WWF - Conservation and environmental news & publications: Bhutan

Making rangers patrol-smart

2013-04-04

Some 29 field park staffs from Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary, Royal Manas National Park and Samdrup Jonkhar Divisional Forestry (Khaling Wildlife Sanctuary) attended the SMART (Spatial Monitoring And Reporting Tools) patrolling training that was held in Royal Manas National Park (RMNP) from 24^rd March till 1^st April.

SMART is a site-based approach used to monitor and improve the effectiveness of conservation management. The software has been jointly developed by a consortium of NGOs such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Flora and Fauna International (FFI), Zoological Society of London (ZSL), Frankfurt Zoological Society, New Castle Zoo, CITIES, MIKE, and many others.

The objective of the training was to provide basic, but vital, knowledge to field rangers of the proposed Trans-boundary Manas Conservation Area (TRAMCA) landscape on law enforcement.

During the five-day long training, participants were trained by Rohit Singh, Tactical Protection and Law Enforcement Monitoring Officer of WWF Tigers Alive Initiative based in Malaysia.

The training included GPS and map reading, patrol and patrolling tactics, patrol planning, intelligence gathering, anti-poaching operation, use of SMART patrolling tools, legislation and reporting on patrolling activities.

Bhutan observes Earth Hour nation-wide

2013-03-25

WWF-Bhutan, in collaboration with the National Environment Commission, observed the second earth hour in the country last Saturday. Taking the event to another level, the National Environment Commission, with support from WWF-Bhutan Program, helped take the event to the grassroots by having all the dzongkhags contribute to this important global event.

In Thimphu, members of other CSOs and government official offered butter lamps as the lights were put off at the Memorial Chorten. In other dzongkhags, students, residents and business communities came together to make a difference by switching off lights and by engaging on other green activities.

Gracing the eve, Dasho Paljor. J. Dorji, the Special Advisor to the National Environment Commission said that the celebration was a symbolic gesture to protect the planet from climate change. "One billion people saving energy for an hour makes a lot of difference," he said. He said that the event was important, especially to sensitize the youth on a better future of the planet earth.

Climate Summit bearing fruit

2013-03-15

Coordination Group of the Summit for a Living Himalayas (SLH) comprising of delegates from four countries (India, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh) met again on 23 February 2013. For the WWF LHGI, decisions taken by this Group in this meeting are a big step towards large scale regional action in the Eastern Himalayas.

For the next one year, as endorsed by the Group, Government of India will lead the coordination work for carrying out of the Framework of Cooperation (FoC) of the SLH.

Organizations like WWF and ADB were credited as reliable supporters to coordinate and provide assistance to carry out regional project proposals. WWF has been supporting the Summit from its inception. Also, ADB has approved a Regional Technical Assistance (ReTA) of over USD one Million for developing large regional proposal relevant to FoC.

The Group also selected regional project proposals, based on do-ability and relevancy to the FoC of the Summit for a Living Himalayas. This is where the LHGI's objective on 'sustainable development that is responsible for the Ecosystem Services' and 'safeguarding the East Himalayan Ecosystems' were prioritized as some of the components to take forward.

The selected projects include:
•    Strengthen Institutional capacities for resource assessment on renewable energy.
•    Promote eco-efficient water infrastructure for effective adaptation to climate change.
•    Safeguard the EH ecosystems from degradation and resource utilization.
•    Enhance ecosystem resilience by promoting biodiversity conservation and its sustainable use in EH.
•    Apply appropriate technology to adapt to impacts of CC and improve water use efficiency for enhanced crop productivity in the Ganges and Brahmaputra basins.

Indian delegation identified the 'India Endowment for Climate Change in South Asia' as a potential source of funding for the implementation of the regional projects.

The coordination group also agreed to review their respective Network of Institutions and submit to the Secretariat by 15 March 2013. The Group endorsed a timeline until the next meeting scheduled for the 17July, 2013.

TraMCA takes off

2013-03-14

Governments met to discuss Indo-Bhutan
Trans-boundary Manas Conservation Area

Governments of India and Bhutan agreed to step up trans-border conservation action in Manas Conservation area during the first Indo-Bhutan trans-boundary meeting in Manas Tiger Reserve in India.
On 20th February, the two governments created a core group of officials from both countries to start a joint cross border action.

