On a recent trip to India, I came across some shocking statistics that show what happens when wildlife and humans compete, and in this case, decimate the country’s rapidly declining tiger and leopard populations.  Consider this data on illegal poaching from 1994 through 2006.

The sad but true fact behind these numbers is that most of the illegal poaching is occurring in protected wildlife reserves.  A Tiger Task Force looked into these unacceptable trends and concluded, “The protection system had completely collapsed.  While officials were busy misreporting a record tiger number, poachers roamed about and cleaned out the reserve.”  

The report goes on to ask:  What can be done to improve protection?  “The usual answer is more guns, more guards and more money.  This approach however, solves nothing.”  Why?  Simply because, “the protection of the tiger is inseparable from the protection of the forests it roams in.  But the protection of these forests is itself inseparable from the fortunes of people who inhabit these forest areas”.  In other words, when humans and wildlife compete, we all lose. By contrast, when humans connect with wildlife and their habitat, we can make meaningful progress through responsible conservation practices. 

Our mission at the Philadelphia Zoo is to be at the leading edge of sound and effective local, regional, and global conservation practices combined with impactful educational programs. Our role is that of catalyst, leading by example, so we can all become more responsible and effective stewards of our planet. In this regard, I was so moved by the following passage on a blog maintained by one of our members:

We often go the Philadelphia Zoo as we have maintained our yearly membership since my daughter was born.  I love taking her to the zoo and watching her face as she observes all those magnificent animals, most of which she has no clue how lucky she is to see in person. I think there is a great advantage to zoos in that they educate the general public about exotic and domestic animals.  They infect visitors with an admiration and respect for all animal life.  They also are a wealth of information about the many plights and dangers facing animals all over the world, triggering a desire to help and care about them in a way that probably would have been overlooked or ignored.  In addition, if it weren’t for the efforts of major zoos across the world, I am convinced that many near extinct species would be long gone and reduced to a blurb in our history books.

I would like to hear your thoughts as we continue the CONSERVATION CONVERSATION. Please email me at dewan.vik@phillyzoo.org, and thanks for listening.