We recently celebrated World Tiger Day on 29th July, where we celebrate one of the world’s most iconic, revered, and best loved animals. However, as we celebrate this majestic animal, it is important to highlight that tiger numbers have declined by a shocking 96% in just the last 100 years. The illegal trade in tigers and tiger parts, made worse by captive breeding facilities across Asia and South Africa, alongside threats from habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict, has pushed them to the brink of extinction.
Tragically, there are now more tigers in captivity than in the wild. Captive figures outnumber wild tigers 2:1, with an estimated 7,000-8,000 tigers in breeding centres across Asia. Many of the Asian tiger breeding centres are involved in the illegal trade of tigers and tiger products, and exist solely to profit from tiger parts. Captive breeding facilities muddy the waters of the trade, not only giving legitimacy to the demand for tiger products but also providing a route to market for illegally sourced tigers and tiger parts.
Read more on the dark side of the illegal tiger trade here: https://davidshepherd.org/news-events-insights/news/tigers-a-future-thats-anything-but-bright/
DSWF actively campaigns for and works to support a total ban on the international trade in tiger parts and derivatives, as well as the closure of all tiger breeding farms. We’re helping drive effective, impactful reductions in illegal wildlife trade, through legislation and lobbying across governments and funding investigations into criminal syndicates. We work with communities to foster peaceful coexistence with wild tigers and run public awareness campaigns to reduce demand for wild animals in Traditional Chinese Medicine and as luxury, high value products. In addition, we support the deployment of anti-poaching rangers in the field, including the use of specialist K9 sniffer dogs. This holistic approach to conservation helps fight wildlife crime and illegal trade from all angles.
Using K9 units for conservation has proven to be an effective method in apprehending poachers and acting as a deterrent. Our partners in India manage several K9 Units who accompany rangers on patrols. These trained and certified tracking dogs assist in locating suspects as well as gathering evidence from poaching areas. Two junior canine members, who joined the team as puppies last year, named Nova and Harley, have shown tremendous development over the past few months. Their tracking skills are greatly improving with continuous training from the senior handlers. They have now mastered basic sniffing and tracking exercises, and have since been completing training in evidence collection, tracking a crime site, and advanced detection. Nova has now been fully deployed into the field with handler Dhrubajyoti, and Harley will be following her very soon!
Education is a pivotal tool of conservation. By supporting educational work, we can raise a new generation concerned about nature and prepared to engage with their communities on issues like poaching, the illegal wildlife trade, unauthorised logging, and forest fires in tiger habitat. Education programmes are also a further benefit to local communities, as they promote learning amongst young people and teach new skills to adults. From Tiger Day Festivals and art contests, to talks and workshops, we can foster community spirit and bring communities together for a united cause – to protect the tiger. Educational activities will indirectly contribute to conservation of tigers and their habitat by fostering positive attitude towards endangered wildlife and conservation, increasing people’s environmental awareness, raising young people to protect and treasure the planet’s wildlife, and motivating people to implement conservation actions.
With your ongoing support we can continue to fight for a brighter future for tigers.
Species Highlight – Indochinese Tiger
Through DSWF’s continued support to our ground-based conservation partners in Thailand, one of the world’s last remaining populations of Indochinese Tigers, which without long term conservation support would likely now be extinct, is now stable and slowly increasing.
The Dong Phayayen–Khao Yai (DPKY) Forest Complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Thailand. It encompasses five protected areas across 6,155km2, and it is one of Thailand’s two priority sites for tiger conservation given its key population of Indochinese tigers. Only approximately 350 Indochinese tigers remain in the wild globally, with around half of these in Thailand.
Our ground-based conservation partners working within the complex have recently reported an increase in tiger breeding in the last 12 months, with three sightings of adult females with cubs as well as sightings of new adult tigers within the complex. Through long-term monitoring via camera trap surveys, our partners continue to identify and record tiger sightings and use the data to enhance ranger patrols within the area.
Tigers in Thailand face many challenges:
DSWF are continuing to support rangers working within the complex, ensuring they have kit and supplies for weeklong patrols, including water filters to ensure they avoid disease from contaminated water sources, with fresh water in low supply in the area. In addition, we are supporting training and workshops for rangers to improve their knowledge and skills so they can stay safer in the field and expertly manage and mitigate any poaching incidents.
