St. Petersburg Tiger Summit

Saving the tigers from extinction

The drastic reduction of wildlife is a global concern as it contributes greatly to environmental degradation. Among other reasons, the fast growing industries and economic boom in the developing and promising countries can be attributed to the reduction of wildlife . Tigers figure out prominent in the wildlife population. For centuries, villagers living in Asia’s forest , mountains and icy tundra have learned to fear and respect the mighty tiger. But rapid economic growth and modernization have reduced the number of tiger to as few as 3200 in the wild, mostly in India, Russia and Indonesia. Currently there are fourteen tiger range countries in the world such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam. The climate change across the globe, environmental pollution and the endangered wildlife are directly linked with each other.
With a view to responding to the existing deplorable condition of tigers, Russia hosted a summit from 21-24 November, focusing on how to save this animal for extinction. Government’s officials from fourteen tiger range states along with the World Bank Group, Smithsonian Institution, the WWF, National Geographic and other conservation and development partners and stakeholders gathered in St. Petersburg, Russia to have a high-level discussion on a global plan to save tigers. The participating countries have outlined plans to double the wild tiger population by 2022. The task will not end in Petersburg. They will need to ensure robust implementation and regular stocktaking in the next three to five critical years to ensure success. Success would mark a turning point, where countries secure wildlife and biodiversity, and their very valuable but fragile natural wealth. The plight of tigers casts a spotlight on the broader biodiversity crisis that often goes unnoticed among the failure to safeguard biodiversity and balanced development.
The debate over how to save the tiger has resonance in India, home to over 1400 wild tigers. Its delegates to St. Petersburg was led by the head of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, an agency created in 1973 in response to a drastic fall in tiger numbers. India has 39 reserve and six conservation zones for tigers, though some have been depleted by poaching. “This commitment predates India’s recent rapid economic takeoff, we have been spending money on tigers even when the chops were down, “says Ravi Singh, secretary general of WWF in India. But India’s economic boom is not necessarily a plus for its rich wildlife. A rush to develop rural areas dig mines and build road has eaten away at forest reserves where tigers roam, often over hundreds of miles in search of prey. Corruption and low morale is also responsible for the failure of forest rangers to protect wildlife.
As Rudyard Killing’s The Jungle Book begins, Mother and Father Wolf are troubled to learn that the tiger, “ Shere Khan, the Big One, has shifted his hunting grounds. The wolves fear the tiger’s presence in their midst may anger local villagers and cause man to seek revenge, threatening animal and land alike.”In 1894, when this collection of short stories was published, 100000 tigers roamed the wild. Today, that number has plummeted to 3200 and Shere Khan’s hunting grounds the habitats in which all wild tigers live are vanishing. Tigers now occupy only 7% of their original range. We are fast approaching a time when the roar of a tiger in the wild be replaced forever by silence. Just over a century, there were eight species of tigers namely Amur Bali, Caspian, Indo-Chinese , Javan, Royal Bengal, South China and Sumatran with an estimated world population of 100000 tigers in the wild. However, regrettably, within a short span of 40 years, three species of tiger, Bali in 1940, Caspian in 1970 and Javan in 1980 became extinct form their natural habitat. The present world populations of tigers have abruptly come down and consequently their distribution and habitat have shrunk dramatically.
Around the globe, individuals, governments, the World Bank Group, the Global Environment Facility and conservation groups have already invested considerable resources in tiger protection- and there have been successes. The Amur, or Siberain tiger has been brought back from the brink of extinction though the combined anti-poaching and conservation efforts of the Russian government, local and international NGOs and local communities in the Russian far east. The Tetari Arc Landscape project in Nepal offers another possible model as how human communities can coexist alongside core tiger habitats. For this project, conservationists in the public and private sectors are working together to restore, reconnect and manage 11 national parks into one continuous corridor of protected areas to benefit humans and wildlife. These examples show that tiger populations can recover if habitats can be protected, when and outside protect areas and if poaching of tigers and their prey is stopped. But while there are some important successes, the bigger picture remains bleak. Habitat degradation and fragmentation continue conservation efforts are continually being undermined by poaching and illegal trade
William Blake’s evocative poem “ Tiger” may appear irrelevant in the present day world but it certainly shows how charismatic and magnificent was the Tiger all along. Therefore, it is extremely significant at this moment to generate awareness about the species since the whole world is in the mood of joining the vanguard for saving tigers. Now there is a dire need to show firm commitment to keep the wild tigers in our forests as the plight of the world’s last wild tigers is close to catastrophe. Saving the wild tiger is a global challenge. Just as with many of the other challengers of sustainability such as climate change, pandemic disease or poverty-the crisis facing tigers overwhelms local capabilities and transcends national boundaries. The country of Royal Bengal Tiger also promises to join the procession.
Md. Masum Billah
Program Manager: BRAC Education Program