Auckland Zoo funds tiger conservation

Auckland Zoo funds wild tiger conservation for the 15th year!

We’re delighted to announce that Auckland Zoo has continued their support of wild tiger conservation with a donation of NZ$20,000. They have been supporting wild tiger conservation since 2006 and have donated over £100,000 to date.

The Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund is a critical source of funding for the ground-breaking work of the Lingkar Institute in Sumatra who use innovative methods to reduce tiger poaching. Find out more below.

The Lingkar Institute Project – Strengthening the Consensus for Protection of Sumatran Tiger in Bengkulu Area of Kerinci Seblat National Park, Sumatra

The Lebong district of Bengkulu in Sumatra is an area of particular concern. It is bordered on three sides by national park forests however the Tiger Protection and Conservation Units (TPCUs) do not have the capacity to address and reduce the threat to tigers in the Lebong district.

• In 2014 a ground-breaking religious ruling was issued nationally forbidding the hunting of endangered animals under Islam. Hunting of tigers is now illegal under Indonesian national law and prohibited by the Indonesian Council of Islamic Scholars. Lingkar is amplifying this ruling by mobilising religious leaders and schools to strengthen tiger protection by engaging with communities.
• Lingkar also organises Rapid Response patrols. Comprised of park rangers and government officers, these patrols improve information networks on the active threat to tigers.
• The unique nature of this project expands into 2022 with the ‘guardianship’ programme which supports poachers released from prison. This aims to secure long-term change in the behaviour of career criminals in a country where there is no ‘parole’ system, post-release supervision or ‘care in the community’ scheme for ex-offenders. This programme also now includes special counselling to encourage a change in behaviour.