Help End the Tiger Trade

Build a Tiger Online - Web Campaign Seeks Photos to Stop the Tiger Trade

Gland, Switzerland - Thirty conservation groups, including WWF, the global conservation organisation, have launched a worldwide campaign to collect supporters’ pictures online to create the world’s largest photo mosaic of a tiger.

The mosaic, built with thousands of photos from tiger supporters submitted around the globe, will be unveiled to world leaders in June as they gather to discuss wildlife trade.

Malaysians can also take part in the campaign by uploading their photos in the mosaic. Log on to www.wwf.org.my for more information.

Visitors to the mosaic can zoom in on the larger tiger picture and find images submitted of themselves, family and friends.

The mosaic campaign launches as China considers lifting its ban on trade in tiger bones and other body parts, a move that would be disastrous for wild tigers - since an increase in poaching would likely follow.

Supporters will also have the opportunity to send a note to China’s leaders applauding them for their effective 1993 ban on tiger trade and urging them to maintain it.

“Your photos and actions could help save tigers,” said Susan Lieberman, Director of WWF’s Global Species Programme. “The Chinese government is being pressured to lift the ban and be able to sell tiger bone wine, tiger meat and skins. This would make it open season on the fewer than 5,000 tigers left in the wild, with criminals seeing the Chinese market as an easy way to ‘launder’ tigers poached from the wild.”

These messages of appreciation will be hand delivered to officials in China. The mosaic itself will be presented to representatives from 171 countries at the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) meeting in June.

Dr. Dionysius Sharma, Executive Director/CEO for WWF-Malaysia stated that this campaign is not just a symbolic act; it is a personal contribution to help save the endangered cats. There are estimated to be about 500 endangered Malayan tigers (Panthera tigris jacksoni) surviving in the forests of Peninsular Malaysia.

Poaching, habitat loss and conflict with humans are the main threats to the survival of these big cats. For more information on WWF-Malaysia’s tiger conservation programme, please visit www.wwf.org.my

For further information, please contact:
Sara Sukor, Communications Officer, Tiger Conservation Programme, WWF-Malaysia
Tel: 03-7803 3772 ext 6421
Email: ssara@wwf.org.my