ScienceDaily (Sep. 30, 2011) — A team of Russian veterinary colleagues and health experts from the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo are collaborating to understand how distemper -- a virus afflicting domestic dogs and many wildlife species -- may be a growing threat to Siberian (Amur) tigers.
The team presented its results at the first-ever Russian symposium on wildlife diseases recently held in the Russian Far East city of Ussurisk. The symposium underscores the growing recognition of the importance of the health sciences to successful wildlife conservation efforts.
Working at WCS's Wildlife Health Center at the Bronx Zoo, Russian health experts and WCS pathologists used histology along with PCR and DNA sequencing to confirm and characterize the infection in two wild Siberian tigers from the Russian Far East. This diagnosis provides long-awaited genetic confirmation of the fact that distemper is impacting wild tigers, which WCS and Russian colleagues first documented in 2003.
The collaboration will enable conservationists to formulate health measures to counter this latest threat to the world's largest cat.
Read on...
Showing posts with label Amur tiger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amur tiger. Show all posts
Monday, October 3, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
Amur tigers in population crisis
Monday, 28 February 2011
By Victoria Gill
Science and nature reporter, BBC News
The effective population of the critically endangered Amur tiger is now fewer than 14 animals, say scientists.
Approximately 500 Amur tigers actually survive in the wild, but the effective population is a measure of the genetic diversity of the world's largest cat.
Very low diversity means any vulnerability to disease or rare genetic disorders is likely to be passed on to the next generation.
So these results paint a grim picture for the tiger's chance of survival.
The findings are reported in the journal Mammalian Biology.
The Amur tiger, or Siberian tiger as it is also known, once lived across a large portion of northern China, the Korean peninsula, and the southernmost regions of eastern Russia.
During the early 20th Century, the Amur tiger was almost driven to extinction, as expanding human settlements, habitat loss and poaching wiped out this biggest of cats from over 90% of its range.
By the 1940s, just 20 to 30 individuals survived in the wild. The new study has identified that this recent "genetic bottleneck" - when the breeding population of tigers was so critically low - has decimated the Amur tiger gene pool.
A more genetically diverse population of animals has a much better chance of survival; it is more likely, for example, to contain the genetic resistance to a variety of diseases and less likely to succumb to rare genetic disorders, which can be "cancelled out" by healthy genes.
'Worryingly low'
Scientists in Russia, Spain and Germany worked together to analyse DNA samples from 15 wild Amur tigers in the Russian Far East.
They took blood samples from the animals and screened them for certain "markers" - points in the DNA code that show that an animal had parents that were genetically very different from each other.
The results revealed evidence of the genetic bottleneck during the tigers' recent history, when the variety of genes being passed on dramatically reduced.
Genetically speaking, the Amur tiger has not recovered from this.
"Our results are the first to demonstrate a quite recent genetic bottleneck in Siberian tigers, a result that matches the well-documented severe demographic decline of the Siberian tiger population in the 1940s," the researchers wrote in the paper.
"The worryingly low effective population size challenges the optimism for the recovery of the huge Siberian cat."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9407000/9407744.stm
(Submitted by Dawn Holloway)
By Victoria Gill
Science and nature reporter, BBC News
The effective population of the critically endangered Amur tiger is now fewer than 14 animals, say scientists.
Approximately 500 Amur tigers actually survive in the wild, but the effective population is a measure of the genetic diversity of the world's largest cat.
Very low diversity means any vulnerability to disease or rare genetic disorders is likely to be passed on to the next generation.
So these results paint a grim picture for the tiger's chance of survival.
The findings are reported in the journal Mammalian Biology.
The Amur tiger, or Siberian tiger as it is also known, once lived across a large portion of northern China, the Korean peninsula, and the southernmost regions of eastern Russia.
During the early 20th Century, the Amur tiger was almost driven to extinction, as expanding human settlements, habitat loss and poaching wiped out this biggest of cats from over 90% of its range.