Our team on the ground also work closely with local communities living along the edges of the DPKY complex, providing education and conservation awareness to schools, youth groups, and adults to improve conservation knowledge and discourage snaring and foraging within the protect areas. Developing these relationships helps mitigate human-wildlife conflict and encourage peaceful co-existence with wildlife.
With your ongoing support we can continue to aid and fund our partners on the ground protecting this vital habitat, not only for this vital population of Indochinese tigers but also for the many other wildlife populations that reside there, including Asian elephant and the Sunda pangolin.
Stay up to date with our work and how your generous support is making a difference; receive exciting wildlife conservation stories and hear about forthcoming campaigns, fundraising initiatives and events: Stay In Touch
We are thrilled to share with you the results from a recent census which shows the Amur tiger population is increasing in Russia. The census was carried out across the entire range of the Amur tiger. The results are extremely encouraging - there was estimated to be approximately 750 individual tigers, compared to an estimate of 523-540 from the previous census in 2014-15. It is believed that this increase is partially down to a decrease in poaching, which has dropped by approximately two thirds in the last ten years.
The census data indicated the presence of Amur tigers in areas where they have not been seen before and interestingly the data from the count also show that Amur tigers have changed their diet. African swine fever has reduced the number of boars in the tiger range, thereby decreasing their share in the tiger diet. Looking for prey, tigers have begun to move around more in their habitat and hunt Manchurian wapiti, roe deer and sika deer, which allowed them to safely survive in difficult times. As such, conservation efforts will now include the monitoring of these prey species populations.
However, is vital that anti-poaching efforts continue to provide a continuous pressure and deterrent to poachers. Across the five protected areas and one nature reserve supported by DSWF our ground-based conservation partners have seen a 7% decline in wildlife related violations in 2022 compared to statistics from 2021. The team on the ground have been kept busy fighting a number of violations in the past six months of which the following statistics have been reported:
These are great results that have resulted from enhanced patrols which have increased by 22% on foot and 17% by motor vehicle in the past six months. The growth of patrol efforts as well as the introduction of SMART technology has led to a significant drop in wildlife related violations in the past three years and has significantly enhanced decision-making and law enforcement efforts.
Community Engagement
42 eco-lessons have been provided for a total of 679 children during the past six months. The children have gained an in-depth knowledge about the Amur tiger, its biology, ecology, habitat, prey base, threats to its survival, and conservation methods.
Sadly, the annual Tiger Day celebrations were cancelled in 2022, but our partners on the ground still put together a programme of educational contests and entertainment events dedicated to the Amur tiger, which 400 children took part in. A further 500 people took part in a tiger themed concert.
Continued community support for the conservation of the Amur tiger is absolutely vital to its survival. DSWF will continue with your support to fight, protect and engage of behalf of the tiger across Asia.
Stay up to date with our work and how your generous support is making a difference, receive exciting wildlife conservation stories and hear about forthcoming campaigns, fundraising initiatives and events: Stay In Touch
Tigers in India
DSWF continues to protect tigers in India by supporting our long-standing ground-based conservation partner Aaranyak based in Assam. In the last year we have focused on improving law enforcement in the region, enhancing patrols through K9 units and continuing vital education work.
Law Enforcement
Poaching remains a challenge in the Assam region as tigers and rhinos continue to be being targeted as well as many other smaller species. 21 poachers were arrested in the last six months, 14 weapons were seized from various parts of Assam from wildlife poachers by law enforcement agencies and three prosecutions were made. Sadly, increasingly professionalised poaching outfits continue to operate in the region. Improvements to law enforcement are having an impact. Aaranyak’s work has had a hugely positive impact on law enforcement efforts. A number of workshops were held to improve conservation awareness and to provide education on legal protections for threatened wildlife. 150 officials attended workshops in this period. These workshops have allowed Aaranyak to enhance and maintain their already strong existing relationships with judicial officers, police, forest agencies and other paramilitary and border police agencies. The increased coordination and strengthening of relationships have been crucial in the fight against poaching.
