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The Tigers Forever Protocol: a roadmap for saving tigers

Technical Report · January 2013

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THE TIGERS FOREVER
PROTOCOL
A ROADMAP FOR TIGER CONSERVATION SUCCESS
 THE
TIGERS FOREVER
PROTOCOL:
A ROADMAP FOR TIGER CONSERVATION SUCCESS

Compiled by Drs. John Goodrich, Joseph Smith, and Alan Rabinowitz

January 2013

Panthera
8 West 40th Street, 18th floor
New York, NY 10018
Tel: 646-786-0400
Fax: 646-786-0401

info@panthera.org
www.tigersforever.org
www.panthera.org

COVER: © STEVE WINTER/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5

INTRODUCTION 7

THE TIGERS FOREVER PROTOCOL 9

Site-Based Activities 11

Tiger and Prey Monitoring 16

Landscape-Based Activities 17

Panthera’s Commitment to Sites 18

A Quick Guide to the Tigers Forever Protocol: Steps and Actions 19

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 24

SOURCES AND SUGGESTED READING 25

© STEVE WINTER/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Despite extensive conservation efforts over the past several decades, tiger pop-
ulations are in steep decline, primarily from poaching. Tigers Forever secures
and recovers core populations of tigers embedded in larger tiger-suitable land-
scapes. Here, we describe the protocol for doing this.

We carefully select core areas within the most important
tiger landscapes, and tailor interventions to eliminate criti-
cal direct threats, including supporting law enforcement
to eradicate poaching. We provide best practices, capacity
building, and technology, while carefully monitoring activi-
ties and tiger numbers to measure outcomes and demonstrate
success. We regularly review and adapt our initiatives to the
dynamics of each site. Through proper implementation of
the Tigers Forever Protocol, we can save tigers in the wild.

© STEVE WINTER/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 5

Map showing the current extent of tiger habitat and the tiger’s historic range.
INTRODUCTION
Tigers are the most critically endangered big cat species. They receive more
attention and funding towards their conservation than any other cat species,
yet numbers continue to decline. There are now fewer than 3,200 tigers in the
wild, occupying less than 7% of their historical range.

© NICK GARBUTT 7

Despite extensive habitat loss in the most densely populat-
ed regions of the world, there are still over a million square
kilometers of potential tiger habitat left, but the majority of
habitat is vacant due to the killing of tigers and their prey.
These vast areas of unoccupied habitat are perhaps the great-
est indicator of the magnitude of the poaching problem and
the failure of government and conservation organizations to
stop it. Virtually every tiger conservation practitioner agrees
that poaching is the most immediate and critical problem
faced by tigers, whose black-market value is higher than any
other cat species. Just as the problem is blatantly clear, so is
the solution: we must stop poaching of tigers and prey. It is
also obvious that given limited resources, we cannot elimi-
nate poaching in hundreds of thousands of square kilometers
of dense, forested habitat where poachers have a clear advan-
tage. Thus, protection of tigers and their prey must focus on
well-chosen core populations in areas small enough to pro-
tect, but large enough to encompass demographically viable
populations. Given the clear problem and solution, and the
tremendous resources directed at tiger conservation in recent
decades, why are most tiger conservation efforts failing?
More organizations claim to be saving tigers than any other
cat, yet most efforts are too diffuse, unfocused, insufficient or
incomplete to effectively protect tigers.
Tigers Forever is a program designed to secure and
recover core populations of tigers embedded in larger, tiger-
suitable landscapes. This document summarizes the Tigers
Forever Protocol for doing this. While the interventions
and activities used may vary from site to site, the core of
the protocol includes inviolate core areas devoid of human
disturbance, zero tolerance of poaching of tigers and prey,
and monitoring of tigers, prey, and of interventions to
evaluate and improve the program (Figure 1). While some
of the actions listed in the Tigers Forever Protocol (TFP)
are already being carried out by NGO’s and government
agencies, it is the proper use and rigor of the methodology,
the entirety of the protocol, and long-term commitment
to each site that make it an effective tool to increase tiger
numbers. Also key to success is sufficient long-term fund-
ing and strong government commitment.
8
INTRODUCTION
Panthera’s strategy is based on implementing the TFP at
key tiger sites embedded within important tiger landscapes.
Tigers Forever developed in 2006 as a partnership between
Panthera and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS),
with a commitment to recover tiger populations at key sites
by 50% over 10 years. Evaluating progress in annual reviews
was (and still is) an integral part of the Tigers Forever ap-
proach and, with the consensus of tiger biologists, led to the
development and refinement of the Tigers Forever Protocol
presented here. Panthera has now expanded the program by
developing new partnerships with other non-government
and government organizations throughout tiger range. As
we move forward, it is our intention to focus on sites where
we can have the greatest impact and where there exists the
best chance of connectivity throughout the tiger’s range. The
primary goal of Tigers Forever is to recover and protect tiger
populations at source sites and maintain these populations as
source populations (reproduction is greater than mortality),
providing a surplus of tigers to the surrounding landscape.
The ultimate goal of this approach is the recovery of larger
populations across entire landscapes.
There are good examples of success using the principles in
the protocol. After decades of effort, tiger populations were
recovered in Nagarhole and Bandipur Tiger Reserves in
India. This is arguably the most successful instance of tiger
recovery and conservation, and helped formulate the basis
for Tigers Forever. Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary
in Thailand, formerly a site of intense poaching pressures
and tiger loss, has been using the Tigers Forever model since
2006. The tiger population there is now stable or possibly
increasing while tigers have all but disappeared from the
rest of Indochina. Both of these sites have strong, long-term
government and NGO commitment.
Despite great damage inflicted upon tiger populations, we
are committed to the premise that tigers can be saved in the
wild. The effectiveness of our efforts for the species across its
range, however, will depend upon scale, long-term (at least
10 years) site-based control and commitment, on-going fi-
nancial commitments, and, most importantly, a commitment
to proper methodology as put forth in the TFP.
 A QUICK GUIDE TO THE TIGERS FOREVER PROTOCOL: Steps & Actions

