Conservationists Plan Genetic Tiger Corridor Across Asia

The proposed corridor, first announced at the United Nations on January 30, would span eight countries and represent the largest block of tiger habitat left on Earth.

The corridor is a project of Tigers Forever, a collaboration between Wildlife Conservation Society and the Panthera Foundation.

"Genetic corridors, where tigers can travel with less risk of inbreeding, are crucial for their long-term survival in Asia," said Dr. Alan Rabinowitz, director of science and exploration programs at the Wildlife Conservation Society and co-director of Tigers Forever.

The proposed corridor includes extensive areas of Bhutan, northeast India, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia, along with potential connectivity to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Tiger in Myanmar (Cover of Myanmar's National Tiger Action Plan courtesy Govt. of Myanmar)

Organizers say it has been endorsed by the new King of Bhutan, his Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, who requested other heads of state to support similar tiger conservation efforts.

At the UN meeting, 12 out of 13 tiger range states were represented by ambassadors and delegates.

Many tiger conservation organizations were there - the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Save the Tiger Fund, Conservation International, Rare Conservation, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Actress Glenn Close was in attendance and spoke at the event.

The meeting, hosted by UN Under-Secretary General Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed of the United States, was opened with a welcoming statement by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. It marks the first time government, business, and conservationists have come together at the United Nations for the sake of conserving a single species.

Rabinowitz says he "made a clear request at the recent UN meeting that he and other tiger conservationists would be seeking additional approval and assistance from other heads of state."

Corridors do not have to be pristine parkland, he said, but could include agricultural areas, ranches, and other multi-use landscapes - just as long as tigers could use them to travel between wilderness areas.

"We're not asking countries to set aside new parks to make this corridor a success," Rabinowitz said. "This is more about changing regional zoning in tiger range states to allow tigers to move more freely between areas of good habitat."

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