EAZA NEWS 48 - European Association of Zoos and Aquaria

Amur tiger © David Higgs
Twenty-four EAZA members
received one or more
award certificates for their
fundraising achievement.
EAZA Tiger Campaign
EAZA Tiger Campaign
The EAZA Tiger Campaign 2002/2004 officially closed on 23 September, during the EAZA
Annual Conference in Kolmarden. During the EAZA Conservation Campaign session
Sarah Christie provided some statistics on the campaign as well as updates on progress
of the selected in situ tiger conservation projects. This presentation was followed by a
fundraising award ceremony led by EAZA’s director Koen Brouwer. EAZA’s chairman
Bert de Boer handed out 24 fundraising awards to representatives of the award-winning
EAZA member institutions. Four members received a second platinum award: a truly
remarkable achievement! Furthermore, a fundraising top-10 was presented (see below)
followed by the announcement of the preliminary fundraising results of the EAZA Tiger
Campaign: an amazing € 663,853.61.
Fundraising top-10
The majority of the 132 EAZA members participating in
the EAZA Tiger Campaign 2002/2004 collected funds for
in situ tiger conservation.
10. Apeldoorn, Netherlands* € 17,500
9. Chester, UK € 21,000
8. Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands € 21,500
7. Blackpool, UK € 26,000
6. Leipzig, Germany € 27,500
5. Rotterdam, Netherlands € 28,500
4. Broxbourne, UK € 30,000
3. Dublin, Ireland € 32,000
2. Wien-Zoo, Austria € 37,000
1. Colchester, UK € 61,000
* Apenheul Primate Park made it in the top-10 of fundraisers,
despite the fact that this EAZA member does not hold tigers in its
animal collection.
Colchester Zoo received a special prize for their remarkable
achievement
Spending of funds
The funds raised are supporting vital tiger conservation
projects in Russia, Sumatra, India and Thailand.
Anti-poaching and other anti-wildlife crime efforts
in Sumatra and Russia have led to confiscations
of hundreds of rifles, longer prison sentences for
poachers and the first-ever conviction in Sumatra of
a highly placed official found with tiger parts, while
ranger training in Thailand will benefit tigers in many
parts of Southeast Asia. There are also ecological
studies using radio telemetry and camera traps
to provide essential information on tigers’ needs
in Russia and Indonesia, and in Russia we are
supporting the annual Tiger Day Festival. In India,
we are restoring important habitat by assisting
villagers to voluntarily relocate to better living
conditions outside protected areas, in Russia we
are stopping forest loss through a dedicated fire
prevention programme, and in Indonesia we are
finding ways to work with agribusinesses to minimise
their impact on wildlife.
The total budget provided by NGOs for tiger conservation
each year is in the region of US$5.5 million
(IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group Cat Conservation
Projects Database). The funds raised by the EAZA
Tiger Campaign over the last two years have therefore
increased the total available by about 7.5%
each year! This is a hugely significant contribution.
EAZA News 48 – 2004
11
October - November - December