders. And we have supported and continue to sup- between two Singaporean firms Silver Wave Energy Pte port the 'Tigers Forever' program," he said during the Ltd, BFI Holding Pte Ltd, and two firms from Japan, Star grant presentation ceremony in Johor Baharu today. Field Corporation and Star Holding Corporation. BFI The grant, he noted, was meant to carry out a pro- holdings first reported on April 18 in a press release on ject, titled "Conservation of the Tigers of the Endau- the firm's Website that Silver Wave Exploration would Rompin Landscape through improved Law Enforcement drill in Hukaung Valley. A similar press release issued by and Expansion to the Southeast and Southwest." Silver Wave Exploration last week repeated much of the The funds, provided by the US, will be used to help same information including the apparent error about WCS to further expand law enforcement coverage in drilling in the valley. the southeast and southwest of the Kota Tinggi region. Both the press releases from BFI holdings and Silver He added that over the past five years, the US had Wave Exploration also stated that 'Silver Wave directly provided RM1.5 million to WCS-Johor to sup- Exploration & Production Pte Ltd will commence drilling port Malaysia's goal of doubling its tiger population by operations in Block B (B 2) this year at a budget of 2020. US$100 million as the initial investment'. According to Jones, Malaysia has some of the most Silver Wave Energy Pte Ltd while based in Singapore bio-diverse ecologies in the world and the US has been is owned by Burmese businessman Min Min Aung and proud to support conservation efforts through the Heart is part of his Silver Wave Trading group, a conglomerate of Borneo programme and the Coral Triangle initiative. known for having close ties to Burmese generals who "The beautiful and diverse flora and fauna of are influential in the government. Malaysia are treasures for the entire world. The US is Attempts to reach Giancarlo Tschuor, the president committed to helping protect these treasures," he said. of BFI holdings, to inquire about the firm's investment Meanwhile, JNPC director Abu Bakar Mohamed in Silver Wave Exploration were unsuccessful. When Salleh pointed out that the state government had Mizzima called the Singapore number on the BFI embarked on the Johor Wildlife Conservation Project in Website it reached a Singapore architecture firm that 2007 to spearhead conservation efforts in that region. provided a Libyan cell number for Tschuor. The Libyan The 10-year project, he said, was meant for the con- number was disconnected. BFI holdings which servation of two core umbrella species -- the Asian describes itself as 'a privately owned company and has Elephant and the Malayan tiger. been formed and incorporated in Singapore' appears to Dr Melvin Gumal, Director of Malaysia Program at have conducted most of its business in Libya where it WCS, added that the grant would be used efficiently was involved in several large scale projects. and effectively to protect endangered tigers and their According to the firm's Website, 'BFI is currently environment. - Bernama negotiating over 3 billion US dollars worth of projects' which includes the 'Urban Redevelopment' of Tripoli, MYANMAR Libya's capital. Recent political developments including Silver Wave says it will not drill in Hukaung Valley a NATO bombing campaign against Colonel Gadaffi Wednesday, 11 May 2011 20:41 Thomas Maung Shwe have dramatically halted almost all international busi- Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - A representative of the parent ness projects in Libya and likely put a damper on BFI company of the Singapore-based Silver Wave explo- projects in Tripoli. ration & Production PTE Ltd has clarified that Silver Wave Exploration will not drill for oil in Hukaung Valley Russia's Nobel Oil and Htoo trading received rights to in northern Burma, home to the world's largest tiger drill in Hukaung Valley in 2008 reserve. The exploration block that covers the Hukaung Valley Lee Kon Lin of Silver Wave Energy PTE LTD has PSC-A straddles both Kachin State and Sagaing Division informed Mizzima that contrary to last week's press and covers an area of about 11,041 sq. km. In release Silver Wave Exploration will not drill in Hukaung September 2008, the Russian firm Nobel Holdings
June 2011 19 GTFNEWS
Investment Limited and its Burmese partner Htoo Source: Dept. of National Parks and Wildlife Trading Company Ltd obtained the exploration rights Conservation for the area. It remains unclear how far the firms have Mortality: Nepal has applied an innovative technology gone with their oil and exploration operations in the 'GPS-PLUS Radio Satellite Collaring aiming to under- valley. stand the tiger ecology and its territory. An injured tiger The Hukaung valley, much of it covered by an offi- was captured at Chitwan National Park and released to cial tiger reserve, remains mired in controversy. Bardia National Park in January 2011. The technical According to the nongovernmental Kachin Development team regularly monitored the tiger and valueble infor- Networking Group (KDNG), since 2006 the Yuzana mation were collected. Unfortunately, a dead body of a Corporation has with the support of central government tiger was found in Babai valley of Bardia National Park authorities expropriated more than 809 sq. km on May, 2011. (200,000 acres) of land in the valley from local Kachin Human casualties or injuries : A person was killed by villagers. tiger attack and another person was injured by tiger KDNG reports that hundreds of families have been attack in the buffer zone of Chitwan National Park. displaced by Yuzana's land acquisition. As with many Damage to livestock : Six buffalos, 13 cattle and 3 pigs other such state-approved projects in Burma, the dis- were killed by tigers in Chitwan National Park and its placed families were not adequately compensated and buffer zone. many were forced to say they were moved 'willingly', Persons arrested for tigers poaching and illegal trade according to activists. cases : Eight people were arrested in the early 2011 Yuzana has planted large plantations of cassava root with tiger bones in Bardia National Park. Similarly, four and sugar cane on the contested land including people were arrested following the incident of tiger throughout the tiger reserve. Instead of hiring local Namobuddha tiger killing. people for the massive plantation farms, Yuzana has Six iron traps were confiscated/seized which were imported workers belonging to the Burman majority aimed to kill tiger in Bardia National Park. from the south of the country. Punishment given : Chitwan National Park had passed a Reports from the area indicate that the Yuzana's 5 years jail sentence for conviction. operations have created intense resentment among the Trans-bboundary conservation remaining Kachin residents of the Hukaung Valley. The A trans-boundary meeting was held in Dudhwa National Burmese military is reportedly giving the Yuzana Park on May 2011. The meeting passed a resolution to employees military training to deal with unhappy local conserve corridor forests, to give special attention for residents. Yuzana is headed by Htay Myint, a real estate tiger conservation and to share information regarding tycoon said to be close to Burma's generals. illegal trade and poaching activities. In 2001, the Burmese military regime in collabora- tion with the American NGO Wildlife Conservation THAILAND Society (WCS) established the Hukaung Valley Tiger Thai police arrest suspected tiger trafficker Reserve. According to opposition activists, local resi- By TODD PITMAN, Associated Press - Sun May 22, 9:12 dents were given no opportunity for input. am ET In 2004, the reserve's total area expanded to include BANGKOK - Police have arrested a man suspected of being almost the entire valley