Battle on to save tiger from extinction

Right now the world is focusing on saving one of the great beasts of the jungle, the tiger, from the brink of extinction.

This week Russia is playing host to an international tiger summit, and Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio has pledged $1 million towards the cause. Wildlife activists and officials from 13 nations where tigers live in the wild arrived in St Petersburg this week at the invitation of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

The 13 countries where tigers still exist are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Money raised by DiCaprio and WWF through Save Tigers Now will go to fund antipoaching efforts and habitat protection in the 12 priority landscapes across Asia that WWF believes represent the best locations to maintain viable, thriving populations of tigers. The money will also fund advocacy and outreach activities to build support for tiger conservation.

The summit’s four day goal is for attendees to put their political weight behind vocalising imminent threats, and best practice protection and population recovery methods. There are currently just 3200 tigers living outside captivity in each of the countries represented.

Australia Zoo conservation manager Giles Clark claims there is little hope of turning the tide on other critically endangered flora and fauna if the tiger cannot be brought back from the brink. Mr Clark, who heads to Sumatra next week as part of an ongoing Australia Zoo initiative, said he had confidence the summit was more than a “talk fest”.

He said the Tiger Protection and Conservation Unit in the heart of Sumatran tiger homeland Kerinci Seblat National Park had proved the damage of the past decade could be undone. Australia Zoo has donated $150,000 to the TPCU this year.

“They (tigers) have proven to be incredibly resourceful and can bounce back if they and their habitats are left alone,” Mr Clark said.

Bali Tiger back from brink?

Reports have emerged that Bali's extinct tiger, Panthera tigris balica, may not be done and dusted after all.
Residents of the community of Dauh Siong at Lumbung Kauh village near Tabanan, West Bali, are becoming increasingly gripped by fear following the still-to-be-confirmed news of a tiger attack.
The possibility of a tiger attack in Bali is viewed with some incredulity in light of the belief that the last Bali tiger was shot in Sumbar Kima, west Bali in 1937 (the pictures accompanying this post date from the early 1900s). The smallest of all eight subspecies of tigers, the Bali Tiger weighed between 90-100 kilograms with a length of approximately 2 meters. Fears that tigers may once again be on the prowl in Bali's west have been fed by the savage mutilation of several dogs and a goat. Adding credence to reports is the eye witness account of local villager, I Made Pariawan Mardika (37), from the Dauh Siong community who told Beritabali.com that he saw a tiger attack his dog on Wednesday, August 4, 2010. He described the tiger as being about 1 meter tall and weighing 70 kilograms.
The man told the press how he was cutting grass to feed his livestock in a location some 200 meters from his home at 9:00 a.m. when his dogs, who always accompanies him, suddenly disappeared. At 11:00 a.m. he returned to the field, calling out his dog's name. As he walked he heard a yelping dog which led him to a clearing where what described as a "red-orange tiger with yellow accents and black stripes" was biting the hind quarter of his dog.
The farmer's description meshes to some degree with records of the Bali tiger which was said to have short hair that was of a deep orange color with darker, fewer stripes than other tiger species.
Confronted by a tiger having a meal, Mardika said, "I was face to face with that tiger for around one minute; I couldn't scream, I was so scared."
The tiger reportedly abandoned the dog and walked into the protected jungle area of Tukad Balian Patok Nagasari.
The terrified farmers did not pursue the animal and returned to his home where, he confesses, memories of the sighting still disturb his sleep.
Later, that same day, the farmer's dog returned home bearing bite wounds and patches of missing fur. The farmer said the dog now refuses to follow him outside the family compound.
In a separate but potentially related incident, a goat owned by Made Sumadi (37) of neighboring Banjar Nagasari, who discovered dead in a ravine with bites to its neck and hind quarters.
Some have speculated that the tiger sightings may be the result of the unconfirmed release of once captive cats some years ago into West Bali by Bali's Conservation Society (KSDA).
Village authorities are advising local villagers to exercise caution and travel in pairs when visiting forested areas and their agricultural fields. The chief of the West Selemadeg police precinct, I Nyoman Suarnata, has sent officers to the area and contacted the Bali Safari Park in Gianyar for technical advice and assistance.
In a related story, officers of the Bali Conservation Agency (KSDA) deployed field staff accompanied by forestry officials on Sunday, August 8, 2010, to search for the mysterious tigers in wooded lands around Lumbung Kauh village in West Selemadeg.
Selemadeg precinct police commander, I Nyoman Suarnta, confirmed that searches were conducted in the communities of Dauh Siong and Nagasari with officers from his jurisdiction also participating.
Disappointingly, efforts to find further evidence of the tigers proved unsuccessful.
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