By the 1940s, just 20 to 30 individuals survived in the wild. The new study has identified that this recent "genetic bottleneck" - when the breeding population of tigers was so critically low - has decimated the Amur tiger gene pool.
A more genetically diverse population of animals has a much better chance of survival; it is more likely, for example, to contain the genetic resistance to a variety of diseases and less likely to succumb to rare genetic disorders, which can be "cancelled out" by healthy genes.
'Worryingly low'
Scientists in Russia, Spain and Germany worked together to analyse DNA samples from 15 wild Amur tigers in the Russian Far East.
They took blood samples from the animals and screened them for certain "markers" - points in the DNA code that show that an animal had parents that were genetically very different from each other.
The results revealed evidence of the genetic bottleneck during the tigers' recent history, when the variety of genes being passed on dramatically reduced.
Genetically speaking, the Amur tiger has not recovered from this.
"Our results are the first to demonstrate a quite recent genetic bottleneck in Siberian tigers, a result that matches the well-documented severe demographic decline of the Siberian tiger population in the 1940s," the researchers wrote in the paper.
"The worryingly low effective population size challenges the optimism for the recovery of the huge Siberian cat."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9407000/9407744.stm
(Submitted by Dawn Holloway)
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Putin may be the tiger's champion, but China will decide the species' future
Russian president Vladimir Putin has burnished his hard man image at this week's tiger summit in St Petersburg, but in the long run the fate of the endangered cat is more likely to be decided by softly-spoken Chinese premier Wen Jiabao.
The two leaders demonstrated sharply contrasting styles during their meeting in the Konstantinovsky palace that partly reflects their individual backgrounds and their countries' records on conservation.
Putin, the host who famously shot a tiger with a tranquiliser dart two years ago, was at the centre of all activities and widely praised for making this groundbreaking conservation event possible.
The former KGB man has demonstrated his passion for nature in recent years with high-profile demonstrations of his mastery over some of the world's biggest beasts. He has fitted an electronic collar on a polar bear, fired a crossbow dart at a white whale to get a skin sample and received a tiger cub for a birthday present.
But he has also banned seal hunting. And at times today the macho leader sounded like a touchy-feely green, quoting Ghandi and calling for greater appreciation of wildlife and ecosystems: "Nature is the habitat of humans so caring for tigers and their habitat is caring for all people."
He is in a strong position to take a compassionate line. The Amur tiger population in Russia has bucked the global trend by making an impressive recovery from fewer than 30 in 1945 to about 500 today. It is evidence that the animal can recover if supported by political will and public awareness.
China, by contrast, has not only seen its own population of tigers decline precipitously in the past 50 years, its consumers have also boosted demand for illegally-poached tigers from overseas. Despite banning the tiger trade in 1993, the government has sustained hopes for a resumption of the domestic trade through support for rare-animal farms.
Premier Wen was the only one of the five national leaders at the summit who did not deign to attend the "press conference" (where no questions were allowed). In the summit, he stressed the need for greater enforcement. "All countries should crack down on poaching and illegal trade of tigers," he said. For conservationists, it was a disappointingly vague statement from the country that drives the main demand for tiger products.
Change remains possible. Tiger products have been removed from the pharmacopia of traditional medicine ingredients. Chinese officials are also discussing whether to impose a breeding ban on tiger farms as a step towards changing the way they are managed. This – along with the burning of existing stockpiles of carcasses and more undercover investigations by police – would send a clear signal that the tiger market is closed for business in China.
But premier Wen has not made that happen yet. Until he does, the political power of Putin and the conservation money from the World Bank will not just come to nothing. It will be helping to extend the longevity of the tiger traders.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2010/nov/23/putin-tiger-china-premier-wen
The two leaders demonstrated sharply contrasting styles during their meeting in the Konstantinovsky palace that partly reflects their individual backgrounds and their countries' records on conservation.
Putin, the host who famously shot a tiger with a tranquiliser dart two years ago, was at the centre of all activities and widely praised for making this groundbreaking conservation event possible.
