The Burmese government has given the go-ahead for the
creation of the world’s largest tiger reserve. The reserve
is planned to add to the existing Hukawng Valley reserve
making the area some 30,000 sq km, which is about the same
size as Belgium.

The news has pleased conservationists who were alarmed
when a 2003 survey revealed only 150 to 200 tigers left.
Conservationists say that work must be done to train
rangers and stamp out the lucrative trade in tiger body
parts and new avenues of income will have to be found for
local people so they do not succumb to the temptation to
profit from the growing regional demand for tiger products.
At $200 per kilo, the profits from even a small tiger could
be equivalent to 10 years of income for many in this
area.

Tiger skins, heads and claws are often prized as
trophies, while bones and internal organs are used in Asian
medicines. China is the largest market for the trade.

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