of 21,890 square kilometers, a key player in one of Thailand's largest tiger trafficking creating what was heralded as the largest tiger reserve rings, police and a wildlife conservation group said Sunday. in the world. Since the reserve's expansion, the Burmese Authorities had been searching for the 49-year-old Thai regime has encouraged logging, gold mining, large man since last year, when they issued a warrant for his scale farms and the building of factories inside what is arrest after seizing a Bengal tiger cub during a separate supposed to be a tiger and nature reserve. operation, police said in a statement. At the Global Tiger Summit, representative of Police believe the network is buying tigers and selling Burma's military government announced that they them to purchasers mainly in China via land routes in would double the Hukaung Valley's tiger population neighboring Laos and Vietnam, said Chanadda Thanikulap from 50 to 100 over the next 12 years, an extremely of the FREELAND Foundation, an anti-trafficking group unlikely scenario given recent developments in the val- based in Thailand. ley. The suspect was arrested Saturday in northeastern Ah Nan, a spokesperson for KDNG, responded that Thailand and is being held in Bangkok, police said. the 'military government's fine words about wildlife The tiger captured last year - now about 1 1/2 years conservation are just hot air. The tiger reserve is clearly old and weighing 220 pounds (100 kilograms) - was put up for sale. Investors can put money on the table. Tigers on display for reporters during a police news conference can't'. announcing the arrest. Chanadda said the animal was being held by the NEPAL national park service and appeared to have been habitu-
20 June 2011 GTFNEWS ated to human contact, leading authorities to believe it province was sentenced on March 10 to three years in had been bred in captivity. prison for selling tigers out the back door of his park, Wildlife experts say the number of tigers in Asia has fourteen other people linked to Hai's illegal activities, plummeted over the years due mainly to habitat loss including his son, received sentences ranging from 18 and poachers who sell their skins and body parts to months' probation to 30 months in prison. In addition booming medicinal and souvenir markets, mostly in to imprisonment, Hai and two other subjects were fined China. Conservationists say the government needs to do more than VND 1.4 billion (about USD 70,000.00). more to eliminate trafficking networks. The Thanh Canh Tourism Park is one of eight private Thailand is a hub for illegal wildlife trafficking. Last zoos and establishments in Vietnam that keep tigers. In year, authorities at Bangkok's international airport 2010, a major investigation carried out by ENV found found a tiger cub that had been drugged and hidden that the Thanh Canh Tourism Park was suspected of alongside a stuffed toy tiger in the suitcase of a Thai involvement in the illegal trade of tigers born at the woman flying to Iran. park. Suspicions were based on inconsistencies in Earlier this month, undercover anti-trafficking offi- records maintained by the park and observations during cers at the airport apprehended a 36-year-old man from regular inspections carried out by ENV and police. the United Arab Emirates who was bound for Dubai ENV would like to congratulate the Binh Duong with suitcases filled with drugged baby leopards, pan- authorities, and in particular, the Binh Duong Police for thers, a bear and monkeys. pursuing this investigation that led to the prosecution of Mr. Hai and the other suspects involved in this case. VIETNAM This is a huge step forward in our collective efforts to Major tiger farmer sentenced to imprisonment end illegal trade of tigers in Vietnam. Binh Duong ENV Communication
June 2011 21 GTFNEWS
News from International NGOs/Agencies:
TRAFFIC INTERNATIONAL continues to provide and encourage use of Deep Search International Tiger Conference and 5th Global Tiger Metal Detectors for anti-poaching surveillance and Forum: a TRAFFIC delegation attended the International detection of traps/snares planted by the poachers in the Tiger Conference which took place on 28 and 29 March protected areas. In the last two years, TRAFFIC has dis- 2011 in New Delhi as well as the 5th General Assembly tributed DSMDs in 13 Tiger Reserves and 5 more Tiger of the Global Tiger Forum on 30 March 2011, directly bearing areas across 10 States. In the last three months, following the International Tiger Conference. During the one DSMD each has been given to Lansdowne Forest conference TRAFFIC gave a brief presentation on Division and Chakrata Forest Division (Uttarakhand), TRAFFIC's contribution to the implementation of the Kerala Forest Department, Andhra Pradesh Forest Global Tiger Recovery Programme, which focused on Department and West Bengal Forest Department. four elements of work - law enforcement assistance, Looking at the success these DSMD have had in last few demand reduction, capacity building and trade monitor- years in India, staff based at a National Park in southern ing. The Global Tiger Forum Assembly endorsed Africa have requested TRAFFIC India to help them TRAFFIC's plan to develop a demand reduction strategy implement the same model at the Park. which will provide tools for Tiger Range Countries wish- ing to reduce demand for Tiger parts and products. 5th Indo-NNepal trans-bboundary dialogue: TRAFFIC India participated in the 5th Indo-Nepal trans-boundary dia- TRAFFIC INDIA logue organised at Dudhwa Tiger Reserve on 16-17 May Wildlife law enforcement workshops: As part of the 2011. Special emphasis was placed on the protection of Strategic Development Dialogue (SDD) between the important flagship species such as the Tiger, Rhino and Governments of India and UK, TRAFFIC India in associa- Elephants. The meeting was organised by WWF-India tion with the Wildlife Institute of India and the State along with the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department and the Forest Departments, conducted a series of wildlife law Govt. of Nepal. enforcement training workshops in the States of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Enforcement assistance: TRAFFIC India helped generate Kerala and Uttarakhand. Three hundred and fifty actionable information for curbing illegal wildlife trade. enforcement officers belonging to various agencies such Through TRAFFIC India's established information net- as Forest Departments, DRI (Directorate of Revenue works, Tiger, rhino and elephant poaching incidents Intelligence), SSB (Sashastra Seema Bal), Police, Marine were averted in various parts of the country. Several Intelligence, Railway Protection Force, Customs, Postal seizures and arrests were made. and Transport departments participated in these work- shops. SAWEN: TRAFFIC India helped co-ordinate, and provid- ed inputs at the second meeting of the South Asia The training programmes and modules are tailor-made, Experts Group on Illegal Wildlife Trade in Bhutan on 29- keeping in mind the needs of diverse target groups. 30 January 2011 where the eight countries of South Common subjects include wildlife forensics; role of Asia-India, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, CITES; evaluating wildlife crime scenes; setting up and Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka- joined forces and handling information networks; conducting search and established the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement seizure; developing documentation that leads to suc- Network (SAWEN). cessful prosecution in a court of law and more. These programmes also enable TRAFFIC India to share knowl- Sri Lanka Wildlife Enforcement Network: As part of the edge about the new tools and technology that are initiatives undertaken to catalyse efforts for regional co- required to combat poaching gangs and to break the operation in fighting wildlife crime, TRAFFIC India wildlife trade nexus across regions. helped organise an important meeting in January 2011 that brought together various enforcement agencies of Sniffer Dog Training programme: Six sniffer dogs Sri Lanka and saw the birth of the Sri Lanka Wildlife trained to detect illegal wildlife products such as Tiger Enforcement Network (SLaWEN). skin and bone, Leopard skin and bone and bear bile are regularly being used for patrolling by the forest depart- Don't Buy Trouble campaign: TRAFFIC India's "Don't ments of Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Buy Trouble" campaign advises tourists to be careful Jharkhand. when buying souvenirs during their travels to India. The campaign has been well received by forest departments Deep Search Metal Detectors (DSMDs): TRAFFIC India all across India. Various departments have requested
