Wildlife Conservation India Project #17680

Protecting Tigers

by David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation

Project Report | Jun 3, 2020
Protecting Tigers - June 2020 Update

By Alicia van den Abeele | Project Leader

Thank you for donating to our Protecting Tigers project. Your support is helping David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) ensure the continued survival of the Indochinese, Bengal and Amur tiger in the wild. Operating to support key tiger populations across Russia, Thailand and India, we fund a combination of education and awareness initiates, law enforcement and park protection programs and undercover investigations which look into and dismantle the illegal wildlife trade which threatens the future of tigers in some of the world’s most important and remote habitats.

The year 2020 has been fraught with challenges, in light of the global pandemic, which has forced us all to adapt, one way or another. Despite the difficulties we are now faced with, we are proud to say that our relationship is as strong as ever with our ground-based conservation partners and that our combined efforts are continuing to make a difference to some of the most world’s most vulnerable wildlife populations and communities living alongside them. We are incredibly grateful to the brave wildlife rangers, who even amid the current crisis, are risking their lives on the frontline of wildlife crime and working tirelessly to maintain their vital conservation efforts.

Your impact, our progress:

Thanks to support from DSWF, the Phoenix Fund recently introduced the law enforcement monitoring patrol programme SMART in the newly established protected areas in Bikin National Park. Recent data showed rangers increased their patrol efforts, covering more than 85,000 km, preventing poaching incidents and interrupted 34 wildlife violations in just the last year. Additionally, since February 2020, rangers in Bikin National Park have taken part in tough snow tracking patrols to observe how effective increasing ranger activity was in improving the population density of the Amur tigers in this part of the world.

The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), another partner of DSWF are also doing fantastic work in raising awareness and engaging rural communities in the importance of preserving the jungle habitat and the wildlife they so greatly depend upon. New programmes such as ‘Anti Snare Walks’ invite local villagers to clear vast tiger habitats of life-threatening snares, wildlife bombs and other even more destructive methods of extermination. Aaranyak, another one of DSWF’s wonderful partners, continue to carry out the hugely popular ‘Tiger goes to school’ programme, which educates the next generation by quite literally going to school in wild places around Kazaringa National Park to talk about the importance of tiger conservation. These children come home with a sense of pride for what essential is theirs to protect.

Thanks to your donation, these activities can continue, protecting the endangered tigers in their natural habitat and ensuring their protection for years to come.

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Feb 4, 2020
2020 Commitment to Conservation

By Georgina Lamb | Head of Programmes and Policy

Nov 7, 2019
Protecting Tigers - November update 2019

By Jayne Horswill | Project Leader

Thank you for donating to our Protecting Tigers project. Your support helps to fund David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF)'s ground-based conservation partners who work tirelessly to ensure the continued survival of tigers in the wild. Operating to support key tiger populations across Russia, Thailand and India, our work ensures the survival of tigers in the wild in some of the world’s most important and remote habitats.

A more unusual issue and indirect threat which our ground based-conservation partners have had to address over the last year in their protection of the wild Amur tiger in Russia has been the outbreak of a dangerous animal virus. An outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF), caused by a virus which infects domestic and wild pigs, has sadly put the tigers at risk due to ever-increasing closeness of wild animals and human settlements.

Whilst ASF is not a threat to human health and cannot be transmitted to people, it poses a very serious threat to wild boars, which are a main food source for the Amur. As wild boar mortality increases, the predators who eat them as a main food source are at an ever-growing risk from the disease. ASF has been found in five districts in Primorye, a prime amur tiger landscape where we work. The issue has become so serious that the Prime Minister of Russia himself called a meeting in late September to find a solution to the problem and is something our partners on the ground are following with a very close eye.

With as few as 500-600 Amur tigers left in the world, any external or even indirect threat puts the species at risk, something which we try hard to mitigate, but with human populations exploding and rapidly expanding into wilderness territories, the interaction between wild species and humans is becoming more and more prevalent.

On a more positive note and at the same location in Russia, we can proudly share that just under 1,500 children in the local area attended e lessons supported by DSWF over the last 6 months which helps instil a positive relationship and understanding between tigers and humans. By ensuring children are taught the positive benefits of protecting and ensuring the safety of wild animals and their local, native habitats, tigers and many other animals have a much higher chance of survival.

Thanks to your donation, these activities can continue, protecting the endangered Amur tiger in its natural habitat and ensuring the protection for years to come.

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