THE TIGERS FOREVER PROTOCOL

The following protocol is a generalized list of the most important steps that
need to be taken for successful tiger conservation. While we highlight the
most important threats and interventions, it is not a complete list. Nor is it a
detailed methodology for carrying out interventions on the ground. We have
avoided citing literature, but listed important references at the end.

© STEVE WINTER/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 9

 THE TIGERS FOREVER PROTOCOL

SITE SELECTION

TIGER POPULATION
ESTIMATE

CONSERVATION PLAN
threats assessment,
objectives,
interventions,
monitoring plan,
mobilize personnel
and resources

ANALYZE, IMPLEMENT
EVALUATE, ADAPT law enforcement
disseminate information and
other interventions

MONITOR
interventions,
tigers and prey

FIGURE 1. The basic steps of the Tigers Forever Protocol (TFP) to meet the goal of recovering and pro-
tecting tigers at a site.
10

SITE-BASED (FIRST PRIORITY)
Site-based actions are the highest priority. We have listed
the steps below in terms of conservation priority and in the
order in which they will normally occur. However, both prior-
ity and timing may vary from site to site, depending on exist-
ing conservation interventions, funding, status of tigers on the
site, protected area status, socio-political scenarios, presence of
committed organisations and individuals, etc. Often, these ac-
tions will begin concurrently.
1. Site choice. Choosing a site which can be strictly con-
trolled and ideally made free of human disturbance, includ-
ing settlements, livestock grazing, and hunting of tigers and
prey is critical. Tigers Forever sites are source sites, which
includes:
a. Evidence of a resident breeding population.
b. The potential to maintain an estimated 25 breeding fe-
males, alone or combined with other connected source
sites in the same landscape. This number is the low end
of model-based estimates needed for demographic via-
bility with low levels of poaching. Field data suggest and
most tiger biologists agree that this number is sufficient.
We recognize that this may not adequately protect a
population from genetic drift and loss of allelic diver-
sity, for instance, but should be large enough to ensure
survival through a variety of random catastrophic events
(e.g., disease outbreaks).
c. They are embedded within a larger tiger-suitable land-
scape which has the overall potential to maintain >50
breeding females.
d. Potential for a high level of control over the site by gov-
ernment, NGO partners, and/or private individuals or
companies. Control of site can be obtained through a
variety of mechanisms, ranging from close partnerships
with strong government agencies, NGO’s, and/or pri-
vate entities embedded at the site, or land purchase or
leases. Weak or variable control can lead to quick failure
despite the amount of time, money and manpower put
towards a site. Where a high level of control does not
exist initially, there should be a strong indication that
it can be developed quickly. A successful TF site has
strong control over the current and future planning and
administration of that site.
11
THE TIGERS FOREVER PROTOCOL
e. A legal framework and system in place or being devel-
oped for the prevention of poaching of tigers and their
prey, and for the enforcement of existing laws, or com-
mitment from authorities in charge and/or local com-
munities to support the development of an effective law
enforcement system.
f. Ideally, source sites will have no people living in them at
the start, but if there are people legally or illegally, there
