22 Nov 2010, Posted by Amelia Guimarin in 6th Blog, 0 Comments

Summit to Save Tigers

Led by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, representatives from 13 nations have gathered in St. Petersburg to discuss the fate of the few thousand tigers left in the wild. Just one hundred years ago tigers numbered over 100,000. Now, it is estimated that only 3,200 remain outside of captivity. 2010 marks an important year for tigers, it is the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese zodiac. And, as this year comes to a close, it is hoped that the members of the summit will commit to doubling the number of tigers in the wild by the next Year of the Tiger in 2022.

The summit will go on for four days and representatives from the few countries where tigers still roam free plan to accept the help of the World Bank in setting up a $330 million fund to help bring tigers back from the brink of extinction where they have been forced mainly by the effects of poaching and environment degradation. The initiative will focus mainly on stopping poaching and protecting specific known tiger breeding and living territories.

Countries where tigers still live freely include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam, with 65 percent of those tigers in India.

Original Source: ABC News