WWF - Human - Animal Conflict news & publications.

Gabon set to burn thousands of ivory tusks and carvings

2012-06-27

Libreville, Gabon, 27th June 2012 – In a bold move against poaching and illegal wildlife trade, Gabon is expected to burn its government-held ivory stockpile today. The decision comes at a time of intense poaching pressure in Central Africa, where the illegal killing of elephants for ivory is at record levels. Gabon's President Ali Bongo will ignite the ivory pyre later today in Cite de Democratie.

WWF and TRAFFIC have worked with Gabon to independently audit its government-owned ivory stockpile before any is destroyed, to ensure that all tusks are accounted for and none has leaked into illegal trade.

"Gabon has a policy of zero tolerance for wildlife crime and we are putting in place the institutions and laws, to ensure this policy is enforced," said President Ali Bongo.

The audited ivory stock totals 4,825 kilograms, including 1,293 piece of rough ivory mainly composed of tusks and 17,730 pieces of worked ivory. The overall quantity of stockpiled ivory corresponds to roughly 850 dead elephants.

"WWF supports Gabon's decision and sees the move as an indication of the country's commitment to curbing elephant poaching and the illegal ivory trade," said Stefanie Conrad, WWF Central Africa Regional Programme Office Representative. "Ivory of illegal or unknown origin cannot be sold legally internationally for commercial purposes. Gabon has acted commendably in deciding to put such ivory beyond use," she said.

Gabon will be the first country in Central Africa to publicly destroy its ivory, and the burning of the government's stockpile is intended to be a strong signal demonstrating the nation's commitment to tackling the illegal wildlife trade.

A report issued last week by the UN body that regulates the international wildlife trade found that 2011 was the worst year on record for elephant poaching in Africa. It is estimated that tens of thousands of elephants are being killed across Africa each year for their tusks, which are in demand in Asia.

"This is an international problem and Gabon is coming under siege by criminal gangs of hunters and crime syndicates that smuggle ivory to Asia. Unless there is a strong international reaction to stop wildlife crime, and ivory smuggling in particular, the forests of Gabon will no longer vibrate with the rumble of the forest elephant," said Professor Lee White, Executive Secretary of Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux (Gabon's National Parks Agency).

"We need to break the illegal ivory trade chain," said Suparna Biswas, Country Director of WWF-Gabon. "This time the decision has come from the top and should be an example to others. Many Central Africa ministries still proudly display pieces of worked ivory in their offices. Many government officials are implicated in illicit ivory trafficking. This must end."

TRAFFIC's data on ivory seizures show that record levels of illicit ivory were seized in 2011.

"If not managed properly, ivory stockpiles in the hands of government suddenly 'get legs' and move into illegal trade. Zambia lost 3 tonnes of ivory from the government's strong room just last week and Mozambique lost 1.1 tonnes in February," said Tom Milliken, TRAFFIC's ivory trade expert. "Gabon's actions effectively keep the ivory out of the way of temptation."

Central Africa governments have joined together in search of ways to overcome this crisis by signing a regional plan to strengthen law enforcement and better combat poaching of elephants and other species at risk from illegal wildlife trade.

For further information:
Florence Anouboudem +237 75 29 58 70 fanouboudem@wwfcarpo.org
Richard Thomas +44 752 664 6216 richard.rhomas@traffic.org

Photos and videos are available:
Ivory audit video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=N5u69iS2dsM
Tom Milliken, TRAFFIC's elephant and rhino programme leader talking briefly about the ivory burn http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiEOu2yyzfU
Background photos: https://photos.panda.org/gpn/external?albumId=4266
Photos of the ivory burn itself will be available Wednesday evening: http://james.photoshelter.com/gallery/WWF-GABON/G0000uUXFH49KhjA/C0000LtIZed7cK4w Password: gabonwwf

About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

About TRAFFIC
TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, works to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature. TRAFFIC is a joint programme of IUCN and WWF.

WWF supports Human-wildlife Conflict Management Endowment Fund with Nu Two Million.

2012-03-27

-Strengthening harmonious balance between human and wildlife

27^th March 2012, Thimphu–WWF Bhutan officially handed over a matching fund of Ngultrum Two Million to Wildlife Conservation Division (WCD), Department of Forests & Park Services (DoFPS) for the Endowment Fund. Established on 8^th April, 2011 by WCD, the fund seeks to initiate community-based sustainable funding mechanism for payment of cash compensation for wildlife damages to crops and livestock. The fund also aims to devolve the management of HWCs to communities over time by building their capacity.

Human wildlife conflicts (HWCs) has been recognized as one of the biggest challenge for conservation in Bhutan with over 75% of the country's population depending directly on agriculture and livestock production for their livelihoods.

Records from the department confirms that between 2003 and December 2011, 123 livestock were killed by bears, about a 100 by snow leopards, 1,098 by other leopards and more than 500 by Tigers.

WWF recognizes HWCs as a global concern existing where wildlife and human population coexist and share limited resources. While it is of utmost importance to ensure environment conservation, yet at the same the aspirations of villagers cannot be ignored at any cost. Finding the right balance is only way forward.

In an effort to reduce HWCs, WWF Bhutan's Sustainable Livelihood program has been providing affected communities with tailor made solutions to reduce and/or compensate the impact through innovative strategies like alarm fencing, solar electric fencing, compensation systems, community based tourism, endowment funds and crop insurance schemes.

WWF Bhutan's Conservation Director, Mr. Vijay Moktan, said "HWCs is complex and is the end result of the multitude of factors and reactions between them. The factors can be demographic, economic, institutional and technological. It is more common in places where human population and wildlife coexist and share limited resources. Complete eradication of this problem within short timeframe is difficult but not impossible to mitigate, provided we better understand the dynamics of conflicts and apply appropriate management options".

The Fund management depending on the availability of funds aims at institutionalizing conservation committees at grassroots level also known as Gewog Conservation Committee (GCC) in 205 Gewogs (blocks) in the country. Therefore, WWF support will also go towards funding the formation of GCC's in 7 gewogs across the county.

"HWCs in Bhutan is increasingly becoming a challenge for the success of our conservation. The impact is felt mainly by our predominantly poor rural farmers who depend on agricultural farming and livestock rearing for their livelihood. Peaceful coexistence between farmers and wildlife can only be made possible when the losses that our farmers suffer are adequately and timely compensated for. And this is possible only when we have a sustainable mechanism of funding such programs as is envisioned by this human wildlife conflict management fund" said Sonam Wangdi, Head, Human Wildlife Conflict Management Section, WCD.