should be a genuine government/social commitment or
the potential to develop such a commitment, to relocat-
ing existing human settlements and activities, limiting
human access, and preventing or limiting infrastructure
development.
A site large enough to contain 25 breeding females may
vary from 500 km2 in the most productive habitats to
10,000 km2 in the least productive habitats. However, in
low-productivity habitats, especially in more remote and
rugged areas, source sites may be too large to protect initial-
ly, in which case a smaller core area should be chosen that
can support 5 to 10 breeding females. The key to choosing
an initial core area is in choosing a size and location that
can be strictly controlled very quickly. Once the core area
is locked-down, interventions should expand to encompass
the entire source site. A well-controlled site that may be
smaller than optimal is better than a poorly controlled site
that fits the criteria mentioned above. Control is defined
as zero tolerance; an area that optimally has eliminated
poaching and incursion pressures.
2. Biological monitoring to establish a baseline. Tiger and
prey abundance must be estimated to establish population
baselines against which program effectiveness is evaluated
and site-choice is validated. Estimate tiger abundance us-
ing capture-recapture data, preferably from camera trap-
ping, and prey abundance using line-transects or occupancy
modeling. If it is not possible to estimate both, then tiger
abundance should be estimated. Panthera has developed
and can provide the most effective digital camera traps for
tiger population monitoring. It is critical to use proven sci-
entific methodology and sufficient effort to obtain neces-
sary sample sizes.
 Critical Threats to Tiger Direct Threat Indirect Threat Indirect Threat
Survival Killing tigers for trade, retaliation Loss of habitat

Specialist tiger poachers
Inappropriate livestock husbandry
Factors
Pre-emptive tiger killing driven by
fear
Prey poaching for subsistence and
trade by local villagers
Prey poaching for subsistence by
non-timber resource extractors
Agricultural encroachment at park
edges
Cash crops grown within the park
interior
Lack of adequate habitat monitoring

Cross-Cutting
Inadequate patrol presence, park boundaries poorly demarcated, poor relationships between authorities and local communities
Contributing Factors

Law Enforcement Outreach

Key Interventions Monitor tiger numbers Develop patrolling infrastructure Community outreach to explain wild-
12

Implement SMART to assess patrol Increase law enforcement patrol life laws and park regulations
teams intensity
Implement i2 to manage intelligence Establish and manage informant management plan
data networks
Use remote sensing to detect habitat Conduct snare sweeps to remove
conversion traps

THE TIGERS FOREVER PROTOCOL

Annual tiger population estimates Increased site-level security -
Key Results Poaching threat indicators declining Security force fully trained and ing to tiger capture/killing
equipped

Outcome for Tigers

Increased Tiger and Prey Populations
Critical threats actively reduced by increased protection and rigourous evaluation of interventions

FIGURE 2.
initial coarse-scale threats analysis.
 THE TIGERS FOREVER PROTOCOL

FIGURE 3. The distribution of patrolling (coloured squares) and intensity (brown squares, darker color =
greater intensity) of poaching threats on Nam Et – Phou Louey National Protected Area in Lao PDR.
This is an example of both a threats assessment and monitoring output from MIST. Courtesy of NEPL
NPA and WCS.

