In this guest blog, biochemist, biologist and TV presenter Liz Bonnin discusses the challenges facing tiger conservation and her experiences filming in the Russian Far East. Ultimately, it's up to tiger country governments to put a halt to wildlife trafficking through greater political commitment and law enforcement
With as few as 3,200 wild tigers remaining, every single one counts. Based on known incidents of poaching, trafficking and illegal sales, at least 1,500 tigers have ended up in trade since 2000. That might not grab the same headlines as the tragedy unfolding for Africa’s elephants and rhinos but it is no less a crisis
This year, two prominent arrests in China of gangs illegally trading in tigers caused an outcry in the country and around the world. Chinese citizens are furious because China has fewer than 50 wild tigers left, yet one group in Leizhou is said to have been killing and supplying tiger products for years
Negotiations over the text of a decision which calls for actions in countries that have tiger farms have had all the hallmarks of a complex tango routine, fraught with tension and passion.