22 June 2011 GTFNEWS additional sets of posters for display at gates of National markets and develop enforcement actions. Parks and interpretation centers. Over 3300 sets of the posters have been sent to various forest departments, TRAFFIC SOUTHEAST ASIA customs, police, border security forces, wildlife resorts, Tiger Futures: Mainstreaming Conservation in Large tourist offices etc for display and distribution. Landscapes. This project, funded by the World Bank GEF and co-ordinated by TRAFFIC and the Wildlife TRAFFIC India has revamped its consumer awareness Conservation Society (WCS), aims to strengthen inter- leaflet- "Are you committing a Crime? Think before you governmental co-operation on tiger trade enforcement buy". The new design will help provide a fresh appeal and to facilitate cross-border exchanges between to the communiqué and is now available for distribution Vietnam, Cambodia, Lao PDR and Indonesia to improve co-operation and enforcement. Activities under this pro- TRAFFIC India's five minute film "Don't Buy Trouble" ject in the last six months include the following three which captures glimpses of the burgeoning illegal workshops, which also supported the countries' com- wildlife trade in India that threatens the country's pre- mitments under the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement cious flora and fauna is now available in Hindi. The Network: Hindi version of the film entitled "Musibat Na Mole Vietnam - Cambodia workshop - From 27-28th April, Lein" was released during a wildlife law enforcement TRAFFIC co-ordinated with the Vietnam Administration training workshop in Mumbai in January this year. of Forestry to host a workshop for delegates from Tay Ninh Province, Vietnam and Kampongcham Province, TRAFFIC EAST ASIA Cambodia on strengthening collaboration to control TRAFFIC/WWF Campaign Listen to the Tiger, Beijing, cross-border illegal wildlife trade. Delegates represented 27th January 2011-In the last days of the Chinese Year the provincial government, CITES Management of the Tiger, TRAFFIC and WWF China launched the Authorities, Forest Departments, Customs, Border Army campaign website www.listentothetiger.com. In the and Police officials from both countries. The workshop first phase of the campaign, the website urges those resulted in a signed MoU at the provincial level and was concerned over the plight of wild Tigers to register their the first time leaders of the two provinces had the support for wild Tigers. After every 50th visitor registers opportunity to create and sign an agreement which their support, a Tiger's roar is played. The website aims identifies clearly how they will co-operate and engage to make people realize that without their continued with each other in controlling wildlife trade in the support and with only a handful of wild Tigers left in region. Vietnam - Lao PDR workshops - In May 2011, China, the Tiger's roar could fade away before the next TRAFFIC again co-ordinated with the Viet Nam Year of the Tiger in 2022. Administration of Forestry to host two separate work- shops to strengthen cross-border wildlife trade control Workshop on internet trade in endangered species: On between Vietnam and Lao PDR at the provincial level. 23-26 May 2011, the third workshop on the trade con- The first workshop was held 23-24th May for officials trol of endangered species products was held in from Quang Tri Province in central Vietnam and Qingdao, China. The workshop was attended by several Savannakhet Province, Lao PDR. The second workshop governmental agencies responsible for control of inter- was on 26-27th May for officials from Quang Binh net and wildlife trade in China, 7 internet advertising Province, Vietnam and Khammouane Province, Lao PDR. websites as well as TRAFFIC, WCS and IFAW. At the Participants from, national CITES MAs, Forestry workshop, TRAFFIC China presented the results of their Departments, and provincial level Customs and Border internet monitoring of the trade in Tiger, ivory, rhino Army, among others, met to exchange information on and hawksbill products from July 2010 to April 2011. In wildlife trade between the two countries and develop general, as enforcement and awareness increased, the strategies for enhanced collaboration. volume of illegal wildlife advertisements on Chinese Both workshops resulted in signed MoUs between the Internet websites has decreased. However, several web- provinces to support policy, capacity-building, informa- sites were still found to allow illegal advertising of Tiger tion sharing, and co-ordination on investigations and and other endangered species' products. prosecutions on issues of illegal wildlife trade across borders. Workshop on wildlife survey methodology, 18 April 2011, Kunming city. During this workshop, organized Don't Buy Trouble Campaign in Vietnam: In May 2011, by the Chinese CITES MA, TRAFFIC China was invited to as the holiday season got underway, TRAFFIC celebrated give a presentation on the markets for illegal wildlife the first anniversary of the "Don't Buy Trouble" cam- trade (especially for Tiger, leopard, ivory, rhino and paign at Vietnam's Noi Bai airport. The campaign, which hawksbill) and the methodologies used by TRAFFIC to features a permanent display at the airport about survey these markets. After the workshop, TRAFFIC sup- wildlife trade, is estimated to have been viewed by ported 10 Chinese CITES MA branches to monitor local around 4 million passengers who fly through Noi Bai
June 2011 23 GTFNEWS
each year. eries, forestry, natural resources and climate change, The campaign was implemented in part thanks to fund- with reaching effect into other areas of crime, ing from the Intrepid Travel tour company, whose gen- TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that there is a vital need for a erous donations support TRAFFIC's work in South-East global response to combating environmental crime and Asia. The Foundation's donations have supported that INTERPOL, as the largest international police orga- TRAFFIC's activities in South-East Asia including capacity nization, should play a leading role in supporting the building with enforcement officials, market monitoring international enforcement efforts, and research and raising public awareness of wildlife CONSIDERING that not one national agency is responsi- trade issues. ble for enforcing environmental laws, that there is a need for these responsible agencies to be connected Malaysia - Where's My Mama? Campaign: In April with INTERPOL and the National Central Bureaus and 2011 TRAFFIC Southeast Asia and Body Shop Malaysia that these agencies contribute to the enforcement launched the 'Where's My Mama?' campaign, which efforts alongside the international police community, draws attention to the illegal pet trade. Every day, URGES the member countries and partner organizations young wild animals are orphaned when their mothers of INTERPOL to support the