WWF kicks off Signature campaign for the big cat - urges government to do more

WWF-India initiates a signature campaign to draw attention to the plight of the tiger. The campaign aims at reaching out to the multitudes of tiger and nature lovers in the country, while simultaneously hoping to drive home the point, that it could be now or never for the Indian tiger.

At the recently concluded CITES [Conference of Parties (COP) 14] held at The Hague, in The Netherlands, international voices rung clear: to urge China to continue with the ban on tiger trade, and not allow trade in their parts to be the incentive for breeding these cats, in any part of the world. At the meeting, India was vocal on the issue to save the tigers, and keen to take proactive measures for the benefit of tiger conservation in our country.

“Clearly, our government needs to be as effective towards on-the-ground measures as it was in lobbying at the global platform to save the tiger and its landscapes. People, too must spread the word, and do their bit to save the tiger.” said Ravi Singh, Secretary General and CEO, WWF-India.

WWF-India also exhibits a global tiger mosaic, a six foot by six foot product of an international campaign that ran on websites, prior to the latest Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Having received over 20,000 pictures from over 150 countries – of which India was amongst the top ten contributors -- the mosaic symbolises the power of visual imagery, and global concern for the tiger. Said Samir Sinha, “Given the significance of the debate and its long term implications for tiger conservation, we are hopeful that this campaign will go a long way in spreading awareness about the crucial importance of tiger conservation.”

Present at the event, besides schoolchildren, tiger lovers, eminent conservationists, and WWF affiliates were members of The International Tiger Coalition; an alliance of 35 organizations representing more than 100 organizations across the globe, united under the common aim of stopping trade in tiger parts and products from all sources. The aim of the coalition is to coordinate research, communications and awareness-raising efforts in order to provide an organized response to the organized crime that sustains illegal tiger trade and endangers all wild tigers.

The guests of honour for the event were frontline staff of the forest who patrol protected areas with minimal equipment. The guards symbolize the truer picture -- that there are over hundreds of forest guard positions in the country that remain vacant, which is one of the biggest reasons for weak monitoring. Forest guard Mohammad Naseem Baksh, from Dudhwa National Park conveyed that the Indian Government's efforts to stop tiger trade need to be appreciated, and that the public must also do its bit to support their conservation efforts of wild tigers on the domestic front.
--------------

WWF is a science-based organisation engaged in wildlife and nature conservation in the country since 1969. A part of the WWF global network, the organisation has made its presence felt through a sustained effort not only towards nature and wildlife conservation, but by sensitising people by creating awareness through capacity building and environ-legal activism.

CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments that came into force in 1975. Its aim is to ensure that no species of wild flora and fauna becomes or stays subject to unsustainable exploitation.

Today CITES accords varying degrees of protection to over 30,000 species of animals and plants, whether they are traded as live or dead specimens, parts (such as ivory or leather) or derivatives (such as medicines made from animals or plants). The member countries, known as Parties to CITES, act together by regulating trade in species listed in one of the three Appendices of CITES. As of July 2007, there are 172 Parties to CITES.

For further information:
Anshuman Atroley, Communications Manager, WWF-India
T: +91 11 4150 4797, M: +91 9810169262, E-mail: aatroley@wwfindia.net