"HWCs in Bhutan is experienced by our farming community in mainly two different facets; crop damage by wild elephants, primates and other ungulates and livestock kill by predators. There never can be a permanent solution to HWCs; a solution that works for one is not always a solution for another. We continuously need to devise mechanisms to mitigate these conflicts and these mechanisms are best devised by the sufferers or in other words, farmers. That is why it is very important to hand over the management of human wildlife conflicts to the farmers and this is possible only through the formation of local conservation committees. These committees are formed through the institutionalization of community based insurance programs which is funded solely through this human wildlife conflict management fund." said Sonam Wangchuk, Chief Forestry Officer, WCD, DoFPS.

For more information:
On the Endowment Fund, contact: Sonam Wangdi, Forestry Officer, WCD, DoFPS, MoAFS sonammwangdi@gmail.com

On the project, contact: Dechen Yeshi, Asst. Program Officer, WWF Bhutan dyeshi@wwfbhutan.org.bt

United by elephant

2012-02-29

Riau, Indonesia -Fikri Pohan and Evatma Dewi said 'yes' to each other, for better or worse, in a unique marriage ceremony. They now share a love as big as the one they have for Sumatran elephants - the animals that brought them together in the first place.

"At the beginning we were just friends and spent most of our time together when we were out patrolling. But Evatma is a lovely and helpful woman, with a beautiful smile I can't resist, and I fell for her very quickly" said the groom Fikri.

Both newlyweds are part of the WWF Elephant Flying Squad a team composed of captive animals and their carers, also known as mahouts. It patrols settlements on the edges of Tesso Nilo National Park and helps reduce conflict between farmers and wild elephants by scaring them away.

Established in 2004 as a joint operation of WWF-Indonesia and the Conservation Authority of Riau, the Flying Squad consisted of 4 elephants and 8 carriers. Over the year, the elephant family has grown to has 3 babies with additional 2 female mahouts to take care of them. Today the total flying squad team counts 7 elephants with 10 carriers.

Their lucky animal also played a central role in their unique wedding ceremony - the groom rode on an elephant's back to join his bride's house in the village of Lubuk Kembang Bunga.

Although Fikri has been a mahout since 2004 and is quite used to such rides, this one was of course unique, and the vision of the animal bowing down to let him climb on his back was as endearing and emotional to him as it was to the guests.

The akad (religious ceremony) took place at the bride's home. After the ljab Kabul (wedding vows) Fikri and Evatma were declared husband and wife, and it's naturally that straight after the ceremony they went back to their gentle pachyderm.

Dressed in traditional Malayu Pelalawan outfits, they paraded through the village on the back of the also brightly decorated elephant. It was then that the festivities began and the rest is history.
The idea of this unique wedding ceremony came from Syamsuardi, WWF-Indonesia's Flying Squad Coordinator:

"We wanted to give our friends a memorable and priceless experience for their marriage. But in doing this, we also wanted to show to people that elephants and human can live in harmony."
Extra attention and caution was however required in order to prepare the animals, which are not used to being in contact with large crowds and loud noises, for the procession.

"Thank God, everything went well" commented Syamsuardi. "Everybody was able to enjoy and share the happiness of this unique ceremony."

Fikri and Evatma will undoubtedly remember this unique ceremony all their lives. Elephants never forget, as the saying goes.

Send your best wishes to Fikri Pohan and Evatma Dewi by leaving your comment below:

WWF finds US grocery retailers stocking toilet paper linked to rainforest destruction

2012-02-08

WASHINGTON, DC: American companies and consumers are inadvertently contributing to Indonesian rain forest and tiger habitat destruction by buying toilet paper and other tissue products made with fiber from Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), according to a World Wildlife Fund report released today.

Don't Flush Tiger Forests: Toilet Paper, U.S. Supermarkets, and the Destruction of Indonesia's Last Tiger Habitats finds that APP, the fifth-largest tissue producer in the world, is rapidly expanding into the U.S. market with paper linked to rain forest destruction, originating from areas that are the last home for critically endangered species such as Sumatran tigers, elephants, and orangutans.

Products made with APP fiber, such as toilet paper, paper towels and tissue, are increasingly landing in grocery stores, restaurants, schools and hotels across the country under the Paseo and Livi brand names.

Eight large retailers – BI-LO, Brookshire Grocery Company, Delhaize Group (owner of Food Lion chain), Harris Teeter, Kmart, Kroger, SUPERVALU, and Weis Markets – have decided to stop carrying tissue products made with APP fiber during the last several months.

"We applaud the decision by these companies to remove these products from their stores," said Jan Vertefeuille, head of WWF's Tiger Campaign.

Since it began operating in Indonesia in 1984, WWF estimates that APP and its affiliates have pulped nearly 5 million acres of tropical forest on the island of Sumatra, which equals an area roughly the size of 4 million football fields or larger than the state of Massachusetts.

"Consumers shouldn't have to choose between tigers and toilet paper," said Linda Kramme, a WWF forest expert. "We're asking retailers, wholesalers and consumers not to buy Paseo or Livi products until APP stops clearing rain forests in Sumatra."

Fastest-growing toilet paper brand in the U.S.

APP distributes its tissue, paper and paper-based packaging products through a number of North American-based subsidiaries and affiliates, including Solaris Paper, Mercury Paper, Paper Excellence, Global Paper Solutions, and Eagle Ridge Paper.

In recent years, APP has greatly expanded into the U.S. tissue market, including through Paseo and Livi tissue products. Oasis Brands, which markets Paseo, announced in 2011 that Paseo had become the fastest-growing brand of toilet paper in the U.S. Paseo and Livi are also marketed as "away-from-home" products used in public restrooms in restaurants, office buildings, schools and hotels.

"More than 50 percent of shoppers say they consider sustainability when they shop, but Americans may not be aware that products used every day, like paper and tissue, can be linked to devastating impacts on forests in faraway places," the report states.

To produce the report, WWF researched Paseo sales to U.S. grocery chains and found Paseo products being carried in grocery chains across the country in 2011. WWF contacted 20 grocers sourcing the largest amounts of Paseo to make them aware of Paseo's link to rain forest destruction.

The 12 companies identified and contacted, but that did not respond or commit to stopping Paseo sales, are:

•Albertsons LLC
•Giant Eagle
•Hy-Vee
•IGA
•Ingles
•K-VA-T (sold at Food City)

•Lowes Food Stores
•Marsh
•Price Chopper
•Roundy's (sold at Roundy's, Pick'n Save, Rainbow and Copps)
•Save Mart
•Spartan

"We urge companies to be responsible stewards of the planet and stop carrying Paseo products until APP stops clearing rain forest," Kramme said.