Organization by making vol- are captured or slaughtered for the illegal wildlife trade. untary financial contributions or, in the case of member Many young are also taken from the wild and end up in countries, by seconding specialized personnel in support the illegal trade because someone wants a cute pet. The of the INTERPOL Environmental Crime Programme; campaign urges the public to consider the impact of URGES the National Central Bureaus to support the their purchases and choice of pets. The campaign fea- Environmental Crime Programme by connecting with tures the Tiger, orang-utan and bear, all of which are the responsible national agencies and encouraging their affected by the illegal pet trade. involvement and support. To raise awareness on the issue, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia is running an online awareness campaign from its INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR ANIMAL WELFARE (IFAW) Facebook page, featuring photos, factsheets, news and Big cat collar beeps at Manas - Translocated tiger locat- articles by experts in the field on the three species. The ed after eight months; forest official attacked at Body Shop will also carry the campaign message on its Islampur recycled paper bags and ask the public to report illegal Jorhat, Jan. 14: Forest officials heaved sigh of relief wildlife trade to a wildlife crime hotline. The hotline is when a Royal Bengal tiger, captured in Sivasagar district managed by the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for after being embroiled in man-animal conflict and Tigers, a coalition of wildlife conservation bodies in released at Manas National Park after being fitted with Malaysia, which includes TRAFFIC Southeast Asia. a radio collar about eight months ago, was located a couple of days back. INTERPOL This was the first tiger in the state to have been fitted 79th GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION with a radio collar. Subject: Sustainable Environmental Crime Programme The radio collar was fitted by the International Fund for The ICPO-INTERPOL General Assembly meeting in Doha, Animal Welfare-Wildlife Trust of India (IFAW-WTI). Qatar, from 8 to 11 November "We have been trying to track the tiger for several 2010 at its 79th session: months now but in vain. However, the tiger was caught DEEPLY CONCERNED about the impact that environ- on camera a few days back. It's safe and looks healthy," mental crime can have on the planet, the environment, the forest official told The Telegraph. biodiversity and human life, The adult male tiger was tranquillised and captured TROUBLED by the influence that environmental crime from a human settlement by the forest department with has on the global economy and security, assistance from the IFAW-WTI in March last year. It had RECOGNIZING that environmental crime is not restricted killed two persons in Sivasagar district. by borders and involves organized crime which engage After short-listing three potential areas, Manas National in other crime types including murder, corruption, fraud Park was decided on as the most suitable place for the and theft, tiger. Accordingly, it was radio-collared for post-release BEARING IN MIND the long-standing commitment by monitoring and released at Manas. INTERPOL to fighting environmental crime, evidenced by Although the post-release monitoring continued, no sig- AGN/61/RES/12 recommending that INTERPOL form the nals were received from the tiger's collar after a month Environmental Crime Committee, from its release. ACKNOWLEDGING that environmental law enforcement "We began receiving the signal again since mid- is not always the responsibility of one national agency, November, after a long gap. It was photo-captured on but rather, is multi-disciplinary in nature due to the camera traps placed by Aaranyak, ATREE and WWF- complexity and diversity of the crime type which can India at Manas only a few days back. We are continuing encompass disciplines such as wildlife, pollution, fish- to track it, though the signals received are inconsistent
24 June 2011 GTFNEWS as the battery on the radio collar is dying. The radio col- The tiger, christened Vivek, was brought to Van Vihar lar is expected to drop off any time now," Bhaskar on Friday evening after a five-day journey covering Choudhury, an official of the WTI, said. 2012km on road from the Centre for Wildlife He said the best part, however, was the fact that there Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) near Kaziranga has no reports of direct conflict between the tiger and in Assam recently. people residing near Manas. "There are no reports of The park official said that with the arrival of Vivek, the the tiger killing any cattle in the last few months," count of Royal Bengal tigers at Van Vihar has reached Choudhury said. 10 and breeding among the big cats is likely to get a With no reports of attacks on humans reported since boost. "Being a wild tiger, Vivek is expected to benefit the tiger was released at Manas, translocation of a con- the gene pool of tigers at Van Vihar," told one of park flict tiger at a different location promises to strengthen officials. the case for rehabilitation of tigers that accidentally The tiger was rescued from Methoni tea estate near come into contact with people. Kaziranga National Park in 2007 when it was barely six "The photographs acquired through camera-traps indi- months old. The cub was found poisoned and in a criti- cate its survival in the wild. And there has been no cal condition when rescued by a team of forest officials report of attacks on people by this tiger since its release, and International Fund for Animal Welfare-Wildlife Trust presenting hope that rehabilitation can be a viable of India (IFAW-WTI) veterinarians. The carcass of anoth- option for tigers involved in conflicts," another official er cub was found nearby and their mother was not of the WTI said. located. He said generally tigers involved in killing of humans are Since then, Vivek was hand-raised at the Centre for sent to zoos after being captured and in most cases Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) near these animals are killed. Kaziranga, jointly run by IFAW-WTI and the state forest "When tigers involved in conflict are captured, a nag- department. Van Vihar National Park is a notified pro- ging fear of further conflict sways the decision against tected area and modern zoo-hosting animals in near these animals; they are put away 'safely' in zoos. natural conditions. Additionally, adult males have a 'homing' tendency, "Vivek has not shown any sign of stress or discomfort raising doubts on the success of such translocation. since its arrival at Van Vihar. He has been very friendly However, in this case, the authorities took a call in and seems to be happy with the new location," said favour of giving the animal another chance and it has one of the park official. The tiger is kept in a 1,000-sq paid off," the official said. metre-enclosure with two chambers fitted with coolers to help him beat the summer heat. There is also a water Vivek's arrival boosts count of Royal Bengal tigers at hole inside the enclosure. Van Vihar Significantly, the Van Vihar is struggling in terms of June 16, 2011 11:53:35 PM tiger reproduction in the past one-decade or so. The last The newly arrived tiger 'Vivek' at Van Vihar is likely to successful reproduction was witnessed at Van Vihar in strengthen the gene pool of the big cats at the park. 2003, when white tigress Rini had given birth to cubs The four-year-old orphaned tiger, shifted recently from Shweta and Palash. Recently, a park tigress Basni had a rehabilitation centre in Assam to Van Vihar, has given birth to two cubs but unfortunately both of them brought cheers to park officials and visitors as well. died after suffering different health problems.
