Tiger conservation groups praise Hukaung expansion
August 9 - 15, 2010
ALMOST the entire Hukaung Valley region in Kachin State has been declared a protected tiger reserve, two environmental organisations said last week.
Panthera and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) said in a statement on August 3 that the government had formally expanded the protected area of the Hukaung Valley Tiger Reserve to 6748 square miles, making it the largest reserve of its kind in the world.
The “highly unprecedented” announcement means about 80 percent of the reserve is now officially protected. The groups said the decision marked “a major step forward” in saving the tiger, which is one of the most endangered species on the planet with less than 3000 left in the wild.
“The designation extends the protected area an additional 4248 square miles, and is the result of many years of hard work engaging local ethnic groups, recent settlers, and local businesses,” the groups said in a statement. “The resulting wildlife sanctuary stretches 6748 miles and makes up the core of the Hukaung Valley Tiger Reserve.”
Dr Alan Rabinowitz, president and CEO of New York-based wild cat conservation group Panthera, said he was thrilled by the decision.
“The declaration of the [extended] reserve is the high point of my career in conservation. The Hukaung Valley is one of the wildest, most beautiful areas left in the region and could be one of the most important areas for tigers in the future,” he told The Myanmar Times by email last week.
In 1999, Dr Rabinowitz led the first biological expedition to the area and was instrumental in getting the initial 2500 square miles designated a wildlife sanctuary in 2004.
“I have dreamt of this day for many years,” Dr Rabinowitz said in the statement. “The strides we made in 2004 were groundbreaking, but protecting this entire valley to ensure tigers are able to live and roam freely is a game changer. This reserve is one of the most important stretches of tiger habitat in the world, and I am thrilled that the people and government of Myanmar understand the importance of preserving it.”
He said the conservation of the Hukaung Valley could not only save tigers in Myanmar from extinction but also benefit the local community.
“The people of Myanmar want healthy forests and wildlife for future generations. Hukaung helps guarantee this. Also, local communities will now be better off,” he said.
However he cautioned that many issues still needed to be resolved in the region.
“Gold mining and hunting are two of our worst problems in [the Hukaung Valley].” The statement said the designation was enacted after Prime Minister U Thein Sein gathered 17 other cabinet ministers and visited the Hukaung Valley earlier this year to assess its conservation needs and understand the importance of the region for tigers.
WCS’s Asia program director Mr Colin Poole said by email the decision was important not only for the future of tigers but many other threatened and endangered species in Southeast Asia, such as elephants, vultures and the white-bellied heron.
He said there are for instance less than 200 white-bellied herons left in the world, with the largest number remaining in the Hukaung Valley.
“As with all wildlife and protected areas in Southeast Asia the threats from expanding human populations and development are great, but this commitment from the Myanmar government to the long-term conservation of the natural resources of the Hukaung gives me real hope,” he said.
The statement said as recently as 100 years ago, up to 100,000 tigers roamed the forests and grasslands of Asia but less than 3000 tigers survive in the wild and as few as 50 in the Hukaung Valley.
Mr Colin Poole said that the Hukaung Valley harbours one of the last remaining tiger populations in the country and by legally protecting such a large area the Myanmar government has made an important first step in securing the future of tigers here.
He also said that the conservation of the forests of Myanmar was critical for the long-term wellbeing of the country and its people.
“Not only do they assist in the mitigation of potential threats from climate change, but the forests of Kachin State are the critical watersheds for both the Chindwin and Ayerwaddy rivers, which provide the majority of the water for the central agricultural and urban areas of the country,” he said.
Dr Rabinowitz said Panthera and the Wildlife Conservation Society would continue to provide funds and expertise to help protect Hukaung Valley but called on the international community to assist them in their efforts.
