D-Brief Edition 27 - Endangered Species

D-Brief

Edition 27

Endangered Species

D-Brief Bangkok, 26 November 2012

Dear Partners, In this edition of D-Brief we bring to your attention a very pressing issue close to us, the awareness of endangered species. We zoom in on a few of the magnificent creatures found in Asia, who are under serious threat of potential extinction.

We look at the dwindling numbers of the Asian tiger and leopard in its natural habitat in the mountainous and jungle regions of Sri Lanka and India. Then we head north to China highlighting the plight of the gentle Giant Panda bear and end with the deep oceans and how shark populations are dramatically dropping due to an increasing demand for their fins and humans ignorance and fear for this complete master of the oceans.

Numbers of these animals are at breaking point and we need to do something fast to protect these endangered species moving onto the extinction list.

Sincerely,

Your Diethelm Travel Team

Endangered Species Indian Tigers

Giant Panda Bear

Undoubtedly the most aloof and timid of the cat family, tigers are not only beautiful creatures but also superior hunters in the wild. The shocking fact about tigers is that they are one of the earths fastest disappearing animals. Research indicates that at the turn of the century there were around 100,000 tigers living in the wild and those numbers have rapidly dwindled down to less than 2,500 today.

Ironically, the Panda Bear has no natural predators, yet the threat from human beings has left the Panda population on the brink of extinction with less than 1,600 pandas in the wild today, according to WWF. The Panda is very close to the heart of the WWF and has been their organization‟s logo since 1961, endorsing the seriousness of its protection.

Sri Lankan Leopard The Sri Lankan leopard is a breed of its own. Different to the Indian leopard in size, it has a rusty yellow coat with dark spots. This leopard is Sri Lanka‟s top predator, yet it‟s in serious danger of extinction, mostly due to humans encroaching on the leopard‟s natural environment.

Sharks These apex predators have been around for over 400 million years and play a vital role in the fragile balance of our oceans.

Fishing for sharks and man‟s insatiable appetite for shark meat and fins is posing a very real threat to the future of this delicate ecosystem. Sharks are being brutally slaughtered in their thousands each year to feed a growing and very lucrative market.

The mighty tiger Originally there were nine different species of tiger in the world and three of those species are extinct today. The six remaining tiger species are falling drastically in numbers and include: South China, Siberian, Malaysian, Indo-Chinese, Royal Bengal and Sumatran.

Tigers are the top predator in their habitat and no other animal poses a threat to their existence. Man on the other hand is the tigers main enemy and has played the single largest part in the tiger being top of the list of endangered species. Humans and tigers are constantly in a „battle‟ for space.

The main factors which are affecting population numbers are the loss of the tiger‟s natural habitat, isolation of tiger populations for breeding and the largest issue, the poaching of these magnificent cats.

It‟s reported that we have lost 97% of the world‟s wild tigers in the last century, which is shocking! As few as 3,200 wild tigers exist today.

Tigers are solitary and shy and the last thing they want is to have contact with human beings.

Tiger‟s forests are shrinking and with this, so is their food supply. Many tigers have been forced to prey on farmer‟s and village‟s livestock for food, creating great levels of tension between the tigers and local inhabitants. As a result, tigers are captured or killed.

The tiger is one of the world‟s most extraordinary animals, agile and highly intelligent, and tightly entwined in Indian culture, but time is running out to save this elegant creature.

Battling Poaching In Chinese medicine, itâ€&#x;s been believed for over 1000 years that powdered tiger bones and certain body parts have been used in relieving ailments such as back and joint pain, rheumatism, mussel pain and fertility.

In 1993, several Asian countries passed legislation banning the import and handling of any tiger bones, skins or body parts. This has of course helped slow down the speed of the decrease in numbers, but it has driven the sale of tigers underground.

There is an ever increasing and relentless black market trade with lists of customers willing to pay thousands of dollars for illegal tiger body parts.

Governments are fighting a never-ending battle against poaching as there are vast areas of land to patrol and funding shortages just render authorities powerless to really combat poaching.

Viewing tigers The Ranthambore National Park, located in Sawai Madhopur Rajasthan in India is approximately 130km from Jaipur. One of the largest parks in northern India, it was originally used by the nobility and the Maharajas of Jaipur for hunting. Home today to a large tiger population, Ranthambore is said to be one of the key locations in India to see wild tigers in their indigenous habitat. The tiger reserve area is around 1334km square and the terrain is dense dry tropical forest with open spaces and rocky outcrops, a perfect environment for the Indian Tiger.

