Tiger Summit Approves Plan To Double Populations of Endangered Cat

Leaders from 13 nations where tigers are still found in the wild agreed on a conservation plan they hope will double populations of the endangered cat by 2022. The leaders, meeting in Russia for the International Tiger Conservation Forum, pledged to support a wide-ranging plan that includes restoration of habitat, stricter enforcement of poaching, and incentives for local communities to protect the animals. The leaders also promised to raise millions of dollars from other governments and private organizations to support the efforts; Germany alone pledged to allocate $30 million to tiger restoration efforts. “We have put the tiger on the agenda of the international community,” Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said afterward. In the last century, wild tiger populations have plummeted from 100,000 to 3,500, and experts predict the animal will go extinct by 2022 if strong measures are not taken.