June 2011 25 GTFNEWS
News from National NGOs:
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION NEPAL tigers and leopards, and crop damage by wild herbi- On February 24, 2011, with the intelligence from vores like Spotted Deer, Sambar, Wild Boar, Blue Bull Wildlife Conservation Nepal, the Crime Investigating and Asian Elephant. This creates resentment among Bureau of Nepal Police and WCN team seized 15 kilos people against both wildlife and the forest department. of fresh tiger bone in Birgunj, Parsa with three poach- Human-wildlife conflict is the most challenging threat to ers. They are Jarsi Chaudhari age 40, Sailendra basnet, the conservation of tigers in such a human dominated 32 and Dipendra Chaudhari 19. Jarsi Chaudhari also landscape. With the objective of alleviating this conflict known as Bora Pangey (in local language the name indi- situation, TCF launched the "Cattle Compensation cates a shooter) had been evading park officials for a Scheme" in 1995 to give ex-gratia financial assistance long time in poaching cases. He alone may have killed to the owner of the cattle killed by a tiger or leopard in many tigers and rhinos. The communities from his local- and around the buffer zone of CTR. WWF-India has ity were afraid to speak against him fearing reprisal. It is been a partner in this scheme since 1997. The Cattle now confirmed that poaching will come down by at Compensation Scheme was eventually renamed as the least 30% in Parsa. In the preliminary investigation, Interim Relief Scheme.TCF also provides monetary assis- Chaudhari mentioned Buddhi Bahadur Rai as an active tance to villagers mauled or killed by wild animals. partner. And when the park and the police authorities went to arrest Rai, they found a fresh tiger paw in the 2. Medical Programme house confirming Rai's involvement in tiger poaching. The goal of TCF's Medical Programme (started in 1994- Rai is still absconding. 95) was to establish a relationship of mutual trust On March 5, 2011, South of Kathmandu valley, between the organization and the people living in and Chapagaon, Lalitpur district, a leopard skin with four around CTR by extending humanitarian assistance. It traders were arrested by Crime Investigation Bureau and was realized that if the local communities were to be WCN. They are Maila Lama age 50, Bijaya Lama 25, won over to the cause of conservation some reciprocal Santa Man Tamang 26 and Ajay Tamang 32. benefits would have to be provided to them. TCF On March 23, 2011, a fresh leopard skin measuring believes that healthy individuals alone can contribute to over 8 feet was seized by CIB through the intelligence a healthy environment. With this aim, TCF started an of WCN at Dhulikhel, Banepa east of Kathmandu valley. Out Patient Department (OPD) clinic from its office in The skinning was done by an expert because the leop- Corbett. However, it was soon realized that a clinic at a ard skin was supple and finely stitched throughout. The fixed place would not suffice and an outreach strategy lower and upper jaw was still intact. Three traders were was necessary for the area. Campsites were identified in arrested in this connection and they are Jit Bahadur and around the Buffer Zone of CTR and adjacent forest Syangden age 51, Kancha Lama 28 and Ram Bahadur divisions and a monthly schedule of camps for each site Lama 31. was designed as part of the Rural Medical Outreach Similarly on March 29, 2011, WCN intelligence led to a Programme (RMOP). Villagers from approximately 150 seizure of a large tiger skin along with 8kg 800gm tiger villages are getting benefitted from this scheme. bone. Two poachers were arrested and they are, Amit Kumar Gole Lama age 42 and Devendra Kumar Moktan 3. Environmental Awareness Programme Lama 53. The sting operation was done by CIB Nepal TCF has always believed that the involvement of locals is Police, Chitwan National Park officials, Nepal Army and integral if we are to achieve any measure of success in WCN team. The tiger skin seemed to be fresh and mea- wildlife conservation. Initial contact exercises conducted sured 340 cm in length. during the first few years of TCF's operation found that local communities around CTR did not possess a clear THE CORBETT FOUNDATION concept of the importance of wildlife and the need for SECURING TIGERS THROUGH MITIGATION OF HUMAN- conserving the same. Thus, the Awareness Wing of TCF TIGER CONFLICT AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION was born to generate awareness among the local com- 1. Interim Relief Scheme (IRS) munities about environment and wildlife conservation The Corbett Tiger Reserve, located in the foothills of the through its various programmes. During January-April Himalayas, acts as a significant conservation unit under 2011, TCF has carried out the following activities as part the Project Tiger Scheme of the Government of India for of its Environmental Awareness Programme. the conservation of tiger. There are about 250 villages Nature Walk for local school children - TCF organized a and 25 Gujjar (local tribe) settlements located in and nature walk for local students in a forest tract near around the buffer zone of the Corbett Tiger Reserve Kaladhungi on 24th January 2011. 24 students and (CTR) and adjoining forest divisions. One of the major their teachers from 12 schools of Kotabagh block, locat- causes of conflict in CTR is depredation of livestock by ed in Ramnagar Forest Division participated in the pro-
