One Year after the Tiger Summit

One year ago in St. Petersburg, 13 tiger range countries endorsed a comprehensive strategy to stop the wild tiger’s decline toward extinction and to begin to recover tiger populations and habitat with a goal of reaching ‘Tx2,’ or the doubling of wild tiger populations, by the Year of the Tiger, 2022. One of the major obstacles to progress on tiger recovery is the illegal wildlife trade across Asia driven by market demand, which is growing in sophistication each year.

On Monday, November 28, an anniversary event commemorating the St. Petersburg Tiger Summit is taking place at the World Bank in Washington. President Zoellick will connect to conservation practitioners by video link from India, Vietnam, and Nepal to hear about the challenges they face on the ground. The Under Secretary of State of the United States, Robert Hormats, will also speak. This will be followed by a Round Table of experts from the US government and international organizations on the illegal wildlife trade, and the launch of INTERPOL’s Project Predator, a new effort in the 13 tiger range countries to help stem poaching and smuggling of tiger parts.

Check back at GTI web for a full video of the proceedings later this week.