Spring 2012 Issue One
TigerTime News The online magazine of the TigerTime Campaign
TigerTime celebrates its first birthday! Project Updates from Thailand, India and Russia TigerTime roars into the House of Lords Celebrity Supporters - see what they say!
CONTACT Chantelle Henderson TigerTime Saba House 7 Kings Road Shalford Guildford Surrey GU4 8JU Tel: 01483 272323 Email: dswf@tigertime.info
Join us online! www.tigertime.info
Welcome to the first TigerTime News! TigerTime has now been running a year! On the 6th May it is TigerTime’s first Birthday, and to celebrate this milestone, we are launching this new magazine TigerTime News! The last year has been an incredible journey from a new campaign to a global movement with over 112,000 supporters. TigerTime was launched by the much loved British wildlife artist and conservationist David Shepherd CBE as part of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF). The campaign was started due to the frightening prospect that the number of wild tigers are so low that they are under a great threat of extinction. The tiger has lost over 90% of its original range and today there are only 3,200 left in the wild. Within a few years, the numbers could fall so low that they will pass the ‘point of no return’ and become extinct. TigerTime are fighting to make sure that this does not happen. Thank you to every one of our TigerTime supporters, this past year would not have been such a success without your incredible support. The TigerTime family keeps on growing and is making a huge difference in the protection of the endangered tiger. Whether you have donated, bought art or simply signed and shared our petition www.bantigertrade.com. We would not be here without you.
www.facebook.com/TigerTimeNow
Funding Matters INDIA - £50,000 to support work in Assam protecting the Indian rhino, tiger and
www.twitter.com/TigerTimeNow
elephant populations. A further £17,000 for undercover operations to expose and prevent illegal smuggling of wildlife products. £30,000 for the Wildlife Trust of India’s Rapid Action Project reacting to emergency wildlife situations. RUSSIA - £41,000 to support the fight to save the last Amur tigers through antipoaching and community education programmes. THAILAND - £20,000 to support the work of the FREELAND Foundation providing ranger training and community outreach in vital tiger habitat.
TigerTime is a campaign run by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation a registered UK Charity No: 1106893 Tiger would like to thank all the photographers who donate their images espeically Michael Vickers
WILDLIFE CRIME INVESTIGATION - £20,000 to support the work of the Environmental Investigation Agency exposing the illegal trade in tiger parts.
DONATE HERE http://www.davidshepherd.org/help-us/tiger-time/donate/
Join TigerTime by signing the petition at www.bantigertrade.com
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Ricky Gervais
Please join TigerTime and sign their petition. Help them to prove that we can be responsible custodians of our planet and that we care for animals other than ourselves, for the species that belong here just as much as we do.
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Liz Bonnin
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Please join TigerTime right now to help to save the lives and habitat of these magnificent creatures. This is extremely urgent. The clock is ticking: real time is running out. Joanna Lumley
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As an animal lover I cannot just stand by and watch the slow, sad demise of a species at the hands of man. That is why I’m supporting TigerTime.
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Losing the wild tiger! Unthinkable! How can we let this happen? TigerTime will make a massive difference. Please join in by backing this global campaign to stop these iconic creatures becoming extinct.
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Celebrity Supporters
Kirsty Gallacher
www.isupport.tigertime.info
SHOP NOW
to save the tiger The TigerTime website includes a fabulous shop of TigerTime merchandise kindly stocked by two of Europe’s largest outerwear suppliers; RESULT and ISE. These successful companies have come together to supply a range of branded products to support the campaign with clothing, headwear, bags, supporter’s wristband and a fabulous TigerTime watch all available. Some of these items are shown here.
To see more and to order simply go to http://tigertime.isenterprises.co.uk/index.php
Join TigerTime by signing the petition at www.bantigertrade.com
Tiger Project news
Your support of TigerTime has helped to increase urgent funding to tiger projects in Thailand, India and Russia...
