Has China Quietly Approved Trade in Tiger 'Products'?

Written by Rhishja Larson

Published on September 3rd, 2009

Disturbing information suggests that the wording of a Chinese forestry administration document is ambiguous enough to allow trade in products derived from critically endangered tigers.

According to The Times UK, wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC has sounded the alarm about a document issued by the Chinese State Forestry Administration, warning that the wording is "loose" enough to encourage China's deplorable tiger farmers to begin processing tiger-derived products.

Xu Hongfa, of TRAFFIC explains how the loophole could be exploited.

I think these words could be used as a cover by tiger farmers to make tiger bone wine and they would try to argue that it doesn't just refer to skins.

Although the document was initially issued in December 2007 to allow trade in "legally obtained tiger and leopard skins", Chinese officials worked hard to remove nearly every internet reference to the ruling prior to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, in order to avoid international scrutiny.

Conservationists are in agreement that any legal trade would drive the few remaining wild tigers to extinction. Wildlife Trust of India's Ashok Kumar was surprised by the existence of the Chinese trade document.

In all our communications with the Chinese we have been led to believe that the ban is firmly in place … We were not aware of this document, [which] could have a huge effect on wild tigers in India by stimulating demand for medicines in China.

Enough is enough

Isn't it time to get past this notion of "cultural sensitivity" and hold the Chinese government publicly accountable for what their country's mindless consumption has done to the world's tiger population?

http://ecoworldly.com/2009/09/03/has-china-quietly-approved-trade-in-tiger-products/

Tiger economy- India

The world's few remaining tigers must be left free to burn bright

September 3, 2009

The world's dwindling tiger colonies are facing yet another threat, this time from China's plan to sanction the use of lawfully sourced tiger pelts.

The fear is that, by loosening its ban on the trading of any tiger parts, China will spur poaching in India, which is home to the largest remaining wild tiger population.

China argues that while it may be host to only 30 or 40 tigers living in the wild, it has 5,000 more that have been reared on farms. Such farms were created as tourist attractions, but few doubt that their owners hope to use the cats to produce health tonics. Tiger bone wine is especially prized as a pick-me-up. Though pricey, it grows ever more affordable the richer the Chinese get.

What worries conservationists is that once any trade in tiger parts gains official blessing, policing the traffic will become difficult. India fears that as demand for tiger products grows, it will find itself becoming an even more attractive target for poachers: breeding tigers in captivity in China looks promising, but it will always cost more than slipping a poacher as little as £5 for a carcass that traffickers then transport to China.

India already detects China's swelling wealth, and a companion rise in its appetite for traditional medicines, as a factor in the decline of its own tiger numbers. Pressured also by a loss of both habitat and prey, India's tiger population shrank to just 1,411 in February last year from 3,642 in 2002 and 40,000 or so a century ago. India fears that any further incentive for poaching might drive tigers to extinction in the wild.

However heady their benefits, tiger bone tonics are hardly worth the risk of a beast of such fearful symmetry vanishing for ever from our jungles.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/leading_article/article6819264.ece

Shrinking prey base forcing tigers to stray- India

Prithvijit Mitra, TNN 3 September 2009, 04:01am IST

A tiger straying into villages on the fringes of the Sunderbans has now become as frequent as one making a kill deep inside the mangrove forests. Villagers, from Gosaba and Patharpratima to Bally have learnt to live with it. But it's a life anything but normal death could be lurking in a bush or around the next tree.

The figures paint a grim picture. Thirty-two big cats have strayed out of the jungle and into human habitations in the last 10 months. The frequency of tiger forays has gone up after the devastation of Cyclone Aila, raising concerns about depletion of tiger prey. Hundreds of deer and wild boar were suspected to have been swept away in the cyclone. In July, a tiger was found dead after consuming two cobras, which raised doubts about the availability of enough prey in the forest.

But neither the frequent strayings nor the devastating Aila, which ravaged the forest and hundreds of villages in the islands, made the authorities sit up and take note. Weeks after the storm hit, a study was launched to assess the damage to the forest and to find out if there was indeed a prey shortage. Three months later, the study is still on. The Sunderban Biosphere Reserve (SBR) authorities don't rule out the possibility of a food crisis but have no solutions to offer.

"A prey shortage cannot be ruled out. The tigress that was trapped at Pirakhali on Tuesday had been straying repeatedly. We must look into it," said N C Bahuguna, director, SBR. Locals and experts feel enough time has been lost and a study should be done to find out if a food crisis exists in the mangrove jungles. "Tigers have always strayed but not so frequently. Poaching has been curbed in the Sunderbans, so there is apparently no reason why the prey base should dwindle. We have never heard of a tiger dying after eating a cobra. A study is needed to check the prey base. It should be investigated if deer and boar are breeding less," said S R Banerjee, honorary director, Wildlife Protection Society of India, an NGO.

