Focus on Phoenix Fund

Phoenix Fund is working with the staff of five Protected Areas in the Russian Far East to ensure the effective protection of an estimated 103 Amur tigers (total estimation in RFE 540) and 113 Amur leopards and their habitat across the five SMART sites. Phoenix Fund also works with children and educators to highlight the importance of tigers and leopards in their landscape and to “nurture a respect and appreciation for nature”. The latest Phoenix Fund report suggests that “local people are deeply concerned about the fate of the Amur tiger population”.

See a summary of the 2019 report here:

• Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) is being used in five protected areas – Ussuriisky Nature Reserve, Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve, United direction of Land of the Leopard National Park and Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve, and Bikin National Park. This tool enables the collection of data from patrols and its analysis helps to inform and report on the conservation effort.
• An area of 18,642 km² was patrolled and SMART records show that
  • 23,002 km was patrolled on foot
  • 336,349 km was patrolled by motorized vehicles
  • 15,932 km was patrolled by snowmobile
  • 8,751 km was patrolled by quadbike
  • 32,878 km was patrolled by boat
• 174 violations were recorded (compared to 251 in the previous year). The majority were illegal entry into the Protected Area but nine were illegal hunting incidents resulting in five rifles were confiscated. 517,000 roubles (8,338 USD) in fines paid by violators.
• Over the year, 11 legal cases were file.
• Tiger Day Festivals were held in Primorye across 8 administrative districts and to which 16,000 people attended.
• An Art Contest for children to promote the conservation of Amur tigers and Amur leopards received 1,405 entries.
• The annual workshop for 36 educators and specialists was held in Land of the Leopard National Park.
• Environmental education classes reached 18,733 children in Slavyanka, Luchegorsk, Terney and Vladivostok and 968 lessons and nature-oriented events held including clean-ups and tree planting. Research showed an average level of schoolchildren’s awareness increased by 32.9% as measured by before and after questionnaire.
• 42 theatrical eco-performances showed

Read the full report here