In cordial and open discussion, the two parties also agreed on other key steps, the modalities of which will be worked out by the Core Group. These actions include;

•    the need for join patrolling and the creation of protocols thereof
•    the need for working together on creating a trans-border world
     Heritage site
•    the need for joint monitoring of large mammals, (The NTCA also
     agreed to provide for equipment and capacity that may be
     needed in Bhutan for monitoring of tigers)
•    increased cooperation for stopping cross-border poaching and felling
     was emphasized
•    the need for engaging the SSB (Indian Border Police) for conservation
     action was recognized and the
     India delegation suggested opening discussions on the matter with the
     police agency
•    the need for signing the already tabled MOU on trans-border
     cooperation between the two countries

WWF made a presentation on Trans-boundary Manas Conservation Area (TraMCA). The TraMCA Action Plan was well received by the two sides and stated the need to incorporate it in the joint action plan. The two governments recognized the contributions made by WWF in the region.

The Indian delegation was led by, Dr Rajesh Gopal, Addl. Director General (DG) of Forests and Member Secretary of the NTCA. Mr. Chencho Norbu, the DG of Forests and Park Services, Royal Government of Bhutan led the Bhutan team. Among other senior officials, the PCCF of Assam and the Director of Wildlife Institute of India were also present at the meeting along with other park managers from both sides of the border.

This indeed is big step towards creating a successful trans-border conservation action across the Indo-Bhutan border where WWF India, WWF Bhutan and two GIs (LHGI and TAI) are working together.

New study reveals scale of persistent illegal tiger trade

2013-03-07

Bangkok, Thailand, 7th March 2013—Parts of more than 1400 Tigers have been seized across Asia in the past 13 years, according to TRAFFIC's latest analysis of confiscations, which includes new data for 2010-2012.

Reduced to Skin and Bones Revisited finds that parts of at least 1425 Tigers had been seized across all but one of the 13 Tiger range countries between 2000 and 2012. For Cambodia alone, no seizures were recorded at all during the period.

Although it is not yet possible to show a definite trend, the analysis provides clear evidence that illegal trade in Tigers, their parts and products, persists as a major conservation concern, says TRAFFIC.

A total of 654 seizures of Tiger parts ranging from skin to bones, to teeth, claws and skulls took place during this period, an average of 110 Tigers killed for trade per year or just over two per week.

89% of seizures occur outside protected areas, emphasizing the importance of anti-trafficking actions to disrupt trade chains and prevent incursions into Tiger habitat. The benefits of such analysis to enhance law enforcement efforts to protect Tigers are obvious.

"If more robust information was routinely collected, analysed and shared between countries, real inroads could be made into targeting the smuggling syndicates behind Tiger trafficking," said Natalia Pervushina, Tiger Trade Programme Leader for TRAFFIC and WWF.

The report, a joint effort by TRAFFIC and the WWF Tigers Alive Initiative, was launched today at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) meeting currently underway in Bangkok, Thailand. Later this week governments will debate efforts underway to protect Tigers and other Asian big cats.

A significant finding in the updated analysis was increased recording of seizures involving live Tigers – 61 individuals were seized in the three-year period since the last full CITES meeting took place in 2010, representing 50% of overall numbers (123) recorded since 2000. Thailand was the most significant location for interdiction of live Tiger trade (30 Tigers), followed by Lao PDR (11) and Indonesia (9) and Viet Nam (4).

"Given the low population estimates for wild tigers in Thailand, Lao PDR and Viet Nam, combined with the presence of captive Tiger facilities within these three countries, there are serious questions as to the source of these live Tigers in trade," said Nick Cox, Species Programme Manager for WWF-Greater Mekong.

Of the 13 Tiger range countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, Viet Nam), only India had kept sufficiently detailed seizure records to allow meaningful analysis to identify the 'hotspots' where Tiger trade was taking place.

Based on the information from India, five 'hotspot' locations were identified, including Delhi, while the other four were close to protected areas in different parts of the country (Uttar Pradesh, central India, West Bengal (Sundarbans) and the southern India landscape of the Western Ghats).

"The quality of the information from India allowed us to perform a spatial analysis and pinpoint the key locations where Tiger trade is taking place," said Sarah Stoner, TRAFFIC's Tiger Trade Data Specialist and author of the report. "Countries should be made to keep to their commitments under CITES to protect wild Tigers by providing robust reporting on the current situation."