Trying to improve the pulp and paper sector

Paseo is produced with pulp from APP, a subsidiary of China-based Sinar Mas Group and one of the world's largest pulp and paper companies. APP owns two pulp mills on the Indonesian island of Sumatra – one of them among the world's largest – and is responsible for more deforestation in Sumatra than any other company, according to field investigations, government data and satellite imagery.

The research into APP and its Paseo and Livi tissue paper brands is part of efforts by WWF to encourage a more responsible pulp and paper sector, specifically by addressing the increase in the United States of pulp and paper products produced with rain forest fiber or from plantation fiber from converted rain forest.

WWF is working to ensure that North American paper sourcing no longer negatively impacts Indonesian natural forests and instead drives demand for paper from responsibly developed and managed Indonesian plantations. WWF also is working with other Indonesian pulp and paper producers willing to adopt better practices to bring more options to the marketplace.

Many responsible companies are already showing leadership. One of the easiest ways that companies and consumers can help is by buying tissue products made with fiber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or 100 percent recycled fiber to ensure they aren't contributing to forest destruction, and urging retailers to stop selling brands linked to destructive practices.

To download the report and learn more about WWF's tissue campaign, please visit www.worldwildlife.org/tp.

Document pulps APP's tiger sanctuary claims

2011-12-16

Pekanbaru, Sumatra – A document released today by WWF and partners confirms that a supplier to paper giant Asia Pulp and Paper is clear felling natural tropical forests the company designated as tiger sanctuary.

The document throws into doubt APP claims on Tuesday that current clear cutting activities of supplier PT Ruas Utama Jaya (RUJ) were taking place narrowly outside rather than inside the Senepis Tiger Sanctuary.

The APP document, "Proposal for Rationalization of Senepis-Buluhala Sumatra Tiger Conservation Area", shows Sinarmas Forestry (APP) and RUJ executives signing off on sanctuary boundaries that clearly put current large scale clearing inside the boundaries.

Click to enlarge (© APP / Eyes on the Forest)

"APP really needs to come clean on its incredible shrinking tiger sanctuary," said Aditya Bayunanda, pulp & paper coordinator of WWF-Indonesia. "In its media campaigns APP seeks major credit for its minor contribution of about 8000 ha to the 106,000 ha tiger sanctuary.

"And now, according to the map signed off by its executives, it is busily clearing and draining even that minor contribution."

Click to enlarge (© Eyes of the Forest)
No longer habitat for tigers - or anything much

As recently as 2010, APP was claiming that the presence of its supplier's concessions on the sanctuary boundaries would provide additional protection. Satellite imagery however shows that huge areas of dense tiger forest that government and scientists had proposed as the Senepis National Park have now been cleared and drained.

"The real story of APP's tiger conservation impact in this area is not that they contributed only around 8000 ha of their own concessions to the sanctuary and are now clearing that anyway, but that overall they have been responsible for the loss of around 49,000 hectares of the Senepis tiger landscape," said Hariansyah Usman of Walhi Riau, part of the Eyes on the Forest coalition that conducted the investigation.

"Meanwhile, they are running this massive greenwash advertising campaign through the world media and via various front groups to portray themselves as champions of tiger conservation.

"In trying to deny they are clearing their own designated tiger sanctuary, they have confirmed that they are clearing tiger forest and they are pulping tropical forests in defiance of public commitments to halt this by 2004, then by 2007, then by 2009 and now by 2015."

The world of difference between APP's claims and its practice is detailed in the new Eyes on the Forest report "The Truth behind APP's Greenwash". On climate, the report notes how emissions calculations conducted for APP and used in its greenwash campaigns disregard the immense emissions from draining deep peat areas such as Senepis for short lived plantation establishment – calculations suggest the carbon footprint of APP paper could be more than 500 times the APP consultant's claim and 10 times the North America pulp and paper sector average.

The company's greenwash campaigns and the lobbying of front groups have however failed to prevent a host of major companies ceasing to buy paper products from APP. In the Netherlands, APP's print and television advertisements have been judged misleading to the public by the country's Advertising Codes Commission.

WWF to celebrate World Rhino Day

2011-09-21

On the occasion of the second annual World Rhino Day, WWF tomorrow will join the residents of rhinoceros range countries in calling for an end to rhino poaching, which threatens the survival of rhino species.

Officials in South Africa, home to most of the world's rhinos, have responded to the recent poaching crisis by increasing protection for rhinos, conducting more rigorous prosecutions, and imposing stricter sentences on wildlife criminals. This action must be met with a corresponding commitment by countries in Asia where consumer demand for rhino horn is inciting poachers.

South Africa has lost at least 284 rhinos in 2011, including 16 or more critically endangered black rhinos. A majority of the poaching incidents have occurred in the world famous Kruger National Park, but privately owned rhinos have also been targeted. Law enforcement officials have made over 165 arrests so far during the year, and some convicted poachers have been sentenced to up to 12 years in prison.

"South African authorities are taking rhino poaching very seriously and are beginning to dismantle the sophisticated criminal gangs that are behind the killings," said Dr. Joseph Okori, WWF's African Rhino Programme Manager. "Putting powerful kingpins behind bars for 10 or 20 years will send a strong message to others not to engage in criminal behaviour."

A landmark case involving a suspected 11-member poaching syndicate is scheduled to begin in Pretoria High Court next week. The defendants, which include safari tour operators, veterinarians, and a pilot, will face charges of killing 20 rhinos and attempting to traffic their horns. The carcasses of the animals were discovered on the safari tour operators' property late last year.

Working together to bring wildlife criminals to justice

South Africa will host government delegations from Vietnam and China later this month to address growing demand for rhino horn in Asia, where it is used in traditional medicine. A visit by South African officials to Vietnam was organized last year by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network of WWF and IUCN. The governments will also discuss methods for greater cooperation on law enforcement and during criminal investigations.

"Asian and African governments must work together to disrupt trade chains and to bring wildlife criminals to justice," said Dr. Morné du Plessis, CEO of WWF-South Africa. "Demand for rhino horn and elephant ivory is threatening to destroy a large part Africa's natural heritage. We want to see illegal markets for these products in Asia shut down for good."

"Rangers are putting their lives on the line to protect these animals from poachers and traders who are motivated only by greed," Dr. Okori said. "We salute all those working tirelessly to secure a future for rhinos, and we call on government leaders in Vietnam and China to do their part."

WWF's African Rhino Programme Coordinator Dr. Joseph Okori explains the rhino poaching crisis

Count of mountain gorillas begins in Uganda

2011-09-07

Ugandan wildlife officials and staff of conservation organizations today began a census of critically endangered mountain gorillas living in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. According to the most recent population estimate there are 786 mountain gorillas remaining in the wilds of Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

Mountain gorilla populations are growing slowly, thanks largely to conservation efforts such as anti-poaching patrols, habituation projects and veterinary monitoring. However, poaching, live capture, conflict with humans, and habitat destruction continue to threaten the endangered animals.

