What’s at Stake  – Wildlife and Biodiversity

The latest WWF State of the Planet report highlights the 58% decrease in wildlife populations across the globe since 1970 with it going to 67% by the end of the next decade.

Some of the greatest collapse in wildlife and biodiversity are in Asian countries thanks to unsustainable harvesting of predators and prey, poaching, overgrazing and habitat encroachment. Tiger species have lost 95% of their landscape in the last 100 years, and are on the brink of extinction or functionally extinct in 6 of the 13 tiger range states just in the last 30 years, with Laos and Cambodia the latest within the last decade.

Yet in saving tigers, we save many other flagship species and millions of lesser known species essential to healthy ecosystems, and the supply of ecosystem services that supplies humanity with such services as clean water, fresh air, human health and cultural benefits.  Creating nature based services that create ‘green economies’ in and around forest habitats, can ensure alternative livelihood, reduce poverty, enhance nature education, wellbeing  and awareness of both local and urban populations and provides funds for both habitat protection, rural community support at the same time as aiding government revenues.  It’s what our founder calls ‘Tigernomics’.

Read TOFTigers latest reports on the value of nature tourism to wildlife and communities here.

NOW you can show the world you care