Save The Tiger Fund:

Tiger conservation partnership in Russian Far East

Mahendra Shrestha

Introduction

• STF partnership in Russian Far East for 14 years

• 75 projects contributing more than US $7.3 mill

• A partnership between ExxonMobil and NFWF started in 1995

• EM invested in tiger conservation prior to the creation of STF

• Focus on wild tiger populations

• 350 grants; $17 million in 13 countries

• About ¼ of all philanthropic investments in tiger conservation

• More than 100 partner organizations

VisionA world in which tigers thrive in natural habitats across their Asian range in harmony with people

MissionSponsor effective efforts to stop killing of wild tigers and to enable wild tigers to recover and flourish, while empowering local people to live in balance with natural resources and proving tangible benefits to them whenever possible.

How Save The Tiger Fund Works

• Neutral player• Catalyzing for alliances and

political will• Forge partnership: World

Bank, CITES resolutions, ITC• Long-term investments• Evaluation and adaptive

managementGovernments Private Sector

Science & NGO’s

Public &Communities

STF Focus and Accomplishments

• Tigers and habitat• Consolidation of tiger habitat through protection and restoration• Law enforcement for deterring poaching and trade – regional

cooperation• Science

• Tiger Conservation Landscape document• Critical Research and dissemination of scientific information

• People and Communities• Tiger Action Plans• Conservation education – Local conservation leadership• Sustainable development – community engagement and economic

benefits• Human-tiger conflict resolutions• Ecosystem services – carbon sequestration, watershed, pollination,

forest products• Conservation financing

STF Approach

• Two pronged approach:- Landscape

conservation- Tiger trade reduction

• Focus on 6 out of 9 landscapes

• Long term and deep investment

• Outcome based projects

Challenges and Opportunities

• Declining population trend100,000 5,000 - 7,000 <5,000

Last Century 1998 Present

• Tigers occupy only 7% of their historic range & 40% less than the last decade estimates• Increased trade and trafficking• 1.1 million km2 of good tiger habitat• Some strongholds that can support >1000 tigers • 23% TCLs protected• Government engagement and wider collaboration

Amur tigers in the Russian Far East

• 1999: A landscape level plan

• 2003: conference to update the plan and consolidate lessons learned.

• Vision implementation

• Vision- a roadmap for future investments complying to the TCL goals

RFE: Accomplishments and opportunities• Stable tiger population (450-

500)

• Sustainable landuse and partnership for tiger friendly forestry businesses and communities

• Reduce human tiger conflict

• Improve law enforcement

• Public awareness programs

• Secure habitat and support reserve management

• Build capacity and conservation leadership

Zov Tigra

Range expansion

Udege Legend

Lazovsky