Under agreements made at earlier CITES meetings, Tiger range countries have to state what action they have taken to protect Asian big cats. As of the start of the CITES meeting currently underway in Bangkok, only China, India and Thailand1 had submitted appropriate reports in compliance with a CITES requirement to do so.2

WWF and TRAFFIC are urging countries engaged in the Global Tiger Recovery Program to develop a harmonized process for reporting to the GTRP that will also fulfil the requirements of CITES with respect to Tigers.

-ENDS-

For further information contact

Dr. Richard Thomas, TRAFFIC's Global Communications Co-ordinator, Richard.thomas@traffic.org, +66 904 169 478

Notes

1 Russia also submitted a report, but not in the appropriate format.
2 CITES Resolution 12.5 (Rev. CoP15) on the Conservation of and trade in Tigers and other Appendix-I Asian big cat species.

4th Nomad Festival: bringing nomad culture to the forefront

2013-02-26

Shy and innocent, 16 year old Dorji Om always thought that life in the urban areas was utopian unlike in her community in the high, cold mountains of Laya. As she heard of new developments in the country on BBS radio, she felt that life was a celebration in the urban areas in the country.

Had it not been for the nomad festival, she would have never known how nomad culture is celebrated and revered in the country. "I never thought that people love our culture so much and celebrate it in such a way," said Dorji Om.

She said, "I am really excited to be here and it gives so much pride to be representing my community here at the festival."

For the last four years, the Nomad festival in Choekhor, Bumthang has been bringing together people from different nomadic communities in the country. The festival has not only been instrumental in preserving the nomad culture but has also helped sensitize people on biodiversity conservation and open new doors of opportunity for the highlanders.

Supported by WWF and the Tourism Council of Bhutan, this year, the festival saw some 300 visitors along with nomads from eight dzongkhags in the country.

Lobsang Norbu, 51 from Merak attended the festival in 2011 and was there at the festival for the second time. "The last time I came for the festival, I could sell some of my dairy products and make some money because of which I decided to come again this year."

For Lobsang, dairy farming is his main source of income and the festival has helped him market his products better and learn new farming techniques.

Dr. Samdru Chhetri, one of the visitors at the festival (who is also working on establishing the GNH centre in Bumthang said, "It is amazing how people from east and west are here. I am amazed by the sheer magnitude of the event."

According to Choekhor Gup Sangla, the Dzongkhag Tshogdu Chairperson, "The event provides the nomad community a platform to explore trade of indigenous products and promote tourism.

Netra Sharma, the co-manager of Wangchuck Centennial Park said, "Although the festival has not had immediate impacts, it is gradually attracting people from important corners that will help yield positive results for the nomad communities in the long run."

Bradley Mayhew, a travel writer working for Lonely Planet, one of the largest travel guide publisher in the world, was one of the visitors at the festival. He said that the company has been writing many travel guides on Bhutan and that, "It would be great to have one that focuses on such festivals."

He said, "This is my fourth year in Bhutan and I think there is a lot of potential for tourism in the east."
Hereafter, there are plans to invite nomads from other countries so that the festival is recognised internationally.

Monks witness increasing trend of bird poaching in Phajoding

2013-02-15

Monks from the Phajoding Monastery are witnessing an increasing trend of bird poaching in the area. According to Namgay, one of the monks, birds like Blood Pheasants and Monal Pheasants are sold to to use feathers for making arrows.

In one such incident, monks from the monastery recently found a dead Monal Pheasant that was snared by poachers. According to the 1995 Forest and Conservation Act, snaring is illegal.

The Himalayan Monal Pheasant is the national bird of Nepal and the state bird of Uttarakhand. The Himalayan Monal is found in Eastern Afghanistan, Northern Pakistan, India, Southern Tibet and Bhutan.