Despite Ranthambore National Park being a wildlife sanctuary and protected by the Indian government, in recent years the tiger population in the park have been declining. Investigations have shown that poaching seems to be responsible.

In July 2012, The National Tiger Conservation Authority unveiled „refreshed‟ guidelines to protect tigers. Included: „no new tourism infrastructure

would be created and all permanent structures would be gradually removed from the core tiger habitat‟ Source: www.bbc.co.uk/would-asia-india

Conservation The ban came after many reports that commercial expansion was having a devastating effect on the local tiger population. There was an outcry from local communities as tourism is the financial lifeblood of so many people in India. Jobs would be lost, poaching would increase and poverty would increase. Subsequently, the Indian Supreme Court has lifted the ban on tourism in „core zones‟ of more than 40 government-operated wildlife parks, as of 16 October 2012. The government is confident with their decision to lift the ban as they believe tourism activity is only permitted in core areas for „regulated, low-impact tourism‟.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk/would-asia-india

Diethelm Travel India believe in sustainable and responsible tourism and are constantly in contact with local government and tour suppliers to ensure these regulations are being adhered to.

Please contact Diethelm Travel India for our various programmes including Ranthambore tiger tours or private wildlife lodge options as well as the best time of the year to travel.

‘Born Free’ There are a number of wildlife conservation organisations working hard in the name of the tiger: creating awareness, raising much needed funds, pushing better protections laws forward and reclaiming the forests tigers have been forced out of.

One such conservation project, called „Born Free‟ based in Satpuda central India, has established several initiatives under the banner „Save the wild tigers‟ in partnership with local authorities and NGO groups.

Their main objective is to „provide urgent and

ongoing targeted support for tiger conservation in a bid to eradicate the increasing threat of extinction that wild tigers face‟.

If we don't take action, in ten years its predicted the tiger will be extinct for ever.

Saving the tiger requires a long term commitment by the world and the communities they live near.

Source: www.savewildtigers.org

The Giant Panda Bear The soft and gentle panda bear is rarely found these days, especially in its native habitat, and is protected by law in China.

Pandas play an invaluable role in the balance of bamboo forests and without them growth and seed dispersal of these bamboo forests would be hugely impacted.

The problem is that the panda‟s natural habitat in the Yangtze Basin of China is also the country‟s economic heartland.

Through deforestation and the growing demand in China for infrastructure development, the panda population is being isolated and is preventing the opportunity for mating and growing the population numbers, as well as putting a strain on food supply.

The Chinese government has taken steps for the protection of pandas by creating „reserves‟; however, it‟s believed they only cover just over 60% of the panda population.

Studies predict that China‟s pandas could face extinction in the next two to three generations if the country does not find a balance between its insatiable lust for industrialisation and development and the protection of its natural environment.

Much of the panda population is living in bamboo „belts‟ no bigger than a few kilometres wide, leaving them incredibly vulnerable to the threat of humans. Due to this isolation, pandas, who are generally very selective when it comes to mating, are being forced to compromise and interbreeding is resulting in birth defects, as well as the weakening of healthy gene pools.

Another threat pandas face are hunters, who trek and kill the panda bear for its coat, which they sell and trade for a high price on the black market. This act just seems unimaginable, but is an increasing reality.

The hunted There have been many reports of illegal panda hunting, especially in the provinces of Sichuan and Chongqing, in south-western China. There are panda sanctuaries set up in both these provinces, but hunters find a way to enter the protected areas and kill these endangered animals.

Most villages in these areas have a average annual income of around USD 400, so when an opportunity presents itself to make additional earnings, itâ€&#x;s a very hard temptation to resist.

Itâ€&#x;s reported that a panda pelt can fetch in excess of USD 67,000, so one needs to understand that this amount of money would significantly improve the lives of people and their children.

In developing countries such as China, these are the harsh truths that are faced and only through education and eliminating the demand for such goods, can we truly eradicate the hunting threat pandas face.

Appetite for progression The panda bear first appeared 2 to 3 million years ago, predominantly in what is modern China today.

According to conservation studies, the pandas habitat in the 1950â€&#x;s was estimated at approximately 5.1 million hectares. Deforestation over the next few decades peaked and in the late 1990â€&#x;s, it was estimated that the pandas natural habitat had dramatically shrunk to less than 1.3 million hectares.

Today, with conservation efforts and government legislation its estimated that 2.3 million hectares of panda habitat are known to exist.

More than a population of 300,000 people are known to be living within very close range of panda habitat and of course, putting unprecedented levels or strain on the wild pandas. As Chinaâ€&#x;s population grows, the demand to feed and provide work for this new generation inevitably means that the wild panda numbers will continue to fall. What can be achieved is the improvement of healthy population growth in the dedicated sanctuaries to ensure the future of the giant panda.

