IFAW: Second tiger killed by poachers days before global summit

(New Delhi, November 19, 2010) – Just days before the start of a global summit on tiger conservation, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has learned of a second tiger poaching death this week.

Following the killing of a rare Amur (Siberian) tiger in Russia earlier this week, IFAW has now learned that a wild tiger has been found dead of suspected poisoning in Sariska Tiger Reserve in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan.

The killings highlight the dire threats to this critically endangered species as leaders of 13 tiger range countries prepare to convene in St Petersburg, Russia from November 21 to 24 to agree on a new global plan to save tigers from extinction. Wild tiger populations around the world have declined by 97% in the past century, primarily due to habitat loss and poaching.

Vivek Menon, IFAW Regional Director for South Asia and Executive Director, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), said: “This is a wake-up call for all tiger range countries as well as their supporters, and a grim reminder of the threats faced by wild tigers worldwide. As leaders meet during the International Tiger Forum, we call for them to address the threats facing tigers and tackle the issue from the grassroots level.”

The latest tiger killed was one of five Bengal tigers that were relocated to Sariska from Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in 2008, as part of a landmark attempt to restore the wild tiger population in the reserve after the last of its resident tigers was killed by poachers in 2004.

India, which is home to half of the world’s remaining 3,000 wild tigers, has initiated a high-level inquiry into the tiger death. Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State for Environment and Forests, said the Indian government will act immediately to better monitor tigers in Sariska.

To mitigate human-tiger conflict, the government will relocate some of the 28 villages and 10,000 people residing in the reserve. There are also plans to move another wild tiger to Sariska in the near future to increase the viability of the reintroduced population.

The Amur tiger killed earlier this week was in a protected reserve in the Russian Far East. IFAW’s Khasan anti-poaching brigade arrested four suspected poachers, who face up to three years in prison and a US $20,000 fine if convicted.

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For more information please contact Clare Sterling in the IFAW Press Office on 020 7587 6708 or Josey Sharrad on 07717 692099.

About IFAW – Founded in 1969, IFAW saves animals in crisis around the world. With projects in more than 40 countries, IFAW rescues individual animals, works to prevent cruelty to animals and advocates for the protection of wildlife and habitats. IFAW works on the front lines of tiger protection to build anti-poaching capacity, train rangers, secure habitat and end all trade in tiger body parts and products.