3. Conduct threats assessment. Within the core area, identify
and rank the importance of, and establish baseline measures
of, threats to tigers and their prey (Figure 2). Assessments
should include extensive field surveys that map the loca-
tions and prevalence of specific activities, such as snares and
traps, use of firearms, encroachment, human encroachment,
habitat disturbances (e.g. illegal agriculture, fire), etc. Much
of these data may be collected while conducting initial bio-
5. Mobilize personnel and resources. Secure the coop-
logical surveys and enforcement patrols. It is crucial to im-
mediately identify and mitigate the most critical threats.
4. Develop conservation plan for site, including a moni-
toring plan. Develop objectives and interventions/activi-
ties (e.g. enforcement patrols) to address critical threats to
achieve the goal of increasing tigers by 50% in ten years.
Develop a monitoring protocol to collect data on threat in-
dicators to track threats and evaluate the effectiveness of
each intervention. Several guidelines exist for developing
conservation plans that use adaptive management and fo-
cus on critical threats (see bibliography).
eration of local and national government agencies, NGO
partners and local communities. Employ and train staff in
techniques necessary to best manage the site, measure and
combat threats, and monitor tiger and prey populations –
all on an on-going basis. Ensure that trained personnel are
available to fill vacancies as they arise. If there are periods

13

where trained personnel are lacking to sufficiently carry out
necessary activities, this may result in reversal of years of
progress and potential disaster for the tiger population.
6. Initiate law enforcement and law enforcement monitoring
(LEM). Because poaching is the greatest threat to tigers, law
enforcement will be the most important intervention at most
sites. Important law enforcement activities follow.
a. Initiate rigorous intelligence-led patrolling in the core
area with a LEM system (e.g. SMART or MSTRIPES)
to document activities and threats, guide patrols, and
measure effectiveness (Figure 3). Initiate mechanisms
such as monthly meetings and reports in which LEM
data analyses and results are presented and evaluated,
and patrol activities adapted accordingly. While there
is no simple correlation between size of site and num-
bers of patrol personnel needed for effective law en-
forcement, guard numbers and patrol intensity should
be high. In Kaziranga National Park, India, 700 guards
patrol a 500 km2 area and this effort is considered ef-
fective, yet there is still poaching in the park. In Huai
Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand, 190 guards
patrol a 2700 km2 area. The tiger population has been at
least stable for the past five years, but guards still detect
significant levels of poaching.
b. Initiate and or support law enforcement efforts focused
on traders and middlemen. Initiate patrols and investi-
gations of surrounding markets, restaurants and other
outlets of illegal wildlife trade, with monitoring as in 6a,
above.
c. Develop informant networks in surrounding commu-
nities by identifying individuals willing to share infor-
mation about wildlife crimes, human-tiger conflict, and
tiger presence. Informants may be paid for information,
especially which leads to arrest, and given small incen-
tives such as purchasing cell-phone time, which enables
and encourages people to report. For example, at Nam
Et – Phou Louey National Protected Area in Lao PDR,
informants were paid a percentage of the fine for infor-
mation leading to arrest.
d. Develop or adapt new technology (e.g. poacher cams,
drones) to improve law enforcement efforts.
14
THE TIGERS FOREVER PROTOCOL
7. Initiate interventions to address other urgent direct
threats. Other threats resulting in high tiger mortality on
the source site should be addressed as quickly as possible.
Examples include lethal electric fences and pig snares used
to protect agricultural crops in Sumatra, or poisoning of
livestock carcasses in retaliation for human-tiger conflict.
8. Regularly evaluate success and improve (or eliminate)
interventions and management based on these evalua-
tions. Analyse data to compare measures of threat indica-
tors against the baseline measure to evaluate effectiveness of
all interventions. Hold project meetings at least annually to
evaluate interventions and overall success.
9. Foster and maintain contacts and recognition of the ti-
ger conservation program at the national and local levels.
Government support is critical to long-term success of tiger
conservation. Ultimately, governments must take primary
fiscal and managerial responsibility for Tigers Forever sites
and NGO partners should work hard to grow the capac-
ity and role of government in tiger conservation. Close
and continual contacts with government, from national
to community level, are important because in most cases,
government ultimately controls laws and lands where ti-
gers are found. This also helps assure transparency and flow
of information so that plans for or changes to a site will
be known well in advance. This can be achieved by regular
meetings to brief government officials and obtaining infor-
mation about, e.g., development plans; inviting government
officials to attend project review meetings; and disseminat-
ing reports to government agencies at least annually and
whenever noteworthy events occur. It is useful to obtain
formal agreements, such as MOU’s, with high level gov-
ernment officials or agencies, such as the environment min-
istries. These agreements formalize your relationship with
the government, open doors to other pertinent government
agencies, and expedite sharing of data and information.
10. Develop a long-term biological monitoring plan to eval-
uate impact of interventions. The ultimate measure of suc-
cess is number of tigers - if tiger numbers are not increasing
(or stable, depending on the goal), the program is not effec-
tive. Monitoring may show that interventions are effective,

