States to meet in Russia on wild tiger conservation
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Thirteen countries that still have wild tigers will meet this month in St. Petersburg, Russia with a commitment to doubling their number to 7,000 by 2022, the World Bank said Thursday.
The gathering scheduled for Nov. 21-24 comes as the Year of the Tiger draws to a close on the Chinese lunar calendar, joining leaders from countries with wild tigers as well as the World Bank, the WWF, Smithsonian Institution, National Geographic and other conservation and development partners and stakeholders.
In a video message, World Bank President Robert Zoellick said that illegal poaching, trafficking and lost habitats have conspired to reduce the number of wild tigers to fewer than 3,200 and their habitat to only seven percent of the land.
"The good news is tiger population can be recovered, we have to protect their habitats and ranges, targeting illegal trade, and find ways for people to benefit more from live tigers than dead ones," he added.
His organization is a major sponsor of the upcoming event, which it described as "an historic occasion" when the summiteers will undertake specific commitments with the goal of doubling tiger numbers to 7,000 by 2022, when the next Year of the Tiger comes, and protecting their habitats.
The WWF said on its website that the 13 countries are all in Asia and they have agreed in principle to this goal, proposing a five-year, 350-million-dollars Global Tiger Recovery Program to fight deforestation, poaching and the market for tiger parts.
It said Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will host the summit.
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