Restoring beliefs, conserving wetlands

2013-02-02

This year, Bhutan celebrated its second world wetland day with a renewed spirit with two of its wetlands now declared wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar convention.
Organized in Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS), (one of the two Ramsar sites) by the Department of Forest and Park Services with support from WWF, the event was marked by restoring the Dungkar Tsho (lake), a sacred lake for the local community.
The local community believes that Dungkar Tsho belongs to a local deity and that the well being of the community depends on it. The restoration of the lake has not only helped preserve the sacred site but also further strengthened the community's commitment to conserve the area.
Tshewang Rinzin, one of the community leaders in Bumdeling said, "We wanted to restore the lake with the five year plan budget but it was not feasible as there were other activities that had to be covered within the plan period."
He added that now restoring the lake has helped preserve a generation old belief in the community.
Acknowledging WWF's support in restoring the lake, Pankey Dukpa, the Chief Forestry Officer of BWS said that such initiatives held park officials work better with the community.
On the other hand, park officials also say the lake is a roosting ground for migratory wild ducks such as the Mallard and Ruddyshell.
Trashiyangtse Dzongrab, Sonam Wangdi, who presided over the celebration, said that compared to some other dzongkhags in the country, Bumdeling has a wealth of water resources which need to be taken care of for future generations.
"We, as a community taking care of one of the most important ecosystems in the country must be proud", he said.

Livestock depredation by Tiger confirmed

2013-01-23

Recent camera trap pictures have confirmed increasing livestock depredation by tigers in Nubi gewog in Trongsa.
This was confirmed when officials from Wangchuck Centennial Park (WCP), on request from Nubi gewog and the Zhemgang Forest Division, set up 9 camera traps in strategic locations in Jongthang area between October to November last year.
According to WCP officials, having received repeated reports from local authorities in Nubi gewog on increasing instances of livestock depredation by tigers, officials started setting camera traps in prime locations.
Out of 10 recent livestock depredation cases, eight have been compensated Nu. 3000 per cattle killed.
Initially, although park officials had laid 10 camera traps along trails and routes frequented by the predator in Karshong and Gagar area but no evidence of tigers were found.
The evidence of the presence of tiger is a historic milestone that was never attempted before in WCP. Camera traps have also helped capture other species such as common Leopard (Panthera pardus), Sambar (Cervus unicolor), Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens), Wild Dog (Cuon alpinus) assorted avian fauna and two wild cat species, one of which is supposedly, Golden Asiatic Cat (Catopuma temmincki) which is yet to be confirmed.

Investing for a greener future

2012-12-04

To assess values of ecosystems and to help decision-makers take appropriate policy actions, participants from WWF-Nepal, India, Bhutan and government officials from the Royal Government of Bhutan are attending a five-day training workshop on Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST).

InVEST is a family of tools used to map and value goods and services from nature which are essential for sustaining human life.

Organized by WWF, participants will get a hands-on experience on using the tool while also working on an overview of ecosystem services in eastern Himalayas and case studies on how it has been used elsewhere.

Subhash Lohani, the Deputy Managing Director of the Eastern Himalayas Program of WWF-US said, "Bhutan has adapted the philosophy of Gross National Happiness under which one of the four pillars of happiness is environmental conservation and sustainability and this itself speaks volume on the importance of ecosystem services."

Tariq Aziz, the Leader of Living Himalayas Network Initiative of WWF said, "Invest is important to bring out where we are and what we need to do to be where we want to and need to tell the decision makers. It will help us build scenarios into the future."

Saving Wetlands Sky High

2012-11-23

Participants from China, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Netherlands shared experiences and challenges in saving wetlands in their countries during the Saving Wetlands Sky High strategic meeting held on 22nd November.
Countries shared results from the local projects while also recognizing differences between countries in biodiversity and threats.
One of the major challenges that surfaced during the meeting was the need to come up with initiatives that will help bring about a sustainable system whereby projects can be taken over by responsible national authorities.
Realizing the need for a stronger regional program, participants agreed to work under an umbrella framework within the region and to explore new partnerships.

Poaching still biggest threat to recovery of world's tiger populations

2012-11-23

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Serious gaps in protection are leaving tigers exposed to poachers, a new WWF study says, but this could be reversed if more investments are made in staff, equipment, and training programs for rangers that are working to protect the scattered populations of the endangered species in the wild.

WWF released the findings today to mark the 2nd anniversary of the historic St. Petersburg Tiger Summit, a high-level meeting hosted by the Russian Government and World Bank that saw 13 tiger range governments pledge to double wild tiger numbers from the current 3,200 to 6,000 plus by 2022 (TX2).

Covering 135 critical areas within the 12 landscapes where WWF currently supports tiger conservation, the survey found many of the sites remain poorly managed and under-resourced and therefore remain highly vulnerable to poachers.