but, for example, reduced poaching will only translate to
increased tiger numbers if it is reduced to a low enough
level. That level can only be known by measuring changes
in tiger numbers. Further, tigers may decline due to poach-
ing despite increasing prey. However, prey will respond to
interventions more quickly and hence can provide a more
sensitive measure of short-term success.
Ideally, tiger density and prey abundance (absolute or rela-
tive) should be measured on an annual basis as described in
number 2, above. However, this is often too expensive and
other alternatives must be considered (Table 1).
11. Evaluate and improve existing law enforcement systems to
improve prosecution rates and to ensure significant punish-
ment. Law enforcement patrols have little impact if poachers
arrested are not prosecuted and punished and hence, effective
law enforcement systems are key to reducing tiger poaching.
a. Track cases and their outcomes in real time to ensure
criminals are tried and punished, and to evaluate capaci-
ty and effectiveness of prosecution and punishment sys-
tems. Interview police, prosecutors, and judges to deter-
mine their knowledge of laws related to wildlife crime
and to identify individuals interested in wildlife law. A
case-tracking module will be developed for SMART in
© STEVE WINTER/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
THE TIGERS FOREVER PROTOCOL
2013 which can be used for this purpose.
b. Strengthen the law enforcement chain. This may involve
training or capacity building activities with police, pros-
ecutors, and judges, identifying prosecutors and judges
interested in wildlife law, hiring special prosecutors, etc.
c. Review existing laws and legislation regarding wildlife
crime and take steps to improve them, for example,
where punishment is insufficient or loopholes allow
crimes to go unpunished.
12. If the initial core area is not large enough to be a source site
(i.e., to contain 25 resident females), expand interventions
and monitoring until it is. Once the above interventions
are in place, evidence suggests they are effective, and man-
agement structure is sufficient, interventions should be ex-
panded into the remaining areas of the source site. If trained
law enforcement staff are not available to sufficiently expand
into new areas, initiate the process by using other tools (i.e.
cameras, research activities, visits to local people and commu-
nities) to start putting “eyes and ears in the field” outside the
core area. Locking down the initial core area and expanding
into the larger source site should happen quickly, preferably,
within 3-5 years of the project start; otherwise, tigers may be
lost from the larger landscape.
13. Initiate interventions to address other important threats.
Other important threats may include human settlements in
source sites, habitat loss, human-tiger conflict, infrastruc-
ture development, disease, community hostility, and live-
stock grazing. Interventions to address these threats may
include incentivized relocation of people and livestock, a
human-tiger conflict management plan, and ensuring that
guidelines exist and are followed for minimizing environ-
mental impacts of infrastructure development.
14. Disseminate information. Work with local and national
media and publish data in peer-reviewed and national out-
lets. Information and data resulting from a Tigers Forever
site should be shared nationally and internationally. National
media and press coverage is highly beneficial to maintaining
good government and community relations, and helps ensure
the security of the site in the future.
15
 THE TIGERS FOREVER PROTOCOL

TIGER & PREY MONITORING

TABLE 1. A nonexclusive list of options for monitoring tigers and prey, showing maximum and minimum
levels of biological monitoring acceptable for Tigers Forever sites. Actual monitoring priorities will be site

Quality of Monitoring Frequency of Monitoring: Frequency of Monitoring: Pros and Cons

Tigers Prey

Optimal Every year Every year Best possible results with regular
feedback on effectiveness.
Good Every year No monitoring beyond Same as previous. Prey monitor-
relative abundance in ing has low reliability.
camera trap photos

Good Every other year alernat- Every other year alternat- Monitoring teams employed
ing with prey ing with tigers every year. Experienced staff
provide high quality results and
reduced training needs. Annual
feedback on effectiveness.