The former KGB man has demonstrated his passion for nature in recent years with high-profile demonstrations of his mastery over some of the world's biggest beasts. He has fitted an electronic collar on a polar bear, fired a crossbow dart at a white whale to get a skin sample and received a tiger cub for a birthday present.
But he has also banned seal hunting. And at times today the macho leader sounded like a touchy-feely green, quoting Ghandi and calling for greater appreciation of wildlife and ecosystems: "Nature is the habitat of humans so caring for tigers and their habitat is caring for all people."
He is in a strong position to take a compassionate line. The Amur tiger population in Russia has bucked the global trend by making an impressive recovery from fewer than 30 in 1945 to about 500 today. It is evidence that the animal can recover if supported by political will and public awareness.
China, by contrast, has not only seen its own population of tigers decline precipitously in the past 50 years, its consumers have also boosted demand for illegally-poached tigers from overseas. Despite banning the tiger trade in 1993, the government has sustained hopes for a resumption of the domestic trade through support for rare-animal farms.
Premier Wen was the only one of the five national leaders at the summit who did not deign to attend the "press conference" (where no questions were allowed). In the summit, he stressed the need for greater enforcement. "All countries should crack down on poaching and illegal trade of tigers," he said. For conservationists, it was a disappointingly vague statement from the country that drives the main demand for tiger products.
Change remains possible. Tiger products have been removed from the pharmacopia of traditional medicine ingredients. Chinese officials are also discussing whether to impose a breeding ban on tiger farms as a step towards changing the way they are managed. This – along with the burning of existing stockpiles of carcasses and more undercover investigations by police – would send a clear signal that the tiger market is closed for business in China.
But premier Wen has not made that happen yet. Until he does, the political power of Putin and the conservation money from the World Bank will not just come to nothing. It will be helping to extend the longevity of the tiger traders.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2010/nov/23/putin-tiger-china-premier-wen
Putin may be the tiger's champion, but China will decide the species' future
Russian president Vladimir Putin has burnished his hard man image at this week's tiger summit in St Petersburg, but in the long run the fate of the endangered cat is more likely to be decided by softly-spoken Chinese premier Wen Jiabao.
The two leaders demonstrated sharply contrasting styles during their meeting in the Konstantinovsky palace that partly reflects their individual backgrounds and their countries' records on conservation.
Putin, the host who famously shot a tiger with a tranquiliser dart two years ago, was at the centre of all activities and widely praised for making this groundbreaking conservation event possible.
The former KGB man has demonstrated his passion for nature in recent years with high-profile demonstrations of his mastery over some of the world's biggest beasts. He has fitted an electronic collar on a polar bear, fired a crossbow dart at a white whale to get a skin sample and received a tiger cub for a birthday present.
But he has also banned seal hunting. And at times today the macho leader sounded like a touchy-feely green, quoting Ghandi and calling for greater appreciation of wildlife and ecosystems: "Nature is the habitat of humans so caring for tigers and their habitat is caring for all people."
He is in a strong position to take a compassionate line. The Amur tiger population in Russia has bucked the global trend by making an impressive recovery from fewer than 30 in 1945 to about 500 today. It is evidence that the animal can recover if supported by political will and public awareness.
China, by contrast, has not only seen its own population of tigers decline precipitously in the past 50 years, its consumers have also boosted demand for illegally-poached tigers from overseas. Despite banning the tiger trade in 1993, the government has sustained hopes for a resumption of the domestic trade through support for rare-animal farms.
Premier Wen was the only one of the five national leaders at the summit who did not deign to attend the "press conference" (where no questions were allowed). In the summit, he stressed the need for greater enforcement. "All countries should crack down on poaching and illegal trade of tigers," he said. For conservationists, it was a disappointingly vague statement from the country that drives the main demand for tiger products.