In June, a Bwindi gorilla was killed after an altercation with men who were illegally hunting in the park. Regrettably, the men were released after paying paltry fines ranging from $19 to $38. The magistrate in the case said there was insufficient evidence to link the men to the crime scene.

"With fewer than 800 mountain gorillas left, it is essential that every individual be protected from harm," says David Greer, WWF's African Ape Programme Coordinator. "Through our partner the International Gorilla Conservation Programme, we are working closely with rangers and law enforcement investigators to ensure that when a wildlife crime does occur, evidence is handled properly so prosecutors can make a strong case in court."

Each mountain gorilla is estimated to generate $1 million per year in tourist revenue for the Ugandan economy. Recognising that value, punishments there for wildlife crimes tend to be stricter than in other gorilla range countries.

The results of the current census are expected to be released in nine months, allowing time for genetic analysis of faecal samples that are being obtained to guard against double-counting. The survey is being made possible, in part, by funding from WWF-Sweden, and will also include portions of neighbouring Sarambwe Nature Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo if the security situation on the ground allows.

Communities for tigers

2011-07-18

By Ameen Ahmed, WWF-India

WWF-India and authorities join hands with communities for long-term conservation of the River Kosi-Baur corridor near Corbett Tiger Reserve

The Terai Arc landscape, shared by India and Nepal, sits at the base of the Himalayas. It is one of the few places in the world where wild tigers, elephants and rhinos still roam. At the heart of the Terai Arc are Corbett Tiger Reserve and the surrounding forests, where a substantial part of WWF-India's conservation efforts are focused. The forests in the landscape are facing threats like never before: fragmentation and loss of wildlife corridors, unsustainable land-use policy, human-wildlife conflict, overuse of forest resources. Also, poaching of wildlife – both prey and their predators – remains a serious risk to the region's famed biodiversity.

In 2006, WWF began working with the village of Mankanthpur in the Kosi-Baur wildlife corridor. This village is located in the middle of the elephant and tiger movement area, and is among the top 20 sites for human-tiger conflict.

Women at risk
At first, WWF staff had to earn the trust of community members, understand their livelihoods and routines, and figure out how to minimize the risk of contact with wild tigers. It became clear that women faced the greatest danger, because it was their responsibility to go to the forest to collect firewood and cattle fodder.

Frequent forest fires, caused by the large amount of leaf litter on the forest floor, also threatened the community. Was there some way to keep women safe, and reduce the risk of forest fire? Sometimes you have to look for unlikely solutions.

At the same time WWF was working to protect tigers and reduce human-wildlife conflict, the Indian government was training communities on composting to improve farm yields. WWF asked the forest department to allow community members to remove leaf litter from the areas most prone to forest fires. The leaf litter went to the compost pile, and the forest was less likely to go up in flames during the hot, dry summer months.

"WWF-India's team worked with the Forest Department and the communities to devise a way for the villagers to extract resources from the forest in a sustainable way. Lopping and cutting of wood was prohibited and only fallen branches could be removed. The communities were also informed that they would not be allowed to use certain sections of the forest, the main corridors used by tigers. As you can imagine, they readily agreed. It was also agreed in the village meetings that only the forest fringes would be used to extract the fallen wood, and that each village would extract fodder and firewood just two or three days a week," says Dr. KD Kandpal, Landscape Coordinator, WWF-India's Terai Arc Landscape project.

To compensate for the loss of some firewood, WWF has promoted biogas stoves, which have multiple benefits. The cattle are now kept in pens, so people can collect the dung needed to run the biogas stoves. This has decreased the pressure on forests, as there are hardly any cattle grazing inside them. It is also safer for the cattle; in 2006 there were 15 cattle killed by wild carnivores; this dropped to below 10 in 2007 and in 2010 there were only three cattle kills reported on the periphery of the village.

Residents of Mankanthpur village have now become part of community forest patrolling team, along with the Forest Department officials. This has increased the efforts to combat poaching and encroachment, and other unwanted interferences in the forests. Because of their close ties to the forest, residents were able to inform WWF staff that people from other villages were extracting firewood and fodder from the off-limits wildlife corridors. WWF-India's team approached the authorities along with Mankanthpur villagers to stop this, and the Forest Department ordered the range officer to keep people out of these sensitive and dangerous areas.

A final measure of the success of this project is the absence of retaliatory killing of carnivores by the villagers of Mankanthpur, despite a recent survey showing the presence of tigers in all sections of this forest landscape.

KD Kandpal adds, "The future looks bright for the tigers of this area. The recent tiger survey in the adjacent Ramanagar forest division revealed a density of 12 tigers per 100 sq. km. WWF-India has taken a step forward and started similar work this year in the nearby Pawalgarh village. Our aim is to ensure the corridors are kept for good for generations to come."

Lighting lives in the Sundarbans

2011-07-18

By Ameen Ahmed, WWF-India

WWF-India helps provide renewable energy lighting and electricity to remote communities

The Sundarbans in India is a vast mangrove forest – a place where rivers and the sea meet and nourish a vibrant yet fragile ecosystem. Home to myriad reptiles, birds and the iconic and endangered tiger, the Sundarbans also has many human residents. It remains, however, an energy-deficient region, with many communities yet to be connected to the conventional power grid.

According to a study, 18 villages coming under the purview of the Sundarbans Development Area are not likely to be electrified through conventional power, at least in the near future. Given this scenario, one solution is local, decentralized power generation using renewable sources like solar, wind or biomass. WWF-India, in collaboration with The Centre for Appropriate Technology, Australia's indigenous science and technology organisation, is implementing the Bush Light India Project to demonstrate and assess a model for the electrification of remote villages in the Sundarbans using renewable energy.

In March 2011, a solar power station was set up at Rajat Jubilee village. This project is unique, as it is owned and managed by a cooperative in which all consumers are shareholders. WWF-India took the lead in facilitating community mobilisation, including the village energy planning process. In addition, WWF-India assisted and supported the community to establish the institutional structures required to manage the system for the 15 years of its design life.

Lighting to reduce human-wildlife conflict
Most of us don't need to think very hard to name the benefits of electricity in our lives. For some communities in the Sundarbans, a simple streetlight can be a lifesaver. In the villages adjoining the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve, we installed 20 solar streetlights. To ensure security of the systems, WWF-India provided one home light connection to each of the individual households that were the immediate beneficiaries of the streetlights, thus making them accountable for the systems.

Before installation of each solar streetlight, an agreement was signed with local leaders, forest department officials and community representatives. The responsibilities detailed in the agreement have been performed successfully by each organization, and the systems are functioning well. There have been no incidences of tigers straying out of the reserve into the villages where the lights are installed.