Visiting the panda The WWF have various projects they run in the Yangtze region of China, both in terms of public education on wildlife and the role the panda bear plays in their environment, thus showing the local communities the financial benefits attached to preserving the panda for ecotourism.

By educating and motivating people to protect the panda, numbers will inevitably be on the rise. The secret to their survival is for the panda to be contributing economically to the local economies they live in, so that people will see them as an important part of their income and future. Once this is achieved, conservation and understanding of this gentle Chinese icon will be much easier for conservationists to achieve.

You can do your bit by travelling with us in China and by visiting one of the sanctuaries. By doing this, your ecotourism spend will directly benefit the lives of these giant pandas. Please contact us for details on how and where to visit the pandas with Diethelm Travel China.

Action to Protect Protecting Giant Pandas We work towards and advocate for: • Increasing the area of panda habitat under legal protection • Creating green corridors to link isolated pandas • Patrolling against poaching, illegal logging, and encroachment • Building local capacities for nature reserve management • Continued research and monitoring WWF has been helping with the Chinese government‟s National Conservation Program for the giant panda and its habitat. Thanks to this program, panda reserves now cover more than 3.8 million acres of forest.

Source: worldwildlife.org

Sri Lankan Leopard Leopards are notoriously solitary hunters, with the exception being when the female is rearing her cubs.

They are more nocturnal, feeling safer under the cover of darkness, and in the daytime the cats can be found high up resting in a tree or lying low under well covered bushes.

The Sri Lankan leopard is a subspecies native to Sri Lanka and has been known to wrestle a full grown adult buffalo for a potential meal. Larger in size than other leopard species, this cat is a fearless predatory hunter in the wild, with its main threat being men with firearms.

Poaching, forestry, mining, and human encroachment on the forests for farming all play an irreversible effect on the leopard population.

The Department of Wildlife and Conservation is doing a lot to combat poaching, but itâ€&#x;s big business and itâ€&#x;s not uncommon for wardens to be attacked or even shot by poachers, when trying to protect leopards.

Leopard bones seem now to be used as an alternative to tiger bones in traditional medicine, adding to the demand and poaching.

Gem mining is a very important contributor to Sri Lankaâ€&#x;s economy and with an abundance of natural recourses, mining is expanding and claiming precious hectares of land where leopards live.

Without a doubt, the years of civil war in Sri Lanka have hampered conservation efforts and the country has a lot of work to do to rapidly improve the situation.

Yala National Park The Yala National Park lies along the south-eastern coast of the county and has some of the highest densities of leopard recorded in the world. It‟s reported to be the top location for a leopard safari in Sri Lanka.

The park covers a region approximately 979 kilometres square and lies in the southern province of Uva, 300 kilometres outside of Colombo. Being one of the first two established conservation areas in Sri Lanka, set up in the 1900‟s, Yala has become a crucial part for the conservation of Sri Lanka‟s birdlife, elephants and of course its national treasure, the leopard. The park hosts a variety of ecosystems including semi-deciduous forest which is the perfect environment for the leopard.

February to July is said to be the optimum period to visit Yala, when the water levees are at their lowest and the drinking supply is more concentrated. Game gravitate to these waterholes and it‟s the perfect opportunity for the leopard to hunt. Morning game drives are suggested for leopard spotting as they are more active at night, so as the sun rises, you have the best chance of catching a glimpse of the beautiful hunters.

The need to do more Note that the Yala National Park closes its gates during the months of September and October due to the mating season. November and December are very busy tourist months and need to be booked well in advance, but you have a chance of seeing the nearly born leopard cubs so itâ€&#x;s worth the advance planning.

Sri Lanka is aware of its unique wildlife and heritage, which is closely linked to nature, and of course its two iconic animals, the elephant and the leopard. But post war Sri Lanka has so many issues to deal with that conservation does not always appear on the top of this agenda.

The Wilderness and Wildlife Conservation Trust of Sri Lankan has a leopard project with a number of agendas but the key focus is working with local communities who were affected by the civil war on education of conservation, reclaiming forest so leopards can move more freely for food sources and widening the breeding territory.

The Trust also helps with the relocation of leopards who have been spotted near villages to government protection reserves and maximising recourses to minimise poaching, which is the single greatest threat to leopards today.

Trying to protect The Leopard Projectâ€&#x;s Anti-Poaching initiative has for the last four and a half years been trying to ascertain exactly how big the issue of poaching in Sri Lanka is. Their research shows that the numbers are large and the most worrying fact is the statistics are based on poaching and raids conducted in and around the protected national parks, which is only a small proportion of the entire country where the leopard inhabits. The actual number of leopards being lost each year to poachers is unknown.

