Global Tiger Workshop – November 2009
A guest once defined Tiger Tops as a “conservation organisation funded by tourism.” This is exactly as we would wish it to be. It is implicit in our guiding concept of responsible conservation tourism. For this reason, in November 2009, Marcus Cotton and Lisa Choegyal both took part in the Global Tiger Workshop held in Kathmandu. The importance of this workshop and its subsequent related events in Hua Hin, Thailand, and meetings in Indonesia and St. Petersburg, cannot be underestimated. With all tiger range countries present (except North Korea), it was a great opportunity to meet the world’s leading tiger conservationists, park and protected area managers, green-economists from the World Bank, and government leaders in conservation. Tiger Mountain was the only Nepal private sector organisation represented throughout the workshop, which underpinned the Tiger Mountain commitment to responsible conservation tourism and its essential role in providing economic sustainability for protected areas.
The World Bank does seem to have realised the grave crisis facing the global tiger population and appreciated the tragedy of loss that this iconic top predator would represent, spiritually and pragmatically. Aware that economics is a key for developing nations to support conservation, tourism has a vital role to play. It is the only industry that can yield immediate economic benefit, clearly related to conservation, at local level. We have to show that the tiger alive is far more valuable than the tiger poached. The latter has a clearly defined value chain. Showing the live tiger value – which is far higher – is more complex but it can, and must be done. Whatever mistakes were made by the World Bank in the past, we should offer our support to them as they add their determination and might to the cause of tiger conservation.

New Rhino calves in Nepal
A rhino calf has been spotted in Bardia National Park, the first since authorities clamped down on poaching two years ago. Meanwhile in Chitwan National Park, the birth of eight rhinos has been recorded.  This is a welcome sign of nature’s resilience in the face of increased poaching during the insurgency years. The Greater One-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is an endangered species as it is killed mainly for its horn, which is valued by traditional Chinese medicine.