Even when some of the streetlights were destroyed by a cyclone, none of the materials supporting the systems – modules, batteries, solar panels – were lost, because all was kept in safe custody by the immediate beneficiaries. This proved the communities' commitment to maintaining the system, and prompted authorities of the tiger reserve to come forward to pay for the repair and reinstallation of the lights. The repaired lights are working to date.

Shakila Bibi is a resident of Kalitala village, adjoining Sundarbans Tiger Reserve. She says: "A narrow creek separates our village from the forest, and earlier there was no light at night in the area where I lived. Tigers would frequently visit our village under the cover of darkness. WWF-India provided me a combined solar light connection (a streetlight and home light). The streetlight was installed in front of my house, and now the tigers stay away. I am also happy with the home light connection. When the cyclone damaged the system on my street, I kept the materials at a safe place with the hope that they would be re-installed. I am happy that the light was repaired."

Tiger Tales: Maran the mahout

2011-06-07

When a herd of rampaging wild elephants strays into their land, the villagers around India's Mudumalai Tiger Reserve don't panic. They call a gentle mahout.

In his slight frame, wearing a simple vest and a lungi sarong, Mr. M. Maran, an unassuming man in his mid-fifties, doesn't look particularly heroic. But seeing him in action, even an audacious stuntman is sure to be amazed.

Maran rides Mudumalai, a majestic tusker named after the reserve. His job is to chase encroaching wild elephants that stray into a village back into the forest. His elephant is a kunki, an animal specially trained to deal with such situations. Like a policeman on patrol, Maran is always on standby, waiting for any news of trouble.

Maran and Mudumalai have been involved in many heart-stopping chases through dangerous forest terrain, sometimes late at night. "We've often had to flee with a wild herd at our heels," he says. "I hang on to Mudumalai knowing that if I fall, ¬the herd will trample me and tear me to shreds." Despite the danger, Maran says he loves his job and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

They are both locals: Mudumalai was caught in the park in 1967 and Maran, a Jain Kattunaikar tribal, was born in the park in 1953. For Maran, the elephant is an avatar of the Hindu Lord Ganesh; every time before mounting Mudumalai, Maran touches its feet and says a short prayer. Their relationship is a deeply affectionate one, a special bond between human and animal. They have been together for the last thirty-two years, citizens of the forest, trusting each other with their lives.

Mudumalai is the king of the park, its biggest and most revered elephant. He is also a bit of a Casanova. The father of many calves in the park, he has had dangerous flings with wild elephants from the forest. "I am not afraid of him even when he is in musth (heat)," says Maran. "He doesn't charge me."

Their days start early, usually at 5:30 in the morning, when Maran takes Mudumalai to the river for a leisurely bath that could last from an hour and a half to three hours. At 9:00 a.m., he feeds the animal a generous portion of rice, coconuts and salt. They are free for the rest of the day, unless, of course, they get a distress call from a village. On some days, Maran takes the elephant for another dip in the river in the afternoon.

Maran learned the art of riding elephants from his father who was also a mahout. He was with his father on an elephant when he saw his first tiger. "I was nine years old and really scared," he recalls. "The tiger had just killed a chital (spotted deer) and was feeding on it."

Maran has seen many tigers since then and he isn't fazed now. "I worry about tigers when I am on foot. I am more frightened of wild elephants as they sometimes charge you unprovoked. The tiger attacks only if severely provoked," he says.

Once Maran was attacked was by a gaur (Indian bison) while he was walking in the forest looking for his elephant. He was badly hurt and had to rest for a few months before he recovered fully. "I was very bored and missed my elephant and my life in the forest," he says. These days, he is a lot more careful when he goes into the forest on foot and is usually armed with a sickle.

Maran has five sons, and like his father, he takes his children on elephant back and shows them tigers in the wild. He knows that at least one of them is sure to follow in his footsteps and keep up the family tradition. The villagers around Mudumalai can rest assured that whenever there are wild elephants on the rampage, there'll always be someone charging to the rescue.

Flying Squad elephant calf given name

2011-05-02

An elephant calf born to a member of WWF's Flying Squad of service elephants has received its name during a ceremony on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The calf, born on January 31, was given the name Imbo.

The elephant's name is derived from the word 'rimbo', which means forest in the traditional Malayan language. The name symbolizes the hope that Tesso Nilo National Park will be well protected so that it can continue to provide habitat for Asian elephants and Sumatran tigers.

The Flying Squad, consisting of four adult elephants and eight mahout drivers, patrols an area along the boundary of Tesso Nilo National Park to keep wild elephants from straying outside and getting into conflict with local communities. The group also educates community members on non-lethal ways to protect their crops from wild elephants.

Indonesian authorities are planning to create two additional squads to help reduce human-elephant conflict elsewhere in Sumatra.

At the ceremony the elephants were treated to "elephant brownies" made of corn, oats and sugar.

New hope for survival for elusive saola

2011-04-14

Quang Nam, Vietnam: Indochina's elusive saola, a recently discovered and critically endangered relative of antelopes and cattle, now has new hope for survival with the establishment of a dedicated nature reserve in the province today.

Quang Nam's People Committee today agreed to the Forestry Protection Department establishing a Saola Natural Reserve in the Annamite mountains along the border of Viet Nam and Laos.

The Saola, described as a primitive member of the bovine family which includes cattle, sheep and antelopes, was discovered only in 1992 by a joint WWF and Vietnam Department of Forestry survey.

Threatened by illegal hunting with snares and dogs for its horns, the current population of saola is thought be to a few hundred at maximum and possibly only a few dozen at a minimum. None have survived in captivity.

Since the species discovery, WWF has worked closely with Vietnamese scientists, protected area staff and rangers and local communities, to understand the species population status and ecological requirements; identify the threats to the Saola and implement conservation actions to reverse its decline.

New reserve creates corridor

In response to the alarming status of the species in the wild, WWF Vietnam has worked with Vietnam's authorities and agencies to promote the establishment of Saola Nature Reserve in Quang Nam, the Saola Nature Reserve in Thua Thien Hue and to extend Bach Ma National Park.

"The establishment of this new Saola Nature Reserve shows a strong commitment by the Vietnamese Government and Quang Nam Province in the conservation of this highly threatened endemic species," said Ms. Tran Minh Hien, Country Director of WWF Vietnam.

"This new reserve will create a biodiversity corridor connecting the East of Vietnam to West side of Xe Sap National Park in Laos."

Protection of the Saola population in this landscape is the highest priority for WWF and provincial authorities. Teams of WWF Forest Guards and FPD rangers are patrolling the nature reserves on a daily basis and have removed thousands of snares and destroyed many illegal hunting camps within the first few months of this new cooperative enforcement programme.