26 June 2011 GTFNEWS gramme. The children were briefed about various the Court of the Addl. Chief Judicial Magistrate-II, plants, animals and insects residing in the forest, their Alwar, Rajasthan convicted noted wildlife poacher Johru inter-dependence and importance to the ecosystem. and his associates, Tayyeb, Ramzan,Noora and Jiwan Educational Dhikala visit for local school children - As Das in a case related to Tiger Hunting in Sariska Tiger part of the Platinum Jubilee Year of Corbett National Reserve which happened in 2005 for 7 years imprison- Park, TCF in collaboration with the Corbett Tiger ment and Rs.50,000/-. Reserve organized educational day visits for local stu- According B.S.Nathawat-ACF Sariska Tiger reserve the dents to Dhikala Tourist Zone of CTR. It is hoped that hunting took place in Routkhola beat of Akbarpur range these trips would enhance the students' awareness of Sariska Tiger reserve. The case was investigated by about the importance of forests and the wildlife residing Range officer,Akbarpur. therein, making them more sensitized towards the need Background: One of the leading poachers from Sariska for conserving the same. Till date, 40 such trips have Tiger Reserve area, Johru has a total of 14 wildlife cases been organized and approximately 600 students have pending against him in Sariska alone. Six of these cases visited the park to get close exposure of forests and concern tiger poaching. wildlife. Unlike Sansar Chand and Shabbir Hasan Qureshi who Painting Competition in Schools of North Zone of CTR - are essentially wildlife traders, Johru is a noted poacher This year TCF launched its awareness programme in the involved in hunting protected wildlife as well as illegal remote North Zone of the CTR. This was initiated with trade. So far he has been convicted in two cases of painting competitions organized in the month of leopard poaching with his accomplices Ramzan, Taiyab February in schools located in Khadrasi and Kandanala etc. on 13.01.2009 and 23.03.2009 respectively. He villages. The objective was to develop awareness among was sentenced to subsequent jail terms of five years in students about wildlife and forest conservation through each of these two cases. the medium of paintings. Juhru had challenged his convictions before the Regional and National Camps of "Kids for Tiger" Rajasthan High Court, Jaipur Bench and applied for bail Programme - The Corbett Foundation in collaboration while his Revision Petition was pending adjudication but with Sanctuary Asia organized a 2-day regional camp on the High Court refused to grant him bail. He then filed 26th and 27th February 2011 under "Kids for Tiger" a Petition in Supreme Court of India requesting for bail. Programme for the five selected students of Ramnagar ACF B.S.Nathawat was officer-in-charge of the case in and Kotabagh area. Students were taken to Sitabani Supreme Court. forest located in Ramnagar forest division for nature On the basis of a misleading statement that 'he had walk and bird watching exercises. Additionally, students spent four and a half years in jail out of a total sentence were also taken to Himalayan Botanical Garden, Nainital of five years handed out to him', he had succeeded in on an educational trip. The students learned about vari- getting bail from Supreme Court on 06.09.2010. ous rare important species of plants that are found in However, the Supreme Court recalled its earlier order of Himalayan region, and their medicinal uses. grant of bail, when it was pointed out that Juhru had TCF participated in the National camp of KFT pro- spent only about one year and eight months in Jail. gramme that was organized in Pench Tiger Reserve in On 18.10.2010, Govt Counsel Prashant Bhagwati had Maharashtra on 6-8 May 2011. TCF team provided pointed out to the SC that inspite of recalling of the bail assistance to the student who was selected from various order, authorities in Alwar jail continue to maintain that previous activities under the programme and his teacher Juhru is out on bail. Accordingly, the Supreme Court to take part in the event in Pench, which was an had summoned the Superintendent, Alwar Jail to extremely distant place for them. appear in person before the Court regarding the matter. Interaction of local students with International digni- On October 22,2010 Supreme Court during the hearing taries of Tiger Consultation - The Corbett Foundation of this case issued directions to Registrar of Supreme team organized an interactive session between 20 local Court to enquire as to why the order of recalling of bail school children and well known tiger experts on 12th of Johru was not communicated to the concerned March 2011. Among the experts were George Schaller, authorities. Alan Rabinowitz, Joe Smith, and Steve Winter from the The SC has also directed authorities to put Johru under Panthera Foundation. Other important dignitaries arrest, according to BS Nathawat, Assistant Conservator included Bittu Sahgal, Rajiv Bhartari, A.S. Negi, of Forest, Sariska Tiger Reserve. Later in December,2010 R.K.Mishra, Brijendra Singh, Dilip Khatau and Rina Johru was apprehended from his hideout by a joint Khatau. team of Rajasthan Police and Forest staff led by the Addl. S.P of Alwar. WILDLIFE TRUST OF INDIA (WTI) Wildlife Trust of India assisted the Sariska Tiger Reserve Poacher of Sariska Tiger Reserve finally convicted authorities in this case .It is likely that Johru and his Date: Fri, Jun 17, 2011 at 9:43 PM associates will appeal to higher courts for relief. Wildlife Today, in a landmark case and first of a kind in India, Trust of India will watch and intervene in the higher
June 2011 27 GTFNEWS
Courts of law. Environment Court here. Ashok Kumar Wildlife Trust of India. Three convicted for poaching leopard, selling skin Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN, Apr 1, 2011, 01.07am IST WILDLIFE PROTECTION SOCIETY OF INDIA (WPSI) NAGPUR: In perhaps only the second conviction in Sansar Chand's brother Narayan convicted to 5 years wildlife crime in the state, three persons were sentenced imprisonment to two years rigorous imprisonment (RI) for poaching a 5 May 2011 leopard and selling its skin. The ruling came after a Alwar: The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate II, Alwar nine-year-long legal battle. has convicted Narayan, brother of notorious illegal The first such ruling in wildlife crime had come on wildlife trader Sansar Chand to five years imprisonment March 21, 2010, when four accused had been sen- and Rs. 20,000 fine today. The case was registered in tenced to four years RI for poisoning a tiger near 2005 and prosecuted by the Rajasthan Forest Nagzira in 1992. Department after the Sariska debacle. On Thursday, judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) Sujit In this case, Narayan has allegedly admitted to purchas- Kumar Tayde convicted accused Shankar Nagoji ing leopard skins and tiger skins brought from Rajasthan Meshram (45), Thoraj Narayan Avtare (40), both resi- and selling them to Nepali