09
Mar 2009 - Researchers in the Russian Far
East are tracking the elusive Amur tiger
by foot, ski, and snowmobile this month
to better understand the endangered species.
WWF-Russia, the Wildlife
Conservation Society and the Far Eastern
branch of the Russian Academy of Science
are monitoring the rare Amur tiger in its
habitats in Russia, in the remote Primorskii
and Khabarovskii Provinces.
The Amur tiger, which
can weigh up to 300 kg and measure around
three metres from its nose to the tip of
its tail, has come back from the brink of
extinction to its highest population for
at least 100 years. Only about 40 were alive
in 1950 but nowadays there are around 450,
one of the strongest tiger populations in
the world.
This year’s monitoring
area will cover 23,500 square kms with 16
search plots -- that cover one tenth part
of tiger’s habitat -- in the Khabarovskii
and Primorskii Provinces. A total of 6,000
km of transects also will be covered, where
researchers will map all animal tracks registered
on the plots.
For each search plot,
researchers will coordinate experienced
wildlife managers and trappers from local
hunting clubs, who will conduct three to
four day overnight searches of each plot,
spending their evenings in small wooden
hunting lodges in the forest. They will
use snowmobiles to cross transects along
river valleys in the region, and don specially-designed
wide hunting skis to climb through hills
and passes during the searches.
As part of the monitoring,
scientists will follow the tigers to collect
information on the sex and age characteristics
of tiger populations, as well as behavioural
habits, tiger mortality, and a range of
other scientific data.
“Monitoring has been
conducted for 12 years already and has provided
information for analysis of tiger number
dynamics and characteristics of its distribution
and reproduction from year to year. Another
important goal of the research program is
controlling large wild ungulates’ status
as well as changes in tiger habitats quality
and its food sources,” said Pavel Fomenko,
biodiversity conservation coordinator at
WWF-Russia, Amur branch, and one of the
initiators and participants of the annual
tiger monitoring.
WWF Russia has funded
monitoring activities to the tune of 12,000
euros on six plots located in WWF’s model
areas with two of them located in Ussuriiskii
and Lazovskii Nature Reserves. The Russian
Academy of Science has provided 22,000 euros,
or more than half of the funds needed for
this month’s monitoring.
“For the first time
this year, monitoring of the Amur tiger
number has been covered largely by the Far
Eastern branch of the Russian Academy of
Science. This is a good sign but it would
be better to receive funding from Russian
Ministry of Nature and Ecology and Federal
Service of Natural Recourses Exploitation
that are both responsible for tiger in Russia,”
Pomenko said.
“Funds needed for tiger
research should be allocated in the budget
of a special Program on tiger conservation
in Russia,” Pomenko added.
Results of the field
research will be completed in April and
a special report will be prepared and forwarded
to the governmental agencies responsible
for tiger conservation in Russia. WWF-Russia,
active in efforts to protect the Amur tiger
for many years, awaits elaboration of a
new strategy for tiger conservation in Russia
and hopes that this rare predator will receive
not only governmental status of protection
but also funding for its conservation.
+ More
Earth Hour to create
wave of participation around the globe
10 Mar 2009 - Over 930
cities and towns in 80 countries, across
25 time zones to power down for Earth Hour
2009 - Global icons add to lights out spectacle
- At precisely 8.30pm on March 28 the diesel
generators will be switched off on the Chatham
Islands, a small archipelago off the east
coast of New Zealand, heralding the start
of the greatest community event the world
has ever witnessed - Earth Hour 2009.
As the first country
to flick the switch for the global event,
WWF New Zealand's Earth Hour organiser,
Dairne Poole sees her country as playing
a vital role in Earth Hour’s journey to
reach one billion people in over 1,000 cities,
across 25 time zones.
"New Zealand will
be the first country in the world to turn
its lights off for Earth Hour 2009 with
43 councils and local bodies taking part.
Even though we are a small nation, we are
setting an important example for others
to witness and hopefully follow," says
Ms Poole.
The global wave of participation
will gather momentum through Asia Pacific
with major cities such as Sydney, Seoul,
Beijing, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Manila,
Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta, Mumbai and
Delhi dimming the lights as millions flick
the switch to express their concern for
the planet.
Across the globe Earth
Hour will provide the platform for a collective
voice to be heard from each and every time
zone. From the streets of Cape Town to the
Hills of Los Angeles, Earth Hour will unite
people from all walks of life as the call
for action on climate change makes its transglobal
journey.
Paris, the ‘City of
Lights’ will make a powerful statement by
turning off its famous lights, including
the Eiffel Tower, for Earth Hour. In the
birthplace of democracy, thousands of Athenians
will gather to watch the lights go out at
the Acropolis in acknowledgement of their
vote for action on climate change.
Metropolises across
the Americas including New York, Rio de
Janeiro, Toronto, Buenos Aires, Chicago,
Mexico City and Las Vegas will see their
united voice accompanied by unfamiliar lighting
– stars.
Earth Hour Executive
Director, Mr Andy Ridley, said that Earth
Hour signals the beginning of the journey
to Copenhagen, where the future of the planet
rests with world leaders.
“Earth Hour will focus
global attention on addressing the issue
of climate change. We are asking one billion
people to take part in what is essentially
the first global vote for action on climate
change by turning off their lights for one
hour and casting a vote for earth,” he said.
“Earth Hour hopes to
provide a global mandate for action on climate
change to the world’s leaders at the UN
Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen
in December this year, where an agreement
will be made to supersede the Kyoto Protocol.
“It is imperative this
agreement leads to a sustainable outcome
that suitably addresses climate change.
Earth Hour presents an opportunity for every
person in the world to have a say in that
agreement’s outcome and ensure it isn’t
merely an insubstantial token effort by
our world’s leaders,” said Mr Ridley
