Tigers on brink of extinction

WITH fewer than 4 000 left in the wild, tigers are on a precipice – yet more than 100 of the big cats are still killed and illegally trafficked each year.

The latest estimate comes as experts and dignitaries, including Britain’s Prince William, gather in Vietnam’s capital for an international wildlife conference that kicks off today.

The two-day meeting in Hanoi brings together governments, NGOs and activists to combat illegal wildlife trade and is being hosted in a country that has become a nexus for smuggling and consumption.

Wildlife trade monitoring group Traffic, which campaigns to protect endangered animals and help governments catch those who trade in their parts, published a new analysis looking at 16 years of tiger seizure data from across the globe.

It estimates an average of 110 tigers have become victims of the trade annually since 2000.

The study also illustrates the growing role breeding centres play in fuelling the trade.

Researchers singled out Thailand, Laos and Vietnam as among the world’s top countries for tiger farms.

Animal rights groups hope the conference will pile pressure on governments to redouble efforts to stem the trade and close down farms.

Prince William, a champion of endangered species in recent years, met Vietnam’s prime minister and vice-president yesterday.

Part of his mission is to “engage with a wide cross-section of Vietnamese society to encourage the work of local people to stamp out the use of things like rhino horn”, a statement said.

He later headed to Lan Ong Street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, a go-to strip for traditional medicine ingredients, before speaking to pupils about wildlife conservation. – AFP