I would like to congratulate Panthera and Save the Tiger Fund with their swift response to my request (see my blog of 29.05.2011). They joined forces in their activities which focus on tiger conservation. When you read their arguments in the press release of 7 July 2011, there is only one thing I can say: I could not have said it any better. And personally I think this should be rewarded. Therefore, in addition to my own donation I would like to call upon anyone who supports the idea of tiger conservation: Please, even in these time of hardships and economic crisis, look for some money which is better spent on nature conservation than on yourself, and make a donation.
PRESS RELEASE
PANTHERA PARTNERS WITH SAVE THE TIGER FUND TO ENSURE A FUTURE FOR WILD CATS
Panthera and Save the Tiger Fund (STF) are joining forces to further the global fight to save tigers in the wild. This new partnership between two of the most influential and successful tiger conservation groups will double the resources available for strategic tiger conservation efforts, with a focus on addressing key threats to wild tigers and scientifically measuring conservation success.
It is estimated that humans cause up to 83 percent of tiger deaths, mostly from poaching. To specifically address these threats, Panthera and Save the Tiger Fund will support direct interventions that protect tigers, associated prey populations and the habitats on which these species depend.
"We need to stop the killing of tigers and we need to establish measurable goals that relate directly to immediate tiger survival and increases in tiger numbers," said Alan Rabinowitz, CEO of Panthera. "Panthera's strategic focus on saving tigers combined with STF's years of experience funding critical tiger sites is an important step in leveraging our resources. This partnership is a game changer and I am convinced it will positively impact how tigers and their habitats are protected."
"With as few as four dozen significant breeding populations left in the world, tigers need guaranteed protection in order for the species to have any chance at survival," said Luke Hunter, President of Panthera. "Our partnership with STF will build on Panthera's successful , which employs science-based measurement and monitoring of tiger and prey populations, along with rigorous implementation of enforcement activities."
Inhabiting less than 7 percent of its historic range, the tiger has experienced the greatest range collapse of any large cat species and is now one of the most endangered large mammals on earth. Population numbers are dismal. From at least tens of thousands of wild tigers at the beginning of the 20th century, current best estimates hover below 3,200 tigers in the wild today.
"Save the Tiger Fund has partnered with Panthera because we recognize the urgency of the current state of tigers in the wild and because Panthera knows how to save tigers," said Jeff Trandahl, Executive Director and CEO of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, which hosts Save the Tiger Fund. "Through this partnership, Panthera and STF will maintain a single-minded focus on the fundamental issues that face tiger populations today."
To successfully leverage resources, Panthera and STF will focus their support on securing significant breeding tiger populations within the high priority tiger conservation landscapes of Nepal, India, Bangladesh, the Russian Far East, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Lao P.D.R., Bhutan and Sumatra. To ensure accountability and the effective use of resources, all of the projects Panthera and STF support will quantify and monitor the results of these interventions.
Successful projects will typically demonstrate all or most of the following activities:
Establish effective protection measures to counter poaching of tigers and prey in close collaboration with protected area management teams (e.g., anti-poaching patrol units, wildlife crime intelligence networks).
Establish systems to monitor law enforcement effectiveness.
Reduce and prevent human-tiger conflict situations and reduce retaliatory killing of tigers where these are deemed a significant threat to population viability.
Establish science-led, peer reviewed tiger and prey monitoring systems in core breeding populations.
About Panthera
Panthera, founded in 2006, is the world's leading organization devoted exclusively to the conservation of wild cats and their ecosystems. Utilizing the expertise of the world's premier cat biologists, Panthera develops and implements global conservation strategies for the largest, most imperiled cats - tigers, lions, jaguars and snow leopards. Representing the most comprehensive effort of its kind, Panthera works in partnership with local and international NGOs, scientific institutions, local communities and governments.
About Save the Tiger Fund
Established by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in 1995, Save the Tiger Fund (STF) sponsors effective efforts to stop the killing of wild tigers and enable wild tigers to recover and flourish. With an emphasis on engaging local people as partners, STF has invested in more than 300 projects in 13 tiger-range countries to reduce and eliminate threats to wild tigers and create favorable conditions for their conservation.