Thailand:
Understanding the tiger
ANNUAL TIGER CENSUS REVEALS 118 INDIVIDUAL TIGERS Assam, India MAY, 2012 The annual monitoring of tigers in Kaziranga National Park (KNP), Assam that is supported by TigerTime and DSWF using camera traps has recorded a total of 118 individual tigers (adults, sub-adults and cubs) during 2009, 2010 and 2011. The figure includes the six photo identified and known individuals that died during the study period. A three year summary of the camera capture history was also presented in the report released in Kaziranga by Shri Rakibul Hussain , Honourable Minister of Forest and Environment, Assam . The population of tigers in Kaziranga, which is an important source population for the entire region, holds the key to the conservation of tigers in the nearby Karbi Anglong Hills and Foothills of Arunachal Pradesh (Nameri-Pakke) on the north bank of the River Brahmaputra . The scientific collaboration between Aaranyak and the Assam Forest Department has brought out credible scientific information on the population of tigers in Assam . Forest Minister, Shri Rakibul Hussain, has said that the grasslands of Kaziranga are known to be one of the best tiger habitat in the world. As pressure on wild tiger populations increases, the forests in Assam continue to offer the best habitat for this charismatic and majestic animal. Dr. Bibhab Talukdar , Secretary General of Aaranyak said "that the stringent protection provided in Kaziranga for rhino conservation over the years has helped the tiger and prey population to grow. It is now imperative that this growing population of tigers is able to disperse to other suitable habitats in Assam and adjoining states to build strong future populations of tiger in the region. Further work on maintaining wildlife corridors will be vital for this dispersal of tigers and other wild populations." Dr. M Firoz Ahmed, Senior Biologist at Aaranyak , who led the survey team said that the exercise of camera trapping in tall grassland habitat is very challenging. “The entire team has done an excellent job and the results are rewarding. Through this exercise we have also tried to train the staff of the forest department and make them a resource during Phase IV of the monitoring of tigers in Kaziranga,” he said. "It is such great news to know that Kaziranga remains a stronghold for the Bengal tiger," says DSWF CEO Melanie Shepherd. "Our continued support for rhino protection, anti-poaching programmes and outreach work all combine to make this a fabulous wildlife haven. But, as pressure mounts for rhino horn and tiger parts we have to maintain our vigilance and our funding."
Image Courtesy of John Robinson
Thailand has been a hot bed of illegal trade activity over the last six months with the DSWF and TigerTime funded FREELAND Foundation taking a lead role in bringing many crimes to light. In February, Thai police pursed a suspected wildlife trafficker after detaining seven men found working in an underground slaughter house in Bangkok where they were cutting up tigers, elephants and zebra. And, earlier in the year, the team helped expose a scheme where traders - looking for new ways to avoid the tighter trafficking checks - were using the postal system to transport tiger skins. Commenting on the news, FREELAND’s Tim Redford said: “These discoveries have clearly hit criminals financially. But, with so few tigers left in the wild, stopping any more ending up like this is vital. Traffickers must be investigated, caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law if we’re to have any chance of averting the extinction of this magnificent animal.” With TigerTime support over the last six months, the FREELAND Foundation has also continued its tiger survey and conservation work at Pang Sida National Park, Thailand helping to further expand our understanding of tiger distribution and needs, as well as poaching and infringement issues in the forest complex. “Ensuring that tiger habitats are safe and that the investigation into the trade continues are vital as DSWF and TigerTime continue to work to save the tiger,” adds DSWF, CEO Melanie Shepherd.
Join TigerTime by signing the petition at www.bantigertrade.com
A tale of two tigers
Tiger Project news
Last photographed in April 2011, the subadult male, son of the Kaziranga female
Caught on camera, an Amur tiger on a wild boar
Long term monitoring of the tiger populations in Kaziranga and Orang National Parks in Assam, northern India is helping to give scientists and wildlife managers a better understanding of this rare big cat. For the last five years, the DSWF and TigerTime supported Aaranyak team has been closely monitoring the tiger populations in both parks.
TigerTime support builds on hope for the Amur tiger...
Since 2008, when she was camera-trapped as a young female, the team has been following a tigress in Orang and, in Kaziranga, the movements of another female have been monitored since 2009. That both females have survived into adulthood is key to the survival of the species. In 2011, the Orang female was photographed 15 times and observed in her last stage of
Young and lithe, the Orang tigress steps into view in June 2008
pregnancy frequenting her territory as she prepared to give birth. In 2012, she was photographed 41 times at various locations with three cubs, of which two were female. First captured on film in 2009, the Kaziranga female was heavily pregnant. In 2010 she was photographed 10 times in the same area, this time with two male cubs. In March 2011 she appeared pregnant again and a number of male cubs were subsequently photographed in the same area. As this brief snapshot proves, given enough space and a good prey base, tigers can and do breed very well. “The key is to maintain vital habitats and to ensure that poaching is kept under control,“ adds Firoz. Ensuring that tigers are able to move safely between the national parks will also help ensure the long term survival and genetic diversity of the tiger. With the continued support of TigerTime followers, we are working hard to save the tiger in the wild.
