While we enjoyed a platter of fine French-Belgian cold cuts, we learnt that the number of tigers in Cambodia had to double urgently.
Apparently, the WWF has cameras in the jungle to monitor the animals. In recent years, not a single tiger had passed by the lens. This downward trend had to be reversed. A noble goal in itself, of course, but I wouldn’t use the word “double” here. Simply because zero multiplied by two is still zero. But anyway, the action plan of “tigers times two” was launched.
While he was slicing off some more cheese, the Cambodian WWF Country Director revealed his strategy. Unlike lions, tigers hunt on their own. Just think about Shere Khan from “Jungle Book”, a lord and master of his hunting ground. Each animal would need a sufficient private territory. Otherwise, they might cross paths and eat each other, and that wouldn’t be very useful.
Deforestation is a deeply rooted problem in Cambodia and illegal loggers not so much unscrupulous bastards, but rather victims of a system
That’s why “ecological corridors” were required. These are connecting pieces between existing nature reserves. Moreover, those sanctuaries should remain untouched at all times. However, in reality, illegal logging and hunting are going on, often with the approval of the authorised forest rangers who take bribes to turn a blind eye. Welcome to a corrupt country.
Deforestation is a deeply rooted issue in Cambodia. I realised the magnitude of this problem when I wanted to catch illegal loggers in the act for a report. Unexpectedly, they were not unscrupulous bastards but rather victims of a system. They had been deceived by dubious microfinance institutions and had put up their houses as collateral for the loan. As the interest rates are exuberantly high, these people quickly get into trouble.
To make up for financial shortfalls, and thus keep the bailiff out, grubbing-up takes place on a large scale. I’ve seen piles of logs being dragged out of the forest with the “koo-yun”: a simple farm tractor that replaces the traditional pair of cows.
The booty is first smuggled across the border where it’s labelled “made in Vietnam”. It’s then shipped to Europe. Thanks to an interesting trade agreement with the EU, this tropical hardwood usually ends up as a barbecue table or a water-resistant garden bench in a furniture store near you. Welcome to a globalised world.
Animals aren’t safe either in a so-called protected area. The WWF brochure states that there is still a black market for, what they call, “tiger parts”.
That’s a very vague description, but it primarily refers to the penis. Many consider it a symbol of healing power and potential, especially in the Chinese culture. However, once again, the dirty work is being done for a handful of dollars by some poor wretches.
Let’s go back to the WWF master plan. Creating a habitat for the tiger is one thing, but they also need something to eat. That’s why prey animals, like buffalo, would be bred and released. Only then could the jungle king be flown in from India.
I was hoping the press would be invited to see how the cage doors of the cargo plane would be opened. Seeing the beast being released sounds like a magical moment to me.
There was yet another step in the action plan: organising tiger tourism. Not only to raise some money for the project but also to offer those poachers a new job and compensate them for their loss of income.
The vague description ‘tiger parts’ primarily refers to the penis. Many consider it a symbol of healing power and potential
The target date to deliver this was 2022, the year of the tiger according to the Chinese zodiac. That seemed far away back then, but here it is today. The sympathetic ambassador now has a senior status in New York because that’s what diplomats do: they constantly switch positions. The WWF country director is still on the job, but he doesn’t respond when I want to know whether his organisation achieved the goals of the ambitious plan.
I do get an answer from the WWF in Belgium which would co-finance the project. “The tiger in Cambodia,” it reads, “is put on hold by the local government”. Maybe they realised that the important income from logging would disappear. As a result, the environmental focus shifted to the elephant, another endangered Jungle Book character. It looks like these local tycoons wanted to save their own skin, in the first place.
I have another suggestion for the WWF’s tiger plan. 2023 is the year of the rabbit. So maybe they can pull something out of their hat at the last minute and refer to that Chinese calender after all. Although, you must agree, the symbolic value would lose much of its strength.
The report about illegal logging can be found here: Illegal logging in Cambodia