"Poaching continues to be the single-most immediate threat to the survival of the tiger in the wild and also the greatest barrier to achieving the TX2 goal," said Mike Baltzer, leader of WWF's Tigers Alive Initiative. "If we don't work as fast as possible towards ending poaching in these places then we cannot trust that these last remaining populations of tigers, and their prey, are safe for longer term recovery of this endangered species."

The survey also shows that the same sites are in danger of becoming "paper parks", i.e.
parks that are legally protected but are not being actively managed and protected on the ground.

Although 90% of the sites surveyed are legally protected, less than half have protection-specific management plans (with the exception of Russia). Across South and Southeast Asia only 12% of sites had the full number of planned staff in place and over 50% were not trained or equipped to an adequate level.

"The report shows that while important government commitments have been made, and much action has been accelerated, we are still far from what is needed to establish the very basics of tiger recovery," Baltzer added.

Moving forward: six ways to increase tiger numbers

The survey examined six key elements related to effective management and protection against poaching: legal protection status, protection management, effective patrolling, intelligence networks, arrests and prosecutions as well as training and resources for field staff.

Investments in these areas are needed to not only achieve Zero Poaching, but to demonstrate to that the commitments made at the Summit are being actively pursued and are evident in the increased efforts to protect tigers. WWF is committed to Zero Poaching and will use the survey results to help identify gaps for future investments.

Global Tiger Recovery Program and Cards4Tigers

The 2010 Tiger Summit, governments also endorsed the Global Tiger Recovery Programme, an amalgamation of national tiger conservation actions and global targets towards meeting the TX2 goal. As a follow-up to the Tiger Summit, government officials met during the 2nd Asian Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation conducted in Bhutan in October 2012, where they committed to taking immediate and specific action over the next year to strengthen protection.

Since the Tiger Summit, WWF has been working with governments, NGOs and private partners to find ways to improve the effectiveness of ranger patrols through the development of law enforcement monitoring systems across Asia, training teams and key stakeholders in the latest methods in patrolling, prevention and conservation. WWF is presently supporting protection field staff and rangers through the Tigers Alive Initiative's "Cards4Tigers"

For more information contact:

Chris Chaplin, Media Relations Manger, WWF International, +86 139 117 474 72, cchaplin@wwf.sg

Enhancing capacity to fight illegal wildlife trade

2012-11-07

Representatives of various law enforcement agencies in the country are attending the capacity building workshop for combating illegal wildlife trade from today.

Organized jointly by Forest Protection Surveillance Unit (FPSU), Department of Forests and Park Services, WWF-Bhutan and TRAFFIC India, the two-day workshop will involve participants on issues of illegal wildlife crime, its trans-national nature and global connect.

The workshop will also focus on wildlife forensics, identification of wildlife products and will also provide a hands-on experience of identification of wildlife products in trade and methods of collection and preservation of samples.

Participants from various law enforcement agencies in the country will also share experiences on intelligence networking such as database compilation and provide recommendations as to how best illegal wildlife trade in Bhutan can be fought.

Bhutan Agriculture and Forests Minister releases first trans-boundary Tiger report

2012-10-23

The Agriculture Minister of Bhutan, Dr. Pema Gyamtsho, during the Tiger conference, released the Tigers Across Borders Report, an outcome of the first combined tiger monitoring study undertaken by Bhutan and India.

The monitoring identified 14 individual tigers, five each in Manas Tiger Reserve in India and Royal Manas National Park and four being common to both parks.

Lyonpo Pema Gyamtsho congratulated the Department of Forests of both the governments and partners including WWF, Arranyak, ATREE and Bhutan Foundation for this 'valuable initiative' to conserve wildlife in the trans-boundary landscape in Manas (India and Bhutan).

The proposed Trans-boundary Manas Conservation Complex (TMCC) straddles Indo-Bhutan border from Ripu Reserve Forest in India in the West to Bhutan's Khaling Wildlife Sanctuary in the East and Jigmi Singye Wangchuck National Park to the North.

Nine-Point Action Agenda renews TRC commitments

2012-10-23

With the second Asian Ministerial Conference on Tiger conservation coming to an end, the ministers and heads of delegates of the Tiger range countries renewed their commitment to double the number of wild tigers globally by 2022.

Building on the pledges of the St. Petersburg Declaration, the ministers and heads of delegations of the TRCs have identified an affirmative nine-point action agenda up to 2014 and asked partners to intensify their support to:

1. Actively strengthen front lines: Urgently enhance rewards, recognition, and resources for frontline staff (in the form of numbers, institutional capacity, skills, tools, technology, infrastructure, operating costs, and insurance against loss of life and injury) in all TRCs over the next three years.