Acceptable Every other year No monitoring beyond Loss of data quality and in-
relative abundance in creased training needs unless
camera trap photos monitoring staff can be em-
ployed by other activities in off
years. May fail to detect poach-
ing increases in off years.

Poor Every three years or less No monitoring beyond Infrequent feedback on effec-
relative abundance in tiveness. Increased chance of
camera trap photos extinction because declines not
detected in off years. Loss of data
quality and increased training
needs.

16
 THE TIGERS FOREVER PROTOCOL

LANDSCAPE-BASED (SECOND PRIORITY)

The Tigers Forever Protocol focuses on

source sites and connectivity among them,
by definition these sites will be part of larg-
er tiger landscapes into which tigers will
disperse as populations recover in source
sites. Often, surrounding habitats will have
high levels of human activity, but may still
represent areas where tigers can settle and
even breed. Most importantly, these areas
will serve as dispersal habitats connecting
source sites in a functioning metapopula-
tion. Hence, the overall goals at the land-
scape-level are to increase the total effec-
tive area of source sites, increase the total
tiger population size, and ensure connec-
tivity among source sites.

1. Assess threats in surrounding tiger habitats (as in num-
ber 3, above) and develop interventions to address key
threats. A key threat in surrounding habitats will often be
human-tiger conflict that develops as young tigers disperse
from the source site. This is an important problem around
Corbett National Park in India where livestock are grazed
in managed forests adjacent to the park. Addressing this
conflict is important to reduce impacts on local communi-
ties and backlash against tigers by local people affected by
conflict. This may require a human-tiger conflict manage-
ment plan and special teams to work with local communi-
ties and respond to conflict situations (e.g. when people or
livestock are killed).
2. Identify potential dispersal habitats and assess threats to
connectivity with other important tiger habitats. Con-
nectivity may be assessed through habitat mapping, camera
trapping, fecal DNA, and telemetry. A model for this can
be seen with Panthera’s Jaguar Corridor Initiative (http://
www.panthera.org/JCI-Brochure).
3. Initiate interventions to protect, maintain, improve or
create connectivity, as necessary. This may involve inter-
ventions such as changing the legal status or management
practices of some lands, rezoning or reclassifying land sta-
tus for compatible activities, or enforcement of wildlife and
land-management laws to stop poaching, illegal logging,
encroachment, etc. Such potential endeavours should be
included in any MOU’s or agreements with the govern-
ment well before the fact.
4. Initiate landscape-wide monitoring (occupancy). Tiger
distribution and abundance may be measured by sign-based
occupancy surveys that cover the wider landscape. Repeat
surveys should be used to measure changes in distribution
and relative abundance, and hence, effectiveness of inter-
ventions in the wider landscape.
5. Identify other potential source sites in the landscape and
assess potential for initiating the TFP at these sites.

© NICK GARBUTT 17

PANTHERA’S COMMITMENT TO SITES
Tigers Forever is a partnership between Panthera and
other organizations. The roles and responsibilities of each or-
ganization will vary among sites, but each commits to annual
peer-review. Panthera is committed to:
R5 ,)0##(!5 ),5 &##-#(!5 (--,35 2*,.#-5 .)5 )'*&#-"5
interventions, monitoring, and evaluation. Panthera has a
suite of specialists in big cat biology and conservation, GIS
(geographic information systems), modeling and statistics,
and law enforcement on their staff and advisory board that
are available to assist in all stages of the TFP. Panthera has
also created a Tiger Task Force that will maintain a close
relationship with TF sites to provide evaluation, training,
and assistance.
R5 (-/,#(!5--#-.(51#."5+/.5&)(!7.,'5),5ŀ((#&5
support in conjunction with achieving agreed-upon prog-
ress towards goals. Conservation will always have limited
funding, so conservationists must strive to squeeze the most
out of every dollar. However, there is always some level of
funding below which a program cannot be effective. Pan-
thera will help ensure that this level is maintained by pro-
© STEVE WINTER/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
THE TIGERS FOREVER PROTOCOL
viding direct funding and helping sites to obtain funding
from other sources. We are committed to helping effective
programs indefinitely, however on-going commitment is
based on the achievement of mutually agreed upon goals
and benchmarks for the site. The ultimate goal will be de-
fined in terms of tiger numbers. Shorter benchmarks may
include number of enforcement teams, kilometres patrolled,
number of informants, specified changes in catch per effort,
or successful camera trapping to estimate tiger numbers.
R5 #&#..#(!5--5.)5(15),52#-.#(!5."()&)!3658!865'-
era traps, poacher cams, etc. Panthera has developed camera
traps that are small, light, durable, and faster than any other
on the market. These cameras will be made available to Ti-
gers Forever sites.
R5 ,)0##(!5 !(.#5 (&3-#-5 .",)/!"5 5 *,.(,-"#*5 1#."5
AMNH and ultimately regional labs.
R5 $.#05 ,0#165 0&/.#)(65 (5 --#-.(5 .",)/!"5-%5
Team site visits and annual peer review at Tigers Forever
meetings.
18
 A QUICK GUIDE TO THE TIGERS FOREVER PROTOCOL: Steps & Actions