Others like Anil Mistry, principal field officer, WPSI called for the involvement of locals in the survey. "Unless villagers and fishermen are involved, we won't get the correct picture. There is no use having a survey just for the sake of it," said Mistry.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/kolkata-/Shrinking-prey-base-forcing-tigers-to-stray/articleshow/4966122.cms

'Tiger density highest in Corbett park'- India

Prithviraj Singh | Dehradun

A Wildlife Institute of India survey report has claimed Uttarakhand's Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve has the highest density of tigers in the world.

One tiger is found on every eight square kilometres of the park. As per forest department sources, a large portion of Corbett even houses two tigers on 10 square kilometres.

An MoU (memorandum of understanding) will be signed between park authorities, the Union and State Governments for managing the affairs of the park.

"The tiger density in the Corbett park was around one in every eight sq km and this figure is the highest in the world," State Chief Wildlife Warden Srikant Chandola said.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/199856/`Tiger-density-highest-in-Corbett-park'.html

Tigers are 'brainier' than lions

As the King of the Jungle, the lion may have the brawn, but it is the tiger that has the brains, claim scientists.

By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent
Published: 12:31PM BST 02 Sep 2009

Researchers have discovered that the tiger has a far bigger brain than its big cat rival, even though it is often seen as lower down the food chain.

A team of zoologists at Oxford University compared the brain cavity in the skulls of both animals and found tigers are 16 per cent bigger than lions, leopards and jaguars.

In evolutionary terms, brain size has usually been linked to intelligence.

Academics have always thought that social species, such as lions, should have larger brains than solitary species, such as tigers, because of the need to handle a more complex social life within groups or prides.

"What we had not expected is that the tiger has clearly much bigger relative brain size than do the other three species, which all have similar relative brain sizes," said Dr Nobby Yamaguchi, the author of the study at Oxford University's Wildlife Conservation Research Unit.

"When we compare the two biggest species, on average, the lion has a bigger skull than the tiger based on the greatest length of the skull.

"However, the tiger has bigger cranial volume than the lion. It is truly amazing that tiny female Balinese tiger skulls have cranial volumes as large as those of huge male southern African lion skulls.

"Unfortunately we have no other evidence to suggest that tigers are more intelligent than lions."

The team studied the skulls of 370 lions, 225 tigers, 32 jaguars, and 42 leopards from museums around the world for the research that was published in Biological Journal of the Linnean Society.

They investigated the relationship between the skull size – the longest length between the front and back parts of the skull – and the volume inside the cats' respective craniums.

They concluded that the tigers have a relatively bigger brain (around 16 per cent larger) than lions, given their very similar average body sizes.

Lions, leopards and jaguars have almost identically sized brains to lions which makes tigers the odd one out as they shared a common ancestor around 3.7 million years ago.

Now the researchers want to find out which parts of the tiger's mind are bigger than lions to try to determine why it needs so much brain power.

Dr Yamaguchi said despite the disparity in brain size, the lion remained at the top of the food chain.

"Because lions are in groups they just beat up solitary animals like tigers - but then maybe tigers are intelligent enough to stay out of their way."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/6126082/Tigers-are-brainier-than-lions.html

Tiger Training Conservationist and Keynote Speaker, Dan Stockdale, Named One...

Conservationist, Keynote Speaker and Motivational Speaker Dan Stockdale on stage with the amazing wild tiger.

Sep 02, 2009 10:00 ET

NASHVILLE, TN--(Marketwire - September 2, 2009) - Dan Stockdale, has been named one of America's "25 Hottest Speakers" by Speaker Magazine; the official publication of the National Speakers Association representing motivational speakers. Dan, also known as Tiger Guy is CEO and founder of the non-profit Conservation Alliance for Tigers and recognized by meeting planners in the meetings industry as a keynote speaker, author, consultant, and conservationist.

Stockdale, Tiger Guy is well-known for his TV appearances and keynote presentations for association and corporate meetings where he speaks as a motivational speaker. He also delivers killer keynotes with live tigers on stage. "I am honored to be selected as one of the 25 hottest motivational speakers" said Stockdale who was selected for his platform performance. "However, the real honor is to serve alongside CEOs, my speaking peers, and those who make a difference in both the boardroom and the wild." A green speaker Stockdale is selected by meeting planners in the meetings industry who seek a unique keynote speaker who interweaves corporate conservation and environmental conservation.

"Whether working with business 'tigers' in the cutthroat environment of the boardroom, or wildlife conservation in the harsh jungle, Dan delivers. Human resource managers around the globe are realizing they must invest in human capital -- advancing thriving leaders through leadership training; cultivating growth through sales training; and harvesting loyalty through customer service trainingteamwork training." It really is a jungle out there. and

Stockdale is CEO of the non-profit Conservation Alliance for Tigers (CATs) and Adventures in Leadership in Nashville, Tennessee. He serves as a news contributor for CNN, Fox, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Microsoft, American Management Association, and many more. He is the author of "Taming Tigers." Stockdale is a motivational speaker who consults with organizations on leadership, sales growth, customer service, and teamwork; teaching leaders to thrive in today's business jungle.