2. Diligently conserve tiger habitat, inside and outside protected areas, against current and future threats: Strengthen and continue programs to extend protected areas, remove current encroachments in core breeding areas and ensure full public disclosure through land-use plans, mapping current and future threats, application of the principles of Smart Green Infrastructure, better science to maintain quality habitats, smart patrolling to increase management effectiveness, and improved monitoring, with necessary programs and disclosure completed over the next two years.

3. Significantly enhance engaging and sharing the benefits of conservation with communities, making them partners in tiger and habitat conservation and expanding sharing of benefits from conservation, expanding alternative livelihood programs, and promptly and adequately compensating villagers for losses due to/caused by tigers in all TRCs in two years.

4. Enhance and mainstream collaboration among TRCs in management of trans-boundary landscapes and corridors, combating illegal trade, and eliminating illicit demand through bilateral/multilateral mechanisms and with the support of organizations such as ASEAN-WEN, SA WEN, INTERPOL, and others.

5. Support TRCs with low tiger densities to launch tiger restoration programs: Build on lessons of success, create the conditions essential for successful restoration, and find suitable sources of tigers in at least two different national programs over three years.

6. Significantly accelerate the flow of national and external funds to support actions on the ground: Focus new support on gaps and accelerate projects to implement National Tiger Recovery Priorities (NTRPs) and fully fund the Global Tiger Recovery Program by 2014.

7. Develop a new partnership with business and industry: Engage business and industry in habitat conservation, valuation of ecosystems, sustainable finance, and outreach to consumers and other stakeholders, with five pilots that minimize and compensate for impacts to be launched across the TRCs in the next two years.

8. Develop and implement comprehensive national awareness strategies and initiatives to instill pride and bring people closer to nature to counteract the negative impacts on tigers from urbanization, disengagement of youth, development, and loss of cultural heritage, and to widely disseminate the value of tiger conservation landscapes.

9. Develop national action plans for a period of two years for each TRC with criteria and indicators to monitor NTRP/GTRP implementation.

Five foresters and rangers from Bhutan awarded certificates of recognition

2012-10-23

Five dedicated foresters and rangers from Bhutan were awarded certificates of recognition by Her Royal Highness Princess Azhi Kezang Wangmo Wangchuck at the inaugural session of the Second Asian Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation.

The five are:

Tarjey, Senior Forester at the SamdrupJonkhar Territorial Division Forestry, in service for 36 years.
Gem Tshering, Officer in-charge of Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary, in service for 22 years.
Sonam Wangdi, Senior Park Ranger of Royal Manas National Park, in service for 13 years.
Namgay Dorji, Senior Forest Guard of Jigmi Dorji National Park, in service for 13 years.
Dorji Duba, a Forester at Jigmi Singye Wangchuck National Park, in service for 12 years.

Tiger Conference kicks off with positive reviews

2012-10-22

Spirits were set high as Her Royal Highness, Princess Azhi Kezang Wangmo Wangchuck, graced the second Asian Tiger Ministerial Conference by awarding certificates of appreciation to five Bhutanese field rangers for their contribution to Tiger conservation.

The conference kicked off today with positive reviews to the follow-up of commitments made at the Tiger Summit held in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2010. Delegates from the 13 Tiger Range Countries (TRCs) shared how countries have now stepped up in finance and action and this could be further enhanced with support from international donors.

One of the major issues discussed during the conference was on how TRCs are working on equipping frontline staff faced with increasing tension and work in the field. In this regard, the role of Non-governmental Organizations such as WWF, in capacity building was felt to be essential.

There were also discussions on community-based conservation approaches on stimulating livelihoods to create a more tiger-friendly environment.

The TRC Delegates pointed out that since theirs are mostly developing countries, it is important people living in the tiger range areas are provided better alternative livelihood programs to combat increasing instances of human-wildlife conflict.

The fact that most TRCs are developing countries also highlighted land conflicts due to infrastructure development and the importance of the use of smart, green infrastructure.

The conference also recognized that TRCs increasingly are relying on science and technology to conduct regular census and monitoring. This, delegates felt, could be further enhanced by institutional collaboration among countries.