Change remains possible. Tiger products have been removed from the pharmacopia of traditional medicine ingredients. Chinese officials are also discussing whether to impose a breeding ban on tiger farms as a step towards changing the way they are managed. This – along with the burning of existing stockpiles of carcasses and more undercover investigations by police – would send a clear signal that the tiger market is closed for business in China.
But premier Wen has not made that happen yet. Until he does, the political power of Putin and the conservation money from the World Bank will not just come to nothing. It will be helping to extend the longevity of the tiger traders.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2010/nov/23/putin-tiger-china-premier-wen
The two leaders demonstrated sharply contrasting styles during their meeting in the Konstantinovsky palace that partly reflects their individual backgrounds and their countries' records on conservation.
Putin, the host who famously shot a tiger with a tranquiliser dart two years ago, was at the centre of all activities and widely praised for making this groundbreaking conservation event possible.
The former KGB man has demonstrated his passion for nature in recent years with high-profile demonstrations of his mastery over some of the world's biggest beasts. He has fitted an electronic collar on a polar bear, fired a crossbow dart at a white whale to get a skin sample and received a tiger cub for a birthday present.
But he has also banned seal hunting. And at times today the macho leader sounded like a touchy-feely green, quoting Ghandi and calling for greater appreciation of wildlife and ecosystems: "Nature is the habitat of humans so caring for tigers and their habitat is caring for all people."
He is in a strong position to take a compassionate line. The Amur tiger population in Russia has bucked the global trend by making an impressive recovery from fewer than 30 in 1945 to about 500 today. It is evidence that the animal can recover if supported by political will and public awareness.
China, by contrast, has not only seen its own population of tigers decline precipitously in the past 50 years, its consumers have also boosted demand for illegally-poached tigers from overseas. Despite banning the tiger trade in 1993, the government has sustained hopes for a resumption of the domestic trade through support for rare-animal farms.
Premier Wen was the only one of the five national leaders at the summit who did not deign to attend the "press conference" (where no questions were allowed). In the summit, he stressed the need for greater enforcement. "All countries should crack down on poaching and illegal trade of tigers," he said. For conservationists, it was a disappointingly vague statement from the country that drives the main demand for tiger products.
Change remains possible. Tiger products have been removed from the pharmacopia of traditional medicine ingredients. Chinese officials are also discussing whether to impose a breeding ban on tiger farms as a step towards changing the way they are managed. This – along with the burning of existing stockpiles of carcasses and more undercover investigations by police – would send a clear signal that the tiger market is closed for business in China.
But premier Wen has not made that happen yet. Until he does, the political power of Putin and the conservation money from the World Bank will not just come to nothing. It will be helping to extend the longevity of the tiger traders.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2010/nov/23/putin-tiger-china-premier-wen
Monday, November 8, 2010
Russia’s logging rights auction derailed after public outcry
Logging would have threatened few remaining Amur tigers
November 2010: Public outcry has derailed an auction planned for the end of last month by the forestry administration of Primorsky Province in the Russian Far East that would have opened up critical Amur tiger habitats for logging.
The Forest Management Department said that its director Pyotr Diuk departed Tuesday on holiday, and the commission responsible for conducting the auction, highlighted by Wildlife Extra last month - Amur tiger habitat threatened by Russian auctions - was a no-show.
The Forest Management Agency of Primorsky Province had announced that it would conduct an auction on October 26 for logging rights for 16 harvest sites in the Bikinsky and Pozharsky Korean Pine Nut Harvesting Zones, and the proposed Middle Ussuri wildlife refuge, by making them available for so-called intermediate harvesting.
The failed auction comes after WWF-Russia alerted the press to the auction and demanded the exemption of protected forests in the Bikin River Basin of northern Primorsky Province from a timber auction authorised by the provincial Forest Management Department.
Public reaction was universally negative
WWF experts and representative to the Legislative Assembly Aleksandr Ermolayev spoke out against the proposed auction. Their testimony then was sent to the Forest Management Department and Primorsky Province Ecological Prosecutor's office for review.