The Sri Lankan Government understands that underlying socio-economic problems have provided an environment for poaching and the cycle needs to be broken. The organisation is working to create awareness, conduct research and provide advise and recommendations for more effective conservation action and most importantly, undertaking training and development of wilderness and wildlife staff to better equip them for handling poaching and the threats posed to the indigenous wildlife of Sri Lanka.

These are proactive measures, so there just needs to be more projects and funding made available.

Catch a glimpse There are a number of operators in Sri Lanka specialising in leopard sighting experiences. We highlight one such company, Leopard Safaris, an award winning safari operator specialising in responsible ecotourism. Inspired by southern Africa's private safari industry, Leopard Safaris uses African luxury style tents complete with all the creature comforts one needs for an overnight stay in the bush.

The rangers and staff are experts within their fields and share their vast knowledge and experience with guests. They are not just a safari operator, but conservationists in their own right, through the Conservation Trustâ€&#x;s Leopard Project.

When staying with Leopard Safaris, booked through Diethelm Travel Sri Lanka, a percentage of your safari cost, as well as all the money generated from selling Leopard Safari branded items such as Tshirts, postcards and other gift ideas, is used in raising awareness of the plight of the Sri Lankan leopard, as well and funding invaluable research to preserve these beautiful cats.

Sharks There are astonishing facts that come to light when one begins to read about the daily struggle of the mighty shark in our oceans. Itâ€&#x;s believed that the great white, hammerhead and over a third of deep-sea shark species face extinction as the insatiable demand for their meat and fins rapidly grows.

Not only are sharks intentionally being fished, but they are increasingly being found tangled in fishing nets meant for the multi-million dollar tuna fish industry.

They meet a very slow and senseless death.

Despite popular belief, sharks are incredibly vulnerable to over-fishing due to the fact that they have few young and they develop slowly, thus not allowing numbers to recover from fishing and the demand, especially in Asia, for their fins.

Governments and authorities are trying to halt the extinction of these complex marine creatures, but many sharks are unfortunately caught in international waters, where individual governments have no legislative power, thus driving more and more fishing into deep ocean waters where they can get away with it.

Various studies show that shark populations are facing a real threat of collapsing in coming decades, along with commercial fishing of salmon, mackerel and tuna, if protection and policing of legislation does not dramatically improve.

According to University of Hong Kong studies, over 73 million sharks are traded each year and itâ€&#x;s predicted that some species have less than a decade before extinction. One would agree these are shocking statistics to comprehend.

The plight of the shark Hong Kong is regarded as the hub for fin trading and more than 70% of all shark fins pass through Hong Kong enroute to other Asian countries, especially mainland China.

There are a number of „awarenessâ€&#x; bodies set up to provide education on the impact fishing sharks is having on our oceans. The Shark Foundation, based in Hong Kong, is the leading project with its main aim to educate Hong Kong residents and businesses about the catastrophic effects shark endangerment has on the oceanâ€&#x;s ecosystem. The organization has created much awareness through many advertising campaigns and lobbying for government and businesses to ban shark fin soup.

Things are finally starting to move in the right direction, albet slowly.

A survey conducted in April 2011 in Hong Kong found that 78% of Hong Kong residents were in favour of removing sharp fin from wedding menus and 85% were in support for the total ban in shark fin. These are encouraging statistics from Hong Kong, but much more is needed around the Asian region.

Education is key Itâ€&#x;s encouraging to see that awareness and pressure from Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Foundation and other conservation bodies that governments and businesses around the Asian sub-continent are banning the sale of shark on their menus, as well as banning shark fishing in their waters.

One example is the Maldives, which banned shark fishing in their waters from March 2010, and which has had a very positive effect on the Indian Ocean around the Maldivian archipelagos. Many shark sanctuaries have also been identified and are now protected.

Hotel groups such as the Fairmont Group, Shangri La, Hong Kong Disneyland and the Peninsula Group have pledged not to include sharp fin soup on their menus. This sends a very positive message in the education of shark fin consumption.

Shark fins are not a cultural issue but simply a biological limit we cannot ignore any longer.

Stop shark fining!

Studies predict that annually over ten million blue sharks are caught and killed for the rapidly growing shark fin demand for delicacies in the East.

According to the Shark Alliance Group, some populations of hammerhead shark have declined as much as 99 percent in many key fishing regions.

The main reason for the sharp decrease in numbers of hammerhead sharks is due to their fins being exceptionally high value in fishing markets so they fall victim to „shark fining‟.

