Time for Asian Nations to End Tiger Poaching

The New Indian Express , Monday, February 09, 2015
Correspondent :
hirteen countries which are home to the world’s dwindling population of wild tigers have agreed to establish an intelligence-sharing network to fight poaching. This is a welcome move. India has managed to raise the population of tigers in its wildlife sanctuaries through better monitoring and anti-poaching campaigns, and the initiatives of individual nations may win us a few battles, but we can only win the war if all of Asia stand united to stop poaching and wipe out the demand for tiger parts.

To put an end to the killings of this magnificent species, which was described by celebrated hunter Jim Corbett as a “large-hearted gentleman with boundless courage”, there is a need to eradicate the foolish superstitions which are prevalent in China and southeast Asia. Their origin lies in the belief that it is possible to imbibe the tiger’s strength and mythical powers by consuming some parts of its body. Although advanced medical opinion has trashed such beliefs, there is still considerable demand for tiger bones, which are used for treating rheumatism, arthritis and general weakness, the teeth for treating fever, eyeballs for treating epilepsy, and so on.

Both official and non-official agencies must carry out an intensive campaign to root out such irrational ideas in the countries where they are prevalent. Tigers and other wild animals are in danger of extermination because of their shrinking habitats. Since encroachments on forests are unavoidable in view of the growing human population, the wildlife sanctuaries cannot but come under increasing pressure. If these threats to the dwindling safe zones for wildlife are compounded by crazy notions about the usefulness of their body parts such as the aphrodisiacal properties of rhino horns, the future is bleak for the 3,000-odd tigers now left compared to 100,000 a century ago. Fortunately, the increase in India’s tiger population has raised their numbers in this country to more than 2,000.

 
SOURCE : http://www.newindianexpress.com/editorials/Time-for-Asian-Nations-to-End-Tiger-Poaching/2015/02/09/article2658957.ece
 


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