Public reaction to the auction, in Russia and abroad, was universally negative, especially because Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has invited all heads of government from tiger range states to participate next month in the Tiger Summit in St. Petersburg.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Putin said that a full public statement was pending an investigation of the circumstances surrounding the auction, according to WWF-Russia. Also, the Russian Federal Forest Agency sent a telegram to Primorskii Province's governor with a request to investigate within ten days the legality of the proposed logging of Korean pine stands.
Logging would increase access for poachers
Intermediate harvesting is a widely abused legal loophole which allows loggers to cut valuable Korean pine, oak and ash timber in protected forests. This practice greatly increases poaching access to remote tiger territories (through forest road building), destroys key breeding, feeding and overwintering habitat for tigers and their prey, and significantly reduces the supply of pine nuts and acorns on which tiger prey species survive.
The logging rights up for auction would have allowed loggers to cut down forests that protect salmon breeding grounds and are crucial habitats for Amur tigers.
The endangered Amur tiger, numbering fewer than 500 in the wild, is found primarily in southeastern Russia and northern China.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/logging-russia02.html
November 2010: Public outcry has derailed an auction planned for the end of last month by the forestry administration of Primorsky Province in the Russian Far East that would have opened up critical Amur tiger habitats for logging.
The Forest Management Department said that its director Pyotr Diuk departed Tuesday on holiday, and the commission responsible for conducting the auction, highlighted by Wildlife Extra last month - Amur tiger habitat threatened by Russian auctions - was a no-show.
The Forest Management Agency of Primorsky Province had announced that it would conduct an auction on October 26 for logging rights for 16 harvest sites in the Bikinsky and Pozharsky Korean Pine Nut Harvesting Zones, and the proposed Middle Ussuri wildlife refuge, by making them available for so-called intermediate harvesting.
The failed auction comes after WWF-Russia alerted the press to the auction and demanded the exemption of protected forests in the Bikin River Basin of northern Primorsky Province from a timber auction authorised by the provincial Forest Management Department.
Public reaction was universally negative
WWF experts and representative to the Legislative Assembly Aleksandr Ermolayev spoke out against the proposed auction. Their testimony then was sent to the Forest Management Department and Primorsky Province Ecological Prosecutor's office for review.
Public reaction to the auction, in Russia and abroad, was universally negative, especially because Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has invited all heads of government from tiger range states to participate next month in the Tiger Summit in St. Petersburg.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Putin said that a full public statement was pending an investigation of the circumstances surrounding the auction, according to WWF-Russia. Also, the Russian Federal Forest Agency sent a telegram to Primorskii Province's governor with a request to investigate within ten days the legality of the proposed logging of Korean pine stands.
Logging would increase access for poachers
Intermediate harvesting is a widely abused legal loophole which allows loggers to cut valuable Korean pine, oak and ash timber in protected forests. This practice greatly increases poaching access to remote tiger territories (through forest road building), destroys key breeding, feeding and overwintering habitat for tigers and their prey, and significantly reduces the supply of pine nuts and acorns on which tiger prey species survive.
The logging rights up for auction would have allowed loggers to cut down forests that protect salmon breeding grounds and are crucial habitats for Amur tigers.
The endangered Amur tiger, numbering fewer than 500 in the wild, is found primarily in southeastern Russia and northern China.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/logging-russia02.html
Russia’s logging rights auction derailed after public outcry
Logging would have threatened few remaining Amur tigers
November 2010: Public outcry has derailed an auction planned for the end of last month by the forestry administration of Primorsky Province in the Russian Far East that would have opened up critical Amur tiger habitats for logging.
The Forest Management Department said that its director Pyotr Diuk departed Tuesday on holiday, and the commission responsible for conducting the auction, highlighted by Wildlife Extra last month - Amur tiger habitat threatened by Russian auctions - was a no-show.