Dan holds a bachelors degree in psychology from Kent State (1992), a master's degree in corporate communication from Austin Peay (2008), and is an MBA candidate at Vanderbilt (2011). You can find out more about Dan Stockdale at www.TigerGuy.com.

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Adventures-In-Leadership-Inc-1039129.html

Two tigers trapped in Sunderbans- India

STAFF WRITER 13:56 HRS IST

Canning (WB), Sept 1 (PTI) Two tigers were today trapped by forest department personnel from areas close to Sunderbans in South 24 Parganas district, official sources said.

While one tiger was caught from Panchamukhani II forest area, situated opposite to Annpur village across the Garal river, the other walked into a cage in the Pirkhali II forest, the sources said.

"We had kept the traps with bait for the last few days, but were surprised when the goat kept in trap at Panchamukhani II was lifted by the tiger without being caught", Atanu Raha, West Bengal's Chief Wildlife Warden (CWW) said adding, "the animal appears to be very cunning".

The tiger trapped in Panchamukhani II is believed to have strayed into Annpur village twice during the last fortnight after swimming across the Garal river, Raha said.

http://www.ptinews.com/news/258887_Two-tigers-trapped-in-Sunderbans__

Tigers destroyed by poaching

Published: 31 August 2009

Only about 4,000 tigers remain in the wild, scattered across forests stretching from India to the Russian Far East.

Tigers are poisoned, shot, trapped and snared, and the majority of these animals are sought to meet the demands of a continuing illegal wildlife trade.

Hunters, traders, and poor local residents whose main means of subsistence comes from the forest, are wiping out the tiger and the natural prey upon which it depends.

Loss of habitat and the depletion of the tiger's natural prey is also a factor of the animal's decline. Large commercial plantations have replaced a lot of tiger habitat in several tropical range countries.

The World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) has a conservation and strategy action plan which aims to combat the declining numbers.

http://www.sidewaysnews.com/environment-nature/tigers-destroyed-poaching

Year of the Tiger: India raises poaching alarm, Beijing cool

Neha Sinha Posted online: Monday , Aug 31, 2009 at 0848 hrs

New Delhi : WITH 2010 being the Chinese `year of the tiger' — which comes once in 12 years and when demand for tiger and leopard parts shoots up — a team of Indian wildlife officials will visit China in November to specifically discuss tiger and leopard poaching.

The meeting between officials drawn from the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, and Chinese officials was finalised during the visit of Minister of Environment Jairam Ramesh to China this week.

During Ramesh's trip, tiger poaching was one of the issues on agenda. In a written statement to Chinese officials, his ministry submitted that one of India's main concerns was that demand for tiger and leopard skins and bones would go up in 2010. India also asked China to enforce a tiger skin registration scheme and crack down on tiger trade through Nepal.

"The dialogue and enforcement on tiger conservation needs to be taken forward. This is why a team from Project Tiger and wildlife enforcement officers will be visiting China as a lot more needs to be done especially in this year of the tiger," Ramesh told The Indian Express.

The ministry has also contended that China should restrict its tiger farms as this creates a demand for Indian wild tiger products and has urged China to keep a domestic tiger-trade ban in place.

But the Chinese response appears to be lukewarm. Responding to concerns of tiger poaching for Chinese demand, the Chinese officials said India was not doing enough to check Chiru (Tibetan Antelope) poaching. They also said that there is no link between Chinese tiger farms and Indian tiger poaching.

Ramesh said he does not agree with China linking Chiru poaching to that of the tiger. "The case of poaching of the Chiru antelope and the tiger are totally different things," he said. The statement submitted to China made the case that breeding tigers "on a commercial scale" was a serious threat to tiger conservation efforts. It said that there are no techniques to distinguish a wild tiger part from that of a farmed tiger. "Raising a farmed tiger is 250 times more expensive than poaching a wild tiger," it said, inferring that poachers will always prefer poaching wild tigers in India.

India has a protocol on tiger conservation with China, which was signed in 1995. One of the main planks of the protocol is joint conservation. However, nothing has moved on the protocol and communication between the two countries has been low.

India had asked China at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) summit to shut down large-scale tiger farms, and only keep the farms `at a level supportive of tiger conservation in the wild' (proceeds from these tourist attractions are supposed to go to wild tiger conservation). CITES has now asked China to file a report on its tiger farms and what steps were being taken to restrict trade in tiger parts.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/year-of-the-tiger-india-raises-poaching-alarm-beijing-cool/509236/0