buyers. He has also allegedly dents of Ashti in Gadchiroli, and Narayan Dhiren Basad revealed the modus operandi of Sansar Chand and his (35) of Ramkrishnapur, to two years RI and imposed a associates in crime. fine of Rs 2,000 each. Acting on a tip-off, then Pench RFO SS Notey, conserva- Woman gets five years RI for poaching tiger tionist Kundan Hate, Govind Lokhande and Avinash PTI - Thu, Apr 7, 2011 Nikam, all from Nagpur, had laid a trap on November Lakhimpur (UP), Apr 7 (PTI) A woman from Haryana was 20, 2002, at Shubham Lodge, Gadchiroli. Some of them sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment, along posed as fake customers and caught the three accused with a penalty of Rs 50,000, by a local court for poach- red-handed while trying to sell the leopard skin. ing a four-year-old tiger in January 2007. RFO JD Gahukar, who is retired now, had investigated The tiger was killed in Kishunpur Sanctuary here on the case. He said the accused would have been set free January 7, 2007, following which an inquiry was if the witnesses had not stood firm. ordered by the Uttar Pradesh government, Deputy "The culprits tried to mislead the court by pointing fin- Director of the sanctuary Sanjay Pathak said. gers at each other when it came to revealing from During the investigation, Dalipo, a female poacher from where the leopard was poached and skinned," said Haryana, was named as the main accused. She was government counsel DV Donadkar. All the accused were later arrested and a case under the Wild Life Protection present in the court when the judgement was pro- Act was also lodged against her and her accomplices, nounced. Pathak said. "We presented a strong case. Convinced by the evi- Chief Judicial Magistrate R K Shukla yesterday sen- dence, the JMFC convicted the accused under Section 9, tenced Dalipo to five year and three months of rigorous 44 and 48 (a) of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972," imprisonment and also imposed the fine, he said. Donadkar told TOI. http://my.news.yahoo.com/woman-gets-five-years-ri- There have been over two dozen skin seizures during poaching-tiger-20110406-231700-574.html the past decade in Gadchiroli and Chandrapur districts but there have not been any convictions. "Such law Two sentenced to 3 years each for smuggling leopard enforcement action against wildlife criminals will help skin curb trade in wildlife," said Hate. PTI - Thu, Mar 24, 2011 Kurukshetra, Mar 24 (PTI) Two persons were sentenced Seized leopard skins were to be smuggled to China to three years imprisonment each by the Environment Lalit Mohan Court, Kurukshetra, today on the charge of smuggling Tribune News Service leopard skin. Dharamsala, 28 April 2011 Both the convicts, Gianiram and Dharma, were also The recovery of seven leopard skins from suspected fined Rs 10,000 each for the crime by the Environment poachers from Baijnath has brought to the fore sporadic Court''s Judge Gagandeep Kaur. incidents of poaching of endangered species of wild The duo were arrested from Rathdhana railway station animals in the protected forest areas of Kangra district. by a team of Railway Protection Force and forest offi- Department of Forest officials seized the skins on a spe- cials during a checking in March, 2002. cific information provided by the Wildlife Protection Four skins of leopards were recovered from the posses- Society of India (WPSI) from Delhi. Sources here told sion of the duo after which a case was registered The Tribune that WPSI activists got information regard- against them and the trial was conducted in the ing the deal between smugglers of wildlife articles and
28 June 2011 GTFNEWS sellers of the seven leopard skins in Delhi. from the state government. They informed Conservator, Forests, Dharamsala, ARM Sources said during her recent visit to the park, Wright Reddy about the transaction of skins yesterday. The for- came across massive construction work inside for a pro- est officials laid a naka near Palampur and caught four ject undertaken by the forest department for construct- persons carrying the leopard skins in a vehicle. ing 20 big dams each costing between Rs 35 lakh and Later investigations revealed that Chatter Singh of Jikli Rs 75 lakh. Later, she filed a petition with the CEC. Bhath village in Baijnath was the kingpin of the opera- The department has already constructed more than 100 tion. He was carrying the skins for selling these to small anicuts and 20 ponds. Excavation work is also on smugglers. for Bhanwardha Dam in the Berdha area with the use of All four accused have been booked under Schedule-1 of excavator machines and explosives. the Wildlife Protection Act. It prescribes a punishment Heavy excavator machines and pneumatic drills are up to 10 years for killing animals protected under it. being used and blasting conducted for the constructions The officials said from initial investigation, it seemed inside the park and wildlife experts pointed out that that one leopard skin was fresh. It seemed that the these activities are creating immense stress for the wild poachers had killed the leopard recently as they had animals. used turmeric (haldi) to prevent the skin from getting "A number of cement anicuts and earth dams have also decayed. The other skins recovered were old. Reddy said been constructed around Galai Sagar while the the protected forest of Baijnath had a good population Tambakhan road has been dug out and widened with a of leopards. It was possible that the poachers killed JCB machine, apparently to facilitate use of this road by leopards in their area. tourist vehicles going to Zone 4," a wildlife activists The WPSI activists said the leopard skins were on the said. way to China. The smugglers were actively involved in The Supreme Court in an order dated February 14, smuggling parts of endangered big cat species like 2000, has prohibited any non-forest activity like felling tigers and leopards. Almost all body parts of these ani- of trees, removal of biomass and miscellaneous con- mals were sold in China as these were used in their tra- struction activity in protected forest areas without prior ditional medicine. permission from it. A leopard skin and its other body parts cost about Rs 15 Wildlife activists