An international meeting of the Global Tiger Forum being held in Kathmandu Tuesday called for setting up a new secretariat to contain the rampant poaching and trafficking of the highly endangered big cats across the South Asian countries.
This is the first time that a conference has been organized for the protection of the tiger.
"Although the countries in the South East Asia already agreed to control the wildlife, we have committed to support financially and technically," said Mahendra Shrestha, program director,Save the Tiger Fund.
The World Bank has also pledged a financial assistance of 200, 000 U.S. dollars for the same
purpose. Moreover, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service have also shown interest to
support the project.
Nepal is taken as the hub for the wildlife trafficking as well as one of the best habitats for the tigers.
"We're ready to help if the tiger range countries commit to move ahead to this effect," said Keshav Varma, program director, Global Tiger Initiative, World Bank.
Nepal has expressed its interest to set up the secretariat here.
Nepali Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Dipak Bohora said that the government was ready to play a key role in establishing the regional anti-poaching secretariat here.
It is estimated that more than 30 million dollars are invested for conserving the big cats
globally per year but its population is dwindling.
The workshop is attended by more than 200 participants, including policy-makers, scientists
and conservationists from various countries, with a theme of "Saving tigers is our test; if we
pass, we get to keep the planet."
Earlier, a meeting of the forum, which was held on Monday, had decided to observe 2010 as
the year of the tiger.
Fourteen countries with a tiger population as well as 20 other countries and conservers participated in the four-day conference.