The Saola Natural Reserve in Quang Nam is located in an area where the highest point is 1,298 meters characterised by narrow valleys and water falls which creates ideal habitat for Saola. The establishment of the Nature Reserve will promote the conservation of lowland tropical forest ecosystems in the Annamite mountains, which contain many globally threatened species.

"We believe that, with the guidance from the People's Committee, related local Departments and the cooperation with WWF, the Management Board will carry out the Saola's conservation well which will not only help improve the Saola's survival but also have long term value in developing and maintaining the biodiversity of the area." said Mr Dang Dinh Nguyen, Director of Quang Nam Provincial Forest Protection Department and also the Acting Director of the Saola Nature Reserve.

Baby elephant born to WWF's 'Flying Squad'

2011-03-08

Lisa, a female elephant on WWF's Flying Squad, gave birth to healthy male calf on January 31, a full month earlier than anticipated by the handlers at the Flying Squad camp in Sumatra's Tesso Nilo National Park.

The calf was named Imbo by Ir. Darori, MM, Director General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation of the Ministry of Forestry. Imbo is derived from the word 'rimbo', which means forest in the traditional Malayan language spoken by the people of central Sumatra. Imbo is the third calf born in the Flying Squad in the past four years. Syamsuardi, WWF-Indonesia's Flying Squad Officer, said that it was an indication that the elephants were receiving good treatment and had the perfect habitat to breed.

Since 2004, the Flying Squad has been successful in mitigating human-elephant conflict by using trained elephants to herd wild elephants away from human habitation and out of plantations back into the national park. The Flying Squad, a joint initiative between Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry and WWF, consists of two male and two female elephants with eight mahouts.

"Overall, the Flying Squad's elephants are in healthy condition and I'm very pleased that the two other calves are being trained to join the Flying Squad team and support ecotourism activities in Tesso Nilo National Park," said Drh. Hayani MSc, Head of Tesso Nilo National Park.

Tesso Nilo is a prime habitat for endangered species like Sumatran tigers and Sumatran elephants. There are an estimated 200 wild elephants in the national park, which is becoming Indonesia Elephant Conservation Centre. Unfortunately, large-scale deforestation and habitat degradation, especially for oil palm plantations, has led to increased human-wildlife conflict.

"The uniqueness of the Flying Squad could certainly boost ecotourism opportunities in Tesso Nilo National Park," said Ir. Sumarto, Director of Environmental Services Utilization of Conservation Area and Protected Forest, Ministry of Forestry. "There is a lot of potential here that could benefit both wildlife and people."

Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) are the smallest subspecies of Asian elephants and are classified as endangered. They are threatened by illegal logging, poaching and conflict with humans. The current population of Sumatran elephants is between 2,400 and 3,350.

Sweden unleashes 6747 hunters onto 20 wolves

2011-01-14

Stockholm, Sweden: Another storm of protest is set to engulf Sweden's second cull of endangered wolves tomorrow, which has seen 6,747 hunters register to kill 20 of the total Scandinavian wolf population of about 250.

WWF-Sweden was one of four Swedish nature conservation organisations to approach the European Union in March 2010, after a first cull of 27 wolves last year was justified on the basis that the hunt would create acceptance for the wolf in Sweden.

"It is doubtful that the hunt has created acceptance for the wolf's existence in Sweden" says Håkan Wirtén, CEO WWF-Sweden.

Opinion surveys have shown that a majority of the Swedish people are already positive to the wolves in rural areas with the main opposition coming from hunters themselves using loose dogs and sheep farmers.

In an exchange of letters which has intensified in the last month, the EU has put Sweden on notice that going ahead with tomorrow's hunt could see the country hauled before the European Court for violating the Habitat's Directive.

According to the correspondence between Janez Potočnik, the European Commissioner for Environment and Andreas Carlgren, the Swedish Minister of Environment, hunting of the wolf in the EU is strictly prohibited, with very narrowly defined exceptions not consistent with Sweden's arbitrary limit for its wolf population.

Potočnik also argues that the irregularities in Sweden setting up a semi-annual licenced hunt could set unfortunate precedents for protecting other endangered animals.

Scandinavia's wolf population is exceptionally vulnerable because of an extremely narrow genetic base, almost totally isolated from the wolves in Russian and Finland and founded on only three animals which migrated in to Sweden between 1983 and early 1990. Two more wolves with "fresh" blood established themselves in 2008, but the population is extremely inbred and needs new wolves from Finland and Russia rather than culling.

The Swedish parliament decided in 2009 that there should be only 200 to 210 individual wolves in Sweden, despite being a large country with very high densities of prey. The country is also relatively sparsely populated compared to other countries in Europe which have wolves.

Last year's cull of 27 animals (28 were shot, one more than the set quota) started an outrage in Sweden which awoke groups who earlier have kept silence in the wolf debate. A majority of the Swedish population (even in the most dense hunter areas) are positive to the wolves.

"As the hunt is going ahead tomorrow, WWF proposes that the European Commission move ahead with the infringement procedure against Sweden," said Andreas Baumuller, Senior Biodiversity Policy Officer at WWF's European Policy Office

Contact: Tom Arnbom, Senior Conservation Officer, WWF Sweden.
Tel: +46-70-5544066, e-mail:tom.arnbom@wwf.se

Elephant's day out

2010-11-10

By KD Kandpal and Ameen Ahmed

An unusual guest
It was mid-September and the season's unusually heavy rains had just subsided. One morning we received a call from a farmer who said "Sahib ek haathi hamare kheth main ghus aya hai." ("Sir, an elephant has entered the farmland.") We wasted no time in calling the Sub Divisional Forest Officer (SDO) for Jaspur, who confirmed the report.

The SDO asked WWF-India's Terai Arc Landscape team to go immediately to the site to support the authorities' efforts to drive back the elephant and prevent any harm coming to the residents or the elephant. As we rushed to the village, we prayed all along that there should be no loss of life on either side. Three years ago, an adult wild tusker had strayed into a community in a nearby Forest Division. Huge crowds had gathered at the site, possibly blocking any escape routes to the forest for the animal. This led to an avoidable conflict that resulted in human casualties. The tusker was declared a threat to human life and finally shot dead.

We greeted the SDO, who thanked our team for coming so quickly on short notice. He led us to the site and we climbed atop a roof to see a huge elephant hiding in the sugarcane fields. We estimated this pachyderm to be about 2.75-2.80m in height, as it was taller than the sugarcane, which stood more than 2.5m. Only the elephant's back was visible to us, but farmers informed us that it was a tusker.