January 2011, the Orang tigress in her last stages of pregnancy
CubClub the new website for young followers of our TigerTime campaign: www.cubclub.tigertime.info
112,000
Given the urgency of the situation now facing wild Amur tigers and their habitat there is increasing recognition that the priority has to be to protect the remaining source populations of tigers, most of which are found in protected areas, writes Victoria Molchanova of the Phoenix Fund based in Vladivostock. In 2011, the team recorded some notable achievements; detaining 104 poachers, seizing 55 weapons, supporting 72 law-enforcement inspectors, putting out 53 forest fires, influencing 48,250 people through outreach programmes and spreading the word with 255 media hits. This success, says Victoria, was only possible thanks to the dedication and passion of TigerTime and its supporters. The team will continue to build on these results to help secure the protection of Russia’s Amur tigers. Reflecting this success, the first stage of the 2011-12 tiger census, which took place in December, has already shown a stabilization of tiger numbers and, in three cases, adult and cub tracks were found together. The full results, however, will not be finalised until the second stage of the monitoring finishes in April. Another piece of good news comes from the ‘Bastak’ nature reserve where tiger tracks have been found for the first time in many years. It is thought that an unusually good crop of pine nuts caused an increase in prey species which attracted the tigers to the area. Such good news, says Victoria, maybe the first step to a revival of tiger numbers in this historic range. The full census results will be published online at www.davidshepherd.org
The number of people who have signed the petition to ban the trade in tiger parts at www.bantigertrade.com
Join TigerTime by signing the petition at www.bantigertrade.com
Images courtesy of: the Aaranyak Society, Firoz Ahmed, Michael Vickers, FREELAND Foundation, The Phoenix Fund
“This close monitoring gives us vital insights into the behaviour, life span, movements and important life events, such as births and deaths,” explains Aaranyak’s head of tiger monitoring, Firoz Ahmed. “The longer we can follow specific cats the more important the information we gather - it’s immensely important in helping us to identify and protect their key habitats and to ultimately save the tiger.”
Copyright: Primorsky Hunting Management Department
TigerTime at the House of Lords Since its launch last spring, our TigerTime campaign has been gathering momentum as we work against the clock to raise awareness about the desperate plight of the tiger. Along with generating a petition of over 112,000 signatures asking for a total ban in the trade of tiger parts - to be delivered to the Chinese Ambassador later this month - TigerTime has attracted some fantastic and inspirational support. On March 13th, at the kind invitation of Lord Blencathra and graciously hosted by the Lord Speaker, Baroness D’Souza, TigerTime took its message to the House of Lords. Reminding the assembled crowd of lords, ladies, corporate leaders, celebrities, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and royalty, that life isn’t a rehearsal, actress and animal lover, Joanna Lumley said: “Life is speeding by and the clock is ticking for the tiger. If we don’t do something, the tiger will be lost.” TigerTime thanked everyone who has and can help, from the Twitter-friendly celebrities who can mobilise thousands, to the political leaders who can reach out to their counterparts in China and the corporate leaders who can invest in the brand of the tiger. TigerTime’s call to action is to sign-up, spread the word and generate additional funding for anti-poaching, education and outreach and investigation into the illegal trade. Taking questions from the room, TigerTime was joined by lead campaigner at the Environmental Investigation Agency and TigerTime partner,
Joanna Lumley, David Shepherd and Claire King at the House of Lords for TigerTime Debbie Banks, who urged people to act now, saying: “We have to stop the bleeding; to stop the poaching, to combat the international criminal networks and to control the trade – that is the priority. If we don’t, there will be no tigers to fight for.”
The icing on the cake of a powerfully inspirational evening was Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg’s promise to help open the right doors in the Foreign Office so that the dialogue on the tiger trade could be taken to the right people around the world.
Joanna Lumley and fellow celebrities, Robert Lindsay, Abi Titmuss, Claire King, Wincey Willis and comedians Simon Evans and Ricky Gervais, all signed the petition to ban the tiger trade promising to continue their support for this worthy cause.
“There was a very positive and electric vibe,” said one guest. “It felt like anything is possible.”
Photos from top right: Lord Blencathra, Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg with Lady Tara Blencathra, actors Abi Titmuss and Robert Lindsay signed the BanTigerTrade petition, David with comedian and TigerTime supporter, Ricky Gervais, Wincey Willis and Simon Evans, guests and TigerTime team members gathered in the River Room Photos courtesy of Rowena Chowdrey Join TigerTime by signing the petition at www.bantigertrade.com
FUNdraise for TigerTime!
TigerTime supporters from across the globe are helping raise much needed funds for our tiger protection programmes through local fundraising events! Not only are they supporting these vital protection measures, but having a fantastic time at the same time. Get involved and see many fundraising ideas supplied by other supporters at www.tigertime.info/localfundraising
Give us a text! There is an easy way to donate to help save the wild tiger! Send us a text saying “Tigr11 £10” to 70070. Available in the UK only, for more details see www.tigertime.info/text
Show you care
ADOPT A TIGER TODAY! Adopting a tiger really can make the difference between life and death, not just for the animal you adopt but for all their cousins in the wild too. Without your help now, there may be no future for the tiger in the wild. It’s so easy to adopt simply call +44 (0)1483 272323 or click the link: http://www.davidshepherd. org/help-us/adopt/detail. php?id=0000000004
Join TigerTime by signing the petition at www.bantigertrade.com