Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will address on Tuesday the International Tiger Conservation Forum hosted by the northwestern Russian city of St. Petersburg, the government press service said.
The press service said the four-day forum is the first meeting of heads of governments dedicated to efforts to save the global tiger population.
James Leape, the director general of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), said at the forum Monday that the WWF plans to spend $85 million in the next five years on programs aimed at restoring the tiger population.
According to the WWF, there are about 3,200 tigers left worldwide.
A century ago there were some 100,000 wild tigers across Asia and the Russian Far East. The wild cats have been steadily pushed to the verge of extinction by poaching, illegal trade, and habitat loss.
Leape told the forum that opened Sunday and will last until Wednesday that $6 million has been allocated this year to events in the 13 countries that still have tigers, and added that another $3.5 mln has been reserved in case urgent measures need to be taken.
He cited an example of cooperation between his fund and the Indonesian authorities, saying that if a tiger steals cattle in Sumatra, local residents quickly receive compensation from the government.
The "tiger forum" is discussing a plan to double the animal's population in 12 years, which will require up to $350 million from the international community.
Keshav Varma, the director of the World Bank's Global Tiger Initiative (GTI), called on the international community on Monday to donate more money to save the tigers.
MOSCOW, November 22 (RIA Novosti)
