Jilin, China – The recent
discovery of a preyed upon deer is seen
as a major sign of progress in the efforts
to boost the populations of endangered Amur
tigers and leopards in China.
The body of the dead
sika deer was discovered by a ranger of
Lanjia forest farm, located at the east
foot of the Changbai Mountain, one of WWF’s
Tigers Alive Initiative's landscapes, in
China’s northeastern Jilin Province.
The deer’s injuries
were consistent with an attack by a large
predator, conservation officers said. The
finding comes two months after some four
sika deer were killed by predator from a
scene one kilometre away.
The latest victim was
among a group of more than 30 captive-bred
red and sika deer that were released in
July 2012 by WWF and Wangqing nature reserve
administration in the hope of restoring
prey population to attract Amur tigers and
leopards in the Wangqing area. It was confirmed
to be from the released herd according to
the chip implanted into its ear.
The body was barely
consumed, indicating that the predator left
the scene, possibly because of disturbance,
according to Shi Quanhua, a WWF Amur Tiger
Programme Officer. A camera trap has been
set up nearby in order to identify the predator
in case it comes back for the prey.
“Again, it proves that
big cats like tigers or leopards do live
in Wangqing’s forests and the Wangqing Forestry
Bureau has yielded impressive results at
the demonstration project of the wild Amur
tiger and leopard habitat ecosystem,” Shi
said.
Meanwhile, a large number
of feces, hairs and constant beds were found
on the site proving the spot to be a place
frequented by a herd of sika deer, which
indirectly demonstrates that the released
sika deer of last year have survived the
winter.
“Despite heavy snows
in the passing winter, none of the released
deer died of coldness, hunger or illness,
but only by predators,” Shi said.
Amur tigers and leopards
have been recorded more frequently by WWF
and the Wangqing Forestry Bureau during
patrolling and monitoring since winter.
“At Lanjia forest farm
alone, we have captured photographs and
videos over 20 times, which is three times
more than those of the last three years.
"This indicates
that the prey recovery project has made
preliminary progress and it has been proved
to be very important for the survival and
settlement of Amur tigers and leopards in
Wangqing,” says Wang Fuyou, Director of
the Conservation Division of the Wangqing
Forestry Bureau.
“That said the density
of sika and red deer in this area is still
very low. Through the prey recovery project,
WWF looks to establish a self-recovery red
and sika deer population there, so as to
provide sufficient food for wild Amur tigers
and leopards as well as realize their settlement
and reproduction habitat,” said Zhu Jiang,
head of WWF Northeast China Office.
A WWF-backed survey
shows that the lack of prey is a major hurdle
in supporting the settlement of tigers in
Northeast China.
The wild tiger population
declined from an estimated 200 to about
20 today within the past five decades in
China. The adjacent forested habitat of
the Russian Far East holds a significantly
larger population, between 430-500 tigers.
Recent sightings show
that the population is slowly moving across
the Chinese border and into the country’s
Wanda and Changbai mountains, part of the
Wangqing Nature Reserve.
WWF-China and its partners
are carrying out a number of conservation
measures to save the Amur tiger. These include
helping ungulate populations such as wild
boar and roe deer to recover; stopping poaching
by helping local authorities carry out anti-poaching
activities; and increasing and connecting
protected tiger habitats so tigers can safely
move from one area to another.
One tiger needs to eat
the equivalent of a medium size deer every
week to survive and without adequate food,
the tiger population rapidly declines.
+ More
Good news for sharks
at Indian Ocean Tuna Commission meeting
Gland, Switzerland:
WWF welcomes the adoption of key conservation
measures for oceanic white-tip sharks, whale
sharks and cetaceans following the Indian
Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) annual meeting
last week in Mauritius.
IOTC member states agreed
on important measures for the management
of tuna fisheries and other vulnerable species
such as white-tip sharks, which are not
to be retained and need to be released unharmed
if possible, while purse seiners can no
longer set around whale sharks and cetaceans.
One very positive outcome
was the adoption of a proposal by the Maldives
with regard to interim target and reference
points, and a framework for management decisions
to be taken in response to changes in stock
status.
A reference point is
a benchmark value that helps managers decide
how the fishery is performing and is often
based on an indicator such as fishery stock
size or the level of fishing. Fisheries
scientists conduct a fishery stock assessment
to provide estimates of a fishery stock
size and fishing mortality over time. Reference
points serve as a standard to compare those
estimates based on our understanding of
the biological characteristics of the targeted
species.
"This is an important
step towards the implementation of full
harvest control rules and paves the way
for the development of management tools
essential for a sustainable fishery",
said Dr Wetjens Dimmlich, Indian Ocean Tuna
Coordinator for WWF’s Smart Fishing Initiative.
"WWF welcomes the
increasing involvement of Indian Ocean coastal
developing states in conservation proposals,
demonstrating an awareness of the need to
responsibly manage tuna fisheries in the
region," Dr Dimmlich added.
"Negotiation and
successful adoption of the Maldives proposal
for the management of tunas in the Indian
Ocean is indeed a giant leap forward in
the history of IOTC.
"We are now confident
and convinced that together we can make
IOTC an effective tuna Regional Fisheries
Management Organisation", said Dr Hussain
R Hassan, the Maldives Minister of State
for Fisheries and Agriculture, and head
of the Maldives’ delegation.
WWF looks forward to continuing work in
cooperation with the Maldives Government
and other developing coastal states in the
region to improve the management and conservation
of tuna stocks.