feel that the current construction being lakh in the international market, they said. Earlier also, undertaken inside the park will create disturbance in the the WPSI activists had helped bust a nexus of local natural eco-system of Ranthambore causing irreversible poachers and wildlife article smugglers in Solan district. damage. PALAMPUR: In the Dhauladhar hills, the population of On the anvil is another anicut at Adi Dagar, beyond leopards has come down by 50 per cent in the past five Lakardah, in a nullah that runs from Lakardah to years. The leopards which were usually spotted in the Bakola. The area, however, has a number of perennial hills of Palampur, Bir and Baijnath are not seen any- waterholes that provide water for the wild animals, where. especially during the critical summer months. This is where the tigress Machali' (T-16) spent the summer of Stop constructions inside Ranthambore, SC panel tells 2010, making its kills around the waterholes. state "All the proposed and execution sites of the construc- TNN, Mar 15, 2011, 04.54am IST tion are breeding areas of tigers. These dams will ruin JAIPUR: The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) con- them completely. If construction begins, tigers will move stituted by the Supreme Court has directed the state out from these territories -- something that can be government to bring all such activities to a stop at the attributed to the wide straying of tigers from the park Ranthambore National Park that violates the Wildlife these days. The flora of this xeric and arid environment (Protection) Act 1972 or directives of the apex court. when exposed to excess water, which would get collect- The CEC directive follows a petition filed by Belinda ed in these dams, will be damaged. Similarly, the fauna, Wright, executive director of the Wildlife Protection too, will be affected as the moisture content of the soil Society of India. will increase which disturbs the burrowing animals In the petition, Wright had alleged that the state forest largely," an expert said. department has been undertaking massive construction However, forest department officials feel that last sum- work at the national park which is violative of provisions mer the park was under severe stress due to scarcity of in the law. water and it is necessary to build additional water bod- The CEC's directives to S Ahmad, chief secretary, ies to fight the arid summers becoming tougher by the Rajasthan, has also sought a response to the petition years due to climate change.
June 2011 29 30 GTF June NEWS
2011 TIGER MORTALITY STATISTICS OF INDIA, JANUARY- 14 JUNE 2011
DATE PLACE STATE TIGER SKINS TIGER BONES OTHRE BODY PARTS TIGER POACHING CASES OTHER TIGER DEATHS 5/1/11 Periyar Tiger Reserve Kerala 1 Tigress 7/1/11 Chandrapur District Maharashtra 1 skin 10/1/11 Nilgiris North Division Tamil Nadu 1 Tigress 13/1/11 Kaziranga Tiger Reserve Assam 1 Tigress 13/1/11 Satpura Tiger Reserve Madhya Pradesh 1 cub 17/1/11 Brahmapuri Division Maharashtra 1 cub 25/1/11 Corbett Tiger Reserve Uttarakhand 1 Tigress 27/1/11 Ramnagar Division Uttarakhand 1 Tiger 6/2/11 Terai West Division Uttarakhand 1 tiger 7/2/11 Simlipal Tiger Reserve Orissa Skin piece 13 claws & 4 canines 9/2/11 Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve Rajasthan 1 tigress 10/2/11 South Wayanad Division Kerala 1 tigress 13/2/11 Mudumalai Tiger Reserve Tamil Nadu 1 tigress 13/2/11 Mysore Forest Division Karnataka 1 tiger 19/2/11 Corbett Tiger Reserve Uttarakhand 1 tiger 28/2/11 Sunderbans Tiger Reserve West Bengal 1 tigress 28/2/11 Moreh Manipur 3 kg bones 5/3/11 Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve Madhya Pradesh 1 tigress 5/3/11 Ramnagar Division Uttarakhand 1 tigress 1/4/11 Corbett Tiger Reserve Uttarakhand 1 tigress 7/4/11 Nagarhole Tiger Reserve Karnataka 1 tiger 9/4/11 Idukki District Kerala 1 tigress 12/4/11 Kaziranga Tiger Reserve Assam 1 tiger 22/4/11 Ramnagar Division Uttarakhand 1 tigress 1/5/11 Chandel District Manipur 1 skin 15 kg bones with 2 skulls 3/5/11 Corbett Tiger Reserve Uttarakhand 1 tiger 7/5/11 Kaziranga Tiger Reserve Assam 1 tiger 20/5/11 Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve Rajasthan 1 tiger 28/5/11 Ramnagar Division Uttarakhand 1 tiger 31/5/11 Ramnagar Division Uttarakhand 1 tiger 7/6/11 Corbett Tiger Reserve Uttarakhand 1 tigress 11/6/11 Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve Madhya Pradesh 1 femeal cub
Source : www.tigernet.nic.in GTFNEWS
Of the GTF
1.Four officers, one each from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Vietnam have success- fully completed the 3 months Certificate Course of training in Wildlife Management at the Wildlife Institute of India on 31st January 2011 and have returned back to their countries. They were sponsored by GTF supported from the RTCF grant of the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
2. One officer from Nepal has successfully completed the Advanced Post-Graduate Diploma Course of training in Wildlife Management at the Wildlife Institute of India on 30th June 2011 and has returned back to his country. He was sponsored by GTF supported from the RTCF grant of the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
3. The Global Tiger Forum, in collaboration with the Government of India and the Global Tiger Initiative organized an International Conference on Tiger conser- vation and Global Workshop on Implementation of the Global Tiger Recovery Programme (GTRP), at New Delhi, India on 28th and 29th March 2011.
4. The Global Tiger Forum held its 5th General Assembly on 30th March 2011, at New Delhi, India, which was attended by all its members and several observers.
5. Mr S.P. Yadav, DIG (NTCA) represented the Secretary General, GTF, at the 2nd meeting of South Asian Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) in Paro, Bhutan, between 29-30 January 2011.
6. GTF to support SAWEN in organizing a capacity building/training programme of frontline staff of member countries on forensic/investigation of wildlife crimes at Gandhinagar, India.
7. GTF and IFAW/WTI jointly organized a "Tiger Watch" programme in India between 16th to 26th May 2011. Under this programme two field officers from Russia visited tiger reserves in India.
June 2011 31