K9 Units
Also crucial to tiger protection efforts are K9 sniffer dogs, supported by DSWF. Along with their handlers, the dogs have covered around 1,275km in the last year, providing support to rhino and tiger protection patrols within the protected areas. Jubi –a female dog has provided remarkable service in Kaziranga since 2011 and is now enjoying a well-deserved retirement. Tragically, Babli the second female K9, died in June. She sustained an injury while on patrol and was unable to recover. Babli and her handler Goura have been providing vital support in Orang National Park for the past four years and she will be sadly missed. DSWF are presently funding the training of two new K9’s to replace Babli and Jorba and continue their vital conservation efforts.
Education
Aaranyak successfully delivered 40 ‘Rhino and Tiger Goes to school’ days in the region, with 1,500 students reached in total. The extremely popular programme teaches children about local flora and fauna and about human-wildlife co-existence. It aims to instil in children a sense of pride in the biodiversity of the area which they live and encourage an increased affinity with rhinos and tigers. The evaluation of the days has shown they have been successful in giving children an awareness of rhino and tiger behaviour, habitat and protection and wider conservation issues, all in a fun and engaging way. They have also been successful in encouraging the publics reporting of wild animals outside of protected areas, assisting rescue efforts.
Several other educational activities have been organized in the last year. A nature orientation camp was held for students in Orang National Park in conjunction with national park authorities. The camp aimed at giving children an appreciation of nature and a positive perception of wildlife as well as encouraging environmentally friendly practices such as the reduction of waste. The Assam Government intends to add an additional 200 square kilometres of area to the park, more than tripling its area from the current 78.8 square kilometers.This would provide an incredible opportunity for more rhino and tiger protection. For this to happen, the support of the local community is essential and events like this are crucial in getting the support of local villages.
Without your support this vital work would not be possible. DSWF relies entirely on donations and support from generous individuals like you to continue to fight wildlife crime, protect species and engage individuals and communities to ensure a brighter future for wildlife. So thank you again for helping to give tigers a chance of survival.
Find out more about our work with Tigers
Thank you for protecting Tigers with the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation through GlobalGiving. In this report we highlight the plight of the Indochinese Tiger and how our ground based conservation partners are working to protect them.
According to the IUCN Red List, official estimates place the entire population of the Indochinese tiger sub-species at just 352. Less than 200 Indochinese tigers are left in Thailand, primarily in two distinct forest complexes - the Western Forest Complex and the DPKY Complex. With protection and conservation activities across these two vital forest complexes, over the last 15 years an increase in tiger population has been demonstrated and confirmed by records of tiger sightings with cubs and a reduced number in fatalities among adult tigers, although the poaching of tigers in this area is as ever an ongoing threat.
For these vital tiger populations to be sustained, conservation activities must also be maintained. DSWF will continue to fund our ground-based conservation partners in 2022/23 to ensure the ongoing protection of the Indochinese tiger and its habitat across Thailand.
DSWF funding will continue to be granted to ground-based conservation partners working within the Western Forest Complex and the DPKY Complex in Thailand and will be allocated for park protection, community outreach and wildlife surveys. Through focusing on these areas funding will help provide provisions for anti-poaching patrols, assist the collection of field data, enable the use of GSM cellular cameras in the forests, identify emerging threats, train rangers and elicit greater support among local stakeholders for species and site conservation and draw attention to inappropriate government-led infrastructure construction (such as dams) which are now threatening the integrity of prime tiger habitat. Community support for the protection of tigers will also be achieved through school visits to deliver conservation messages to schools in high-risk poaching areas.
The expected impact of this funding will include:
Without your support this vital work would not be possible. DSWF relies entirely on donations and support from generous individuals like you to continue to fight wildlife crime, protect species and engage individuals and communities to ensure a brighter future for wildlife. So thank you again for helping to give tigers a chance of survival.
Find out more about our work with Tigers
David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) would love to keep you up-to-date with how your generous support is making a difference, share exciting wildlife conservation stories and tell you about forthcoming campaigns, fundraising initiatives and events. Please let us know via the link below how you would like to hear from us.
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can recieve an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
Make a monthly donation & get 
