Funds will be deployed in the following projects managed by the Born Free Foundation (BFF) and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA):
The Satpuda Landscape Tiger Programme * (BFF):
1. A Tiger Friendly Landscape
This project proposes to monitor existing and planned linear development projects, dams and mining within tiger range areas in Central India. Mines, roads and infrastructure developments are rarely planned taking into consideration the integrity of the forest habitat or the movement of wildlife, and often result in loss of forests and diversity. SLTP partners have a strong field presence, and are able to react swiftly to survey, monitor and lobby for mitigation measures.
2. Tiger Ambassadors
In Central India tigers are not limited to tiger reserves. Many manage to live stealthily in forest patches outside protected areas but often come into conflict with humans. Between 2005 and 2011, 132 carnivore attacks on humans were recorded around Tadoba-Andhaeri Tiger Reserve, 54% resulting in death. This results in communities who fear and dislike tigers. In order to reduce this hostility towards tigers, SLTP Tiger Ambassadors will be selected from several key villages and help protect tigers by mitigating tiger conflict and reducing animosity. They will provide an early warning system and a source of intelligence information, alerting SLTP and the Forest Department of any attacks, as well as providing information leads on poaching.
3. Fuel for Tigers
To reduce human-tiger conflict ‘Fuel for Tigers’ is to be introduced. Tigers live best when physically separated from people and their activities but with habitat loss and fragmentation increasing, conflict between tigers and people is also rising. The chief driver of this conflict is the need for cooking fuel that forces people to go daily into the forest which results in them becoming vulnerable to large carnivore attacks. If that dependence on forests for fuel and other forest products could be reduced, then it follows that conflict would also be reduced, saving the lives of many people and many tigers.
SLTP proposes a multi-pronged approach to reduce people’s reliance on fuel wood from tiger forests, by matching the needs of different people to the right fuel source. For instance, those with a small herd of buffaloes would get the most benefit out of gobar gas (dung biogas), those with a small plot of land and some disposable income would benefit from an LPG stove, whereas the poorest, who still rely on firewood, would reduce their need to enter the forest by using fuel-efficient stoves. In selected villages SLTP will repair existing gobar gas plants and provide maintenance, help villagers access government- subsidised LPG cylinders and stoves,subsidise refills for the first year, and provide fuel-efficient stoves for the rest. With a long-term view SLTP will also explore the potential of small-scale biofuel plants that would potentially supply energy to a whole village.
4. Rapid Veterinary Response
SLTP proposes the enabling of a rapid response team by training a number of government and independent veterinarians to respond to tiger poaching events and assist in swiftly determining cause of death. They will also receive training to improve their ability to deal with the capture and handling of problem animals, ensuring that their welfare is paramount.
*BFF’s partners on the ground implementing these projects are Bombay Natural History Society, Conservation Action Trust, Nature Conservation Society Amravati, Satpuda Foundation and Tiger Research and Conservation Trust.
EIA Investigations:
Funds raised bySave Wild Tigers during Tiger Tracks 2013 will go towards the costs of investigations on international illegal tiger trade, including the trade in captive-bred (farmed) tiger parts and will allow the EIA to build on the findings published in ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’ through campaign activities.
Investigation activities include:
- Preparatory work such as covert field investigations as well as desk based research
- Analysing findings and converting them into intelligence briefings for law enforcement
- Publishing findings as reports/ films / briefings /social media communications - aimed at policy makers, the public and the media.
Campaign activities include:
- Delivering the published material to key decision-makers internationally
- Delivering the published material directly to consumer countries.
- Working with new stakeholders to communicate our findings and campaign objectives to top decision-makers in China.