Operation 'drive back'
Until the late1930s, Kashipur town was surrounded by dense forests that formed a part of the elephant corridor connecting Jaspur and Kashipur forests to River Baur. We interviewed some of the elders in the village regarding elephant presence in Kashipur, but none of them remembered any such incidents over the course of six or seven decades.

We had to know where this elephant had arrived from before attempting to drive it back. We learned that for the past two years a male elephant was residing in Shivrampur, an isolated patch of forest about 25km from Kashipur town. We called the forester nearest to Shivrampur and asked him to come over at once to ascertain if this was the same elephant. A couple of hours later he arrived, saw it and confirmed that it was the one.
Now we started analyzing the probable route taken by this elephant to reach Kashipur town, as this might be the best way back to the forest too. The forest department formed eight teams; these teams, along with staff from WWF-India, were dispatched to the sites where the elephant was likely to move.

We asked the range teams to gather all possible information from nearby areas where elephant pads were seen. After getting the feedback, we concluded that this elephant ad walked for miles along the banks of River Dhela and then went north toward Kashipur.

A safe ending to this unusual tale
We waited for sunset and as soon as the natural light disappeared we asked the farmers to fire their "Gandhi Banduk" in the air. This is a country-made gun used by communities in farms near forests to create noise and drive back wild animals that stray out of the forests. Around 9:00 p.m. the elephant started moving from the sugarcane field toward the highway. The elephant crossed the road and went to the other side of the town. This was a positive sign, as the elephant could find its way back into the forest. We decided to return to the office and wait for further field reports. We left behind one team in the agricultural fields to try and monitor the elephant's movements.

When we returned, the team members told us that they could not trace the elephant, but were firing the "Gandhi Banduk" frequently hoping it would continue toward the forest. We started following the elephant's prints and traced it until about 12:30 a.m., when we decided to resume the operation in the morning.

Around 5:00 the next morning, we started off for the place where we last saw tracks. We could now see that the elephant had damaged the walls of an archaeological site and exited to the paddy fields. Then it headed to Kashipur's town centre.

It had passed near the courthouse, crossed the railroad track and then moved out of the town. We were stunned that the elephant had entered such a populated area in the night. We could not have imagined the consequences if it had walked there in daylight.

We continued to search for traces left behind by the elephant, and were relieved when we were told that it had returned to the Shivrampur forest. One of the reasons for the happy outcome of this event was the excellent support received from the local community. This incident could have ended in tragedy, but instead is a lesson should something similar happen in the future.

Harnessing the sun to protect people and wildlife

2010-10-15

For Narad Mani Poudel, a 45-year-old farmer living in the Madi valley of Chitwan, Nepal, life used to be in a constant state of terror. Recalling an incident three years ago, he said, "Wild elephants ransacked my house and consumed almost all of the rice that I had stored for the coming season. My family and I could do nothing but watch, thankful that we got away with our lives."

Situated in the southern part of Chitwan, the Madi valley is surrounded on all the sides by protected areas; the southern border is shared with India, through the Balmiki Tiger Reserve. However, this unique geography has led to human-wildlife conflict, resulting in severe crop damage, attacks on livestock, destruction of property and human injuries and casualties. Traditional methods of defending crops from wildlife – torches, drums, trenches and thorn bushes – proved futile. Already poor and struggling to make ends meet, the communities of Chitwan took a dim view of the parks and the animals that inhabited them; some retaliated with violence.

Purna Bahadur Kunwar, Co-manager for WWF-Nepal's Terai Arc Landscape Protected Areas and Buffer Zone project, remembers back to 2007, when he began discussions about biodiversity conservation with community groups. "They repeated a local adage, saying they are trapped in a 'natural jail.' They were not paying any attention to us at that moment."

But over the course of several months, the community groups and WWF found common ground. Residents wanted to live in peace, and WWF wanted to safeguard endangered tiger, rhino and elephant populations. Both agreed that the solution might lie in another adage: Good fences make good neighbors.

"We worked together on a detailed plan for solar-powered electric fencing. The proposal included total cost, community contribution, the possibility to leverage other funds and a management and maintenance plan for the wooden fence posts. With this plan, we called a joint meeting of four Buffer Zone User Committees of Madi," said Kunwar.

Support for the project was unanimous. The committees chose to start from the southeastern corner of Madi valley, the Ayodhyapuri, which is contiguous to the Parsa Wildlife Reserve and home to wild elephants. It was also the area with the most reported cases of human-wildlife conflict. With the installation of 14km of solar fence, wildlife damage to crops and property dropped immediately.

WWF-Nepal assessed the first harvest following the installation of the fence and found that the value of the crop production has increased by 300%. What's more, farmers have now started to cultivate other crops during winter season. A farmer in Ayodhyapuri expressed his satisfaction at having harvested lentils for the first time in 29 years; before he kept his field fallow during lentil cultivation because the risk of encountering wildlife or losing his whole crop was just too high.

The fence is maintained by community members, with each household contributing cash on the basis of its land holding. The farmer Narad Mani says he can sleep soundly all night without fear of his crops being destroyed or his family being harmed.

"Based on this experience, we plan to replicate this achievement with three other Buffer Zone User Committees," said Kunwar. "I have a vision to develop this valley as a poaching free zone. Instead of lamenting their 'natural jail,' now I hear people say, 'If there is a heaven, it is Madi.'"

by Purna Bahadur Kunwar, WWF-Nepal

Bear protection measures for beehives and sheep herds in the Italian Alps

2009-05-18

As Mauro Belardi, WWF Italy's representative in the European Alpine Programme, puts it: "The reduction of human-bear conflicts is at the core of Italy's bear conservation strategies both in the Alps and the Apennines. Damage prevention or its speedy compensation are amongst the most important actions for the conservation of this species".

The prolonged absence of bears from the Alps has meant a gradual loss of knowledge and know-how in the local populations as regards the best practices to avoid human-bear conflicts. WWF Italy together with local authorities is thus promoting a widespread program of education, particularly in areas in which the bears' return is expected after a long absence.

Bears are ready to return, we must be prepared to welcome them back.

Adapted from and article published on http://www.wwf.it/client/ricerca.aspxroot=20319&parent=1979&content=1

Indonesian palm oil industry takes step towards sustainability

2009-04-07

Jakarta, Indonesia: A major Indonesian plantation company has become the country's first certified maker of sustainable palm oil as WWF simultaneously collaborated with the Indonesian Department of Agriculture and others to hold a first-time regional training workshop for small producers.

Musim Mas Group Plantations, is the first company in Indonesia to demonstrate that some of its plantations comply with the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Principles and Criteria, a set of standards that helps ensure that palm oil is produced in a socially and environmentally responsible way. Indonesia is the world's biggest producer of palm oil.

