The World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) focuses its conservation efforts in the four main regions housing the largest concentration of tigers. These are the Amur-Heilong in Siberia, Sumatra, the eastern Himalayas, and the Mekong Forests of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Siberia: the Amur-Heilong

By the mid 20th century, Amur, or Siberian, tigers were reduced in number to a mere 40 in the wild. Since that time, WWF has teamed up with the Russian government, local villagers, and other wildlife conservation organisations to bring the population back to 400. These numbers have remained stable for the last ten years.

Today, WWF heads up an educational initiative aimed at bringing knowledge of the Amur tiger’s plight to schools in the area around the temperate forests the animals prefer. They have been successful in convincing the Russian government of the need to designate three national parks and preserves where the Siberian tigers can roam freely with future plans to connect all habitats. WWF also supports efforts to stop poaching.

Indonesia: Sumatra

The Sumatran tiger is quickly running out of environment suitable for its habitat. With the encouragement of WWF, the Indonesian government has set aside the Tesso Nilo rainforest as a protected area.

Overall, lowland tropical rainforests are quickly disappearing in Sumatra and taking a large portion of the Sumatran tiger with them. Commercial logging and farming concerns are the main culprits.

In addition, WWF instituted patrols in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park and erected guard posts in an effort to cut down on poaching.

Himalayas

Bengal tigers make their home in the eastern Himalaya Mountains, along the border of Nepal and India. WWF was instrumental in establishing protected areas and ecological corridors to connect them.

Additional initiatives include restoration of remaining habitat, elimination of illegal trade and poaching, and reduction of human-animal conflict that often results in the death of Bengal tigers.

Mekong

The Mekong Forest is home to Indochinese tigers. WWF identified the key areas of the tiger’s habitat and established protected corridors. Their efforts also include establishing the area as an ecotourism destination.

Continual monitoring, forest resource and land management and increased law enforcement are all parts of the initiative to preserve the remaining population of Indochinese tigers in the Mekong.

The WWF is instrumental in preserving tiger populations around the world. All of the world’s tiger species are considered threatened or endangered and their efforts are of vital importance in ensuring that the remaining tigers survive.