Such collaborations, delegates said, could also enhance transnational cooperation on biological corridors. The conference also recognized the need for better technology to monitor poaching.

The High Ground: Sacred natural sites, bio-cultural diversity and climate change in the Eastern Himalayas

2012-10-19

The High Ground: Sacred natural sites, bio-cultural diversity and climate change in the Eastern Himalayas, examines how sacred places, beliefs and practices in the Himalayas can aid efforts to conserve areas of value in the face of modern-day threats including the unrelenting pressure human demands place on the planet.

Near threatened Pallas' Cat found in WCP

2012-10-16

Camera traps have captured the first-ever live pictorial evidence of Pallas' Cat in the northern-central part of the Wangchuck Centennial Park (WCP) in Bumthang.

The Cat was found in a place called Boera on January 17, 2012 and then again on April 1, 2012. Two more pictures were captured from Marganphu area on February 19 and April 18, 2012.

The cameras were placed from late November 2011 to early June 2012 as a part of the Department of Forests and Park Services' and WWF's survey of Snow Leopard abundance in the park.

According to WWF-US Conservation Scientist Rinjan Shrestha, who has been closely working with WCP on the Snow Leopard survey, this could probably be the first report on the occurrence of Pallas' Cat in the Eastern Himalayas.

In 2004, Tashi Wangchuk, the then head of the Bhutan Museum of Natural History, Ministry of Agriculture, briefly mentioned Pallas Cat in the book Mammals of Bhutan. The book indicated possibilities of the Cat being found in Bhutan between altitudinal ranges of 2,800m to 4,000m in Jigmi Dorji National Park. However, its presence in Bhutan has not been document until now.

The habitats of the Cat, at both sites, are characterized by rolling hills dominated by glacial out-wash and Alpine Steppe vegetation. The Pallas' Cats were spotted on same locations where other predators such as Snow Leopard, Tibetan wolf and Red fox were found.

Both sites are used as seasonal grazing grounds for yaks from late-spring to mid-autumn (April to November). Of late, the area is visited by cordyceps collectors, especially in April, May and June.

Pallas' Cats possess behavioural traits that help it survive even in the cold deserts of Central Asia. They are also regarded as a primitive cat that has not changed for 12 million years of feline history of evolution.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has enlisted Red Pallas' Cat as "Near Threatened" because globally, the population of Pallas' Cats has been declining and they are disappearing from most of their former ranges around the Caspian Sea and Pakistan's Baluchistan province. The Cat's survival is threatened by hunters for its fur and fat and organs for medicinal value.

Ensuring safer habitat for Cranes

2012-10-08

Securing Black Necked Crane (Grus nigricollis) habitats in the country was one of the prime concerns shared by participants during the second Annual Black-Necked Crane workshop organized jointly by the Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN) and WWF-Bhutan.

Although Bhutan has been witnessing an increasing trend of Black-Necked Cranes wintering annually, the endangered species faces wide array of threats that lead to habitat degradation owing to draining and construction in the wetlands.

Close to 500 numbers of cranes winters every year in Bhutan, Phobjikha being the major habitat followed by Bumdeling, Khotokha, Gyetsha, and Thangbi.

Dr. Lam Dorji, the Executive Director of RSPN said, "We can already see the deteriorating state of habitats and the number of cranes that used to visit is going down." He added that It is good to be observant so that we can work together as it is an indicator of the health of our environment.

During the workshop, forestry officials from areas that are wintering grounds for Black-Necked Cranes shared some of the major challenges in conserving the habitats of the Cranes.

Sonam Choidup, Research and Monitoring ranger of the Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary said how the population of cranes visiting the area is decreasing owing to human activities such as town expansion, land development and change in agriculture practices such as farm mechanization.

He added that the area also witnessed two major flash floods in the recent years which further fuelled habitat deterioration.

The workshop was started last year mainly to address knowledge gaps among stakeholders on the presence and habitat quality of the Cranes in different parts of the country so that this will allow stakeholders to design programs to protect the species.

The Black necked Crane (Grus nigricollis) is an endemic bird found in the Himalayan region. It holds vulnerable status under IUCN as the birds are facing a higher risk of global extinction. Currently, the world's Black-necked Crane population is estimated at around 11,000. The Cranes breed and spend the summer months in China, Ladakh (India) and Tibet and they winter in Bhutan and South Eastern parts of China and Tibet.