This is the term referring to the horrific ordeal a shark would go through where the fisherman simply cuts off the shark‟s fin and discards the body of the fish mostly when they are still alive. They are left floating in the ocean in excruciating pain and eventually drown.

StopSharkfinning.net is a campaign launched to bring about a worldwide ban on „fining‟. This ultimately means, any sharks caught have to be brought back to land fully intact, thus limiting the numbers of sharks per fishing trip. It‟s a step in the right direction to reduce the amount of kills per year. To involved, visit www.stopsharkfinning.net

The Fins Across Asia, it is thought that eating shark fin soup will improve your vitality as well as being seen as a status symbol. It‟s revered as the ultimate dish to order when impressing friends or business partners at a restaurant or including the dish as a highlight for a wedding reception menu.

A bowl of shark fin soup can cost up to USD 100 in top Asian restaurants, making this ingredient a prime target for fisherman. It‟s a huge temptation with the going price of a shark fin wholesaling at around USD 700 per fin and fisherman see sharks as an easy opportunity to make huge sums of money.

As populations grow rapidly in Asia as well as economies and people‟s standards of living, so does the demand for these highly illustrious products.

Governments need to collaborate more and start to clamp down harder in the name of slowing down the real threat sharks face in extinction. You can do your bit too by not supporting the industry by eating any products which come from shark. When travelling around Asia, be aware of what you are eating and take the time when ordering to find out exactly what ingredients are included. Please do your bit!

Wing Bean Salad (yum tua pu) This is a central Thai dish featuring “wing beans” which are blanched and tossed with coconut milk, roasted chili paste, toasted coconut, tamarind, palm sugar and peanuts. If you can‟t get wing beans where you are, they can be substituted with green beans or snap peas.

Direction 1. Slice the fresh coconut meat into match-stick size strips, about 1″ (2cm) long. Remove the skin of the shallots and slice thinly.

2. Roast the coconut on medium heat in a dry pan until light brown.

Keep stirring so it doesn‟t burn. Set aside on a flat plate to cool.

Ingredients

3. If your peanuts are not already roasted, dry roast them now like

•

2 cups wing beans

•

2 eggs

•

1/4 cup toasted coconut *see note

•

2 teaspoons roasted peanuts

heat until golden brown. Be careful not to burn. Remove before

•

3/4 cup coconut milk *see note

dark brown as they will continue to cook for a minute or two once

•

1 tablespoon lime juice

•

2 tablespoons roasted chili paste

5. Fry the chilies in the oil until browned.

•

2 tablespoons tamarind paste (about 2 teaspoons

6. Boil the eggs in water until hard-boiled, about 10 minutes. Replace

you did the coconut. Crush the peanuts with a stone mortar & pestle or the side of a heavy knife.

4. Fry the shallots in enough vegetable oil to cover them on medium

removed from the pan.

tamarind pulp + 2 tablespoons hot water)

the hot water with fresh cold water to stop the cooking. Peel and

•

1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce

slice however you wish (halved, quartered, or sliced thin like

•

1 teaspoon palm sugar

shown).

•

vegetable oil for frying the shallots

•

3-4 small dried chilies

•

2-3 medium sized shrimp

•

2 tablespoons shallots (1 tablespoon if you use pre-fried

less than a minute — just enough time to turn a darker green. You

shallots)

want them to still be crisp & crunchy. Rinse in cold water and slice

7. Clean the shrimp by peeling off the heads and legs, and removing the “vein” (intestine), but leave the tail on.

8. Trim off the ends of the wing beans and boil whole in salt water for

into 1/4″ pieces (as shown).

Note

9. Heat the coconut milk in a pan until boiling. Add the shrimp and

There are a few variations on this dish which include adding small

cook until pink. Turn off heat and add the palm sugar, tamarind

pieces of boiled chicken or pork along with the shrimp.

paste, roasted chili paste, lime juice, fish sauce, peanuts and

If you cannot get fresh coconut where you are, it‟s better to just leave it out.

Recipe source: http://www.realthairecipes.com

coconut. Mix well.

10.Add the wing beans and mix. Remove to a plate and arrange the eggs along side. Garnish with the fried shallots and chilies.

Recipe

Coming Up: Yi Peng Festival (27-29 November 2012) The activities include a procession and Yi Peng Khom Contest as well as various Krathong designing contests. Lanterns will be displayed and decorated around the temples and houses. Arches will also be set up.

Various events will take place: Lanna cultural performances, a light and sound show, boat racing on the Ping River and the floating of Krathongs.

Keep in Touch, Be Informed!

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