The RSPO brings together oil palm growers, oil processors, food companies, retailers, NGOs and investors to help ensure that no rainforest areas are sacrificed for new oil palm plantations, that all plantations minimize their environmental impacts and that basic rights of local peoples and plantation workers are fully respected.

"Musim Mas hopes that its certification will encourage more Indonesian companies to follow suit," said Liantong Gan, head of Musim Mas' sustainability department.

Musim Mas' certification underscores the progress that WWF, and others, have made in efforts to increase the number of palm oil producers that are operating sustainably.

WWF works to ensure that oil palm expansion does not come at the expense of forests by promoting its expansion onto degraded lands. It is also helping to develop guidance for the small holders representing 40 per cent of Indonesia's palm oil growers.

"WWF is pleased to see progress in Indonesia, but there is much work to be done before sustainable palm oil can be a mainstream reality," said Ian Kosasih, Director of the Forest Programme at WWF Indonesia.

"WWF Indonesia will continue to cooperate with stakeholders to build the capacity of farmers to implement the RSPO guidelines, promote the use of idle or degraded land for oil palm expansion, and put pressure on those companies that persist in converting natural forest for oil palm expansion," Kosasih said.

WWF helped organize the training for 21 training representatives from small Indonesian palm oil plantations from West Sumatra, Riau, South Sumatra, Jambi, and West of Kalimantan.

WWF held the training in collaboration with the Indonesian Smallholders Working Group, the Department of Agriculture, the RSPO Indonesia Liaison Office, Sawit Watch, and various certification bodies. The training stemmed from a memorandum of understanding signed on Feb. 17 between the RSPO and the Indonesian Department of Agriculture.

The objective was to educate trainers on the threats of oil palm plantations to the region's forests and local species, to motivate smallholders to comply with the RSPO P & C, and to provide practical ways smallholders can comply with these sustainability criteria, including mitigating the wildlife human conflict that often occurs happens in oil palm plantations.

In addition, a syllabus and training modules were developed so that the representatives could take them back to their operations for educational purposes.

The Indonesian Smallholders Working Group is planning to hold further trainings in the five provinces represented at the March training, and follow them up with audits.

As a founding member of the RSPO, WWF has worked since 2002 with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure that the RSPO standards contain robust social and environmental criteria, including a prohibition on the conversion of high conservation value (HCV) areas.

The workshop and Musim Mas' certification come only months after the first shipment of RSPO certified sustainable palm oil arrived in Europe from southeast Asia.

Several European companies, including Unilever, Sainsbury's and Albert Heijn, have already made strong public commitments to buy certified sustainable palm oil.

The next RSPO Roundtable meeting and the 6th General Assembly of RSPO members will be held in November 2009 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Wildlife-Human Conflict

2009-03-11

One of the causes of wildlife-human conflict in India is the high dependence of rural Indian livelihoods on environmentally unsustainable practices such as harvesting and illegal wildlife trade. A never-ending spiral is created as poverty and food insecurity caused by an unbalanced distribution of food and by a low purchasing power often cause degradation of natural resources, and degraded natural resources contribute to poverty and food insecurity. Problems like inappropriate water management and low access to knowledge and technology to expand productivity are causing widespread soil erosion, the lowering of ground water levels, reducing habitats for wildlife and, therefore, causing a decline in biodiversity.

In addition, as people encroach into natural habitats at the same time that conservation efforts restore wildlife to areas where they may have been absent for generations, contact between people and wild animals is growing. Some species can have serious impacts on human lives and livelihoods. Tigers kill people and elephants destroy crops. Historically, people have responded to these threats by killing wildlife wherever possible, and this has led to the endangerment of many species that are difficult neighbors. The urgent need to conserve such species, however, demands coexistence of people and endangered wildlife. Therefore, based on a content analysis of the coverage of wildlife/forestry news in several Indian newspapers and magazines published in English, the major problems identified were:

Current livelihoods do not encourage sustainable development.
The human need to modernize and grow is continuously degrading and fragmenting wildlife habitats with unsustainable practices (i.e. land-use patterns).
National and international strategies are being planned without including the participation of local communities.

The fact that environmental journalism in India is paying attention to this conflict can contribute to the creation of awareness among NGOs and can be helpful by suggesting policy changes so that natural, human and physical capital can be available for future generations without doing irreversible damage to natural resources. WWF-India should keep on working on community projects and continue developing programs that encourage alternative sources of livelihood. On the other hand, the government in India should focus on the improvement of food security without undermining the base for future production and the environment.

Illegal clearing behind human and tiger deaths in Sumatra

2009-02-25

Jakarta, Indonesia – In the wake of the deaths of six people from tiger attacks in Sumatra's Jambi Province in less than a month, conservationists are calling for an urgent crackdown on the clearing of natural forest in the province as a matter of public safety.

Tigers killed three illegal loggers over the weekend in Jambi, according to government officials. Three people were killed earlier in the same central Sumatran province. Three juvenile tigers were killed by villagers this month in neighbouring Riau Province, apparently after straying into a village in search of food. And in an unrelated incident, two Riau farmers were hospitalized after being attacked by a tiger last weekend.

"As people encroach into tiger habitat, it's creating a crisis situation and further threatening this critically endangered sub-species," said Ian Kosasih, director of WWF's Forest Program. "In light of these killings, officials have got to make public safety a top concern and put a stop to illegal clearance of forests in Sumatra."

There is rampant clearing of forests by individuals and corporations in the region for palm oil plantations and pulpwood plantations. This forest loss is one of the leading drivers of human-tiger conflict in the region. About 12 million hectares of Sumatran forest has been cleared in the past 22 years, a loss of nearly 50 percent islandwide. The incidents in Riau occurred in the Kerumutan forest block, a site where many forest fires have been set in the last two months, as well as the location of many plantation developments threatening tiger forests.

Jambi Province is the site of the only two "global priority" tiger conservation landscapes in Sumatra, as identified by a group of leading tiger scientists in 2005. There are estimated to be fewer than 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild.

Didy Wurjanto, the head of the official Jambi nature conservancy agency, BKSDA, said his team has increased its patrols following the killings. He is also working with local officials to halt the rampant conversion of forests by illegal loggers and palm oil plantations, which is mostly done by people from outside Jambi.

"The shocking news that six people have been killed in less than one month is an extremely sad illustration of how bad the situation has become in Jambi," Wurjanto said. "It's a signal that we need to get serious about protecting natural forest and giving tigers their space, and ensure local governments have sustainable economic development policies in place that include long-term protections for our natural resources."

WWF is working with officials and communities in both provinces on ways to reduce the conflict and has deployed field staff to the site of the Riau killings to investigate the incidents.