The Forest Management Agency of Primorsky Province had announced that it would conduct an auction on October 26 for logging rights for 16 harvest sites in the Bikinsky and Pozharsky Korean Pine Nut Harvesting Zones, and the proposed Middle Ussuri wildlife refuge, by making them available for so-called intermediate harvesting.
The failed auction comes after WWF-Russia alerted the press to the auction and demanded the exemption of protected forests in the Bikin River Basin of northern Primorsky Province from a timber auction authorised by the provincial Forest Management Department.
Public reaction was universally negative
WWF experts and representative to the Legislative Assembly Aleksandr Ermolayev spoke out against the proposed auction. Their testimony then was sent to the Forest Management Department and Primorsky Province Ecological Prosecutor's office for review.
Public reaction to the auction, in Russia and abroad, was universally negative, especially because Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has invited all heads of government from tiger range states to participate next month in the Tiger Summit in St. Petersburg.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Putin said that a full public statement was pending an investigation of the circumstances surrounding the auction, according to WWF-Russia. Also, the Russian Federal Forest Agency sent a telegram to Primorskii Province's governor with a request to investigate within ten days the legality of the proposed logging of Korean pine stands.
Logging would increase access for poachers
Intermediate harvesting is a widely abused legal loophole which allows loggers to cut valuable Korean pine, oak and ash timber in protected forests. This practice greatly increases poaching access to remote tiger territories (through forest road building), destroys key breeding, feeding and overwintering habitat for tigers and their prey, and significantly reduces the supply of pine nuts and acorns on which tiger prey species survive.
The logging rights up for auction would have allowed loggers to cut down forests that protect salmon breeding grounds and are crucial habitats for Amur tigers.
The endangered Amur tiger, numbering fewer than 500 in the wild, is found primarily in southeastern Russia and northern China.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/logging-russia02.html
November 2010: Public outcry has derailed an auction planned for the end of last month by the forestry administration of Primorsky Province in the Russian Far East that would have opened up critical Amur tiger habitats for logging.
The Forest Management Department said that its director Pyotr Diuk departed Tuesday on holiday, and the commission responsible for conducting the auction, highlighted by Wildlife Extra last month - Amur tiger habitat threatened by Russian auctions - was a no-show.
The Forest Management Agency of Primorsky Province had announced that it would conduct an auction on October 26 for logging rights for 16 harvest sites in the Bikinsky and Pozharsky Korean Pine Nut Harvesting Zones, and the proposed Middle Ussuri wildlife refuge, by making them available for so-called intermediate harvesting.
The failed auction comes after WWF-Russia alerted the press to the auction and demanded the exemption of protected forests in the Bikin River Basin of northern Primorsky Province from a timber auction authorised by the provincial Forest Management Department.
Public reaction was universally negative
WWF experts and representative to the Legislative Assembly Aleksandr Ermolayev spoke out against the proposed auction. Their testimony then was sent to the Forest Management Department and Primorsky Province Ecological Prosecutor's office for review.
Public reaction to the auction, in Russia and abroad, was universally negative, especially because Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has invited all heads of government from tiger range states to participate next month in the Tiger Summit in St. Petersburg.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Putin said that a full public statement was pending an investigation of the circumstances surrounding the auction, according to WWF-Russia. Also, the Russian Federal Forest Agency sent a telegram to Primorskii Province's governor with a request to investigate within ten days the legality of the proposed logging of Korean pine stands.
Logging would increase access for poachers
Intermediate harvesting is a widely abused legal loophole which allows loggers to cut valuable Korean pine, oak and ash timber in protected forests. This practice greatly increases poaching access to remote tiger territories (through forest road building), destroys key breeding, feeding and overwintering habitat for tigers and their prey, and significantly reduces the supply of pine nuts and acorns on which tiger prey species survive.
The logging rights up for auction would have allowed loggers to cut down forests that protect salmon breeding grounds and are crucial habitats for Amur tigers.
The endangered Amur tiger, numbering fewer than 500 in the wild, is found primarily in southeastern Russia and northern China.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/logging-russia02.html
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