A QUICK GUIDE TO THE TIGERS FOREVER PROTOCOL: Steps & Actions

# Steps Actions
1 Select a site and core area

2 Biological monitoring to estab-

lish a baseline -
pancy modeling, or other proven methodology.

3 Conduct threats assessment

other human disturbances.

4 Develop conservation plan

to address critical threats to achieve the goal of increasing tigers by 50% in
ten years.

threats and evaluate each activity relative to the threat it addresses.

© ANDY ROUSE 19
 A QUICK GUIDE TO THE TIGERS FOREVER PROTOCOL: Steps & Actions

A QUICK GUIDE TO THE TIGERS FOREVER PROTOCOL: Steps & Actions

# Steps Actions
5 Mobilize personnel and re-
sources communities.

monitoring as per the conservation plan.

6 Initiate law enforcement and

law enforcement monitoring document activities and threats, guide patrols, and measure success.
(LEM) -
ment of patrols.

middlemen.
-
dividuals who are willing to share information about wildlife law violations,

law enforcement efforts.

7 Initiate interventions to address

other urgent direct threats

© STEVE WINTER/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 20

 A QUICK GUIDE TO THE TIGERS FOREVER PROTOCOL: Steps & Actions

A QUICK GUIDE TO THE TIGERS FOREVER PROTOCOL: Steps & Actions

# Steps Actions
8 Regularly evaluate success and -
improve (or eliminate) interven- lines to evaluate effectiveness of interventions.
tions and management based -
on these evaluations all success.

9 Foster and maintain contacts

and recognition of the tiger
conservation program at the
national and local levels.
about, e.g., development plans.
-
worthy events occur.

10 Develop a long-term biologi-

cal monitoring plan to evaluate
effectiveness

11 Evaluate and improve existing

law enforcement systems to im- and to evaluate effectiveness of prosecution and punishment systems.
prove prosecution rates and to
laws related to wildlife crime and to identify individuals interested in wild-
life law.

12 Expand core area if necessary

enough to contain 25 breeding females, if the initial core area was small.

13 Address other important threats

threats analysis.

14 Disseminate information

15 Landscape level: Assess threats

in surrounding tiger habitats

16 Landscape level: Identify

potential dispersal habitats fecal DNA, and telemetry
and asses threats to connectiv-
ity with other important tiger
habitats

21
 A QUICK GUIDE TO THE TIGERS FOREVER PROTOCOL: Steps & Actions

A QUICK GUIDE TO THE TIGERS FOREVER PROTOCOL: Steps & Actions

# Steps Actions
17 Landscape level: Initiate inter- -
ventions to protect, maintain, tempt to change status if necessary.
improve or create connectivity,
as necessary.

18 Initiate landscape-wide moni- -

toring veys that cover the wider landscape.

and hence, effectiveness of interventions in the wider landscape

19 Identify other potential source

sites in the landscape and asses
potential for initiating the TFP
at these sites.

© STEVE WINTER/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 22

 A QUICK GUIDE TO THE TIGERS FOREVER PROTOCOL: Steps & Actions
SITE SELECTION CRITERIA: Steps & Actions
Biological
Evidence of resident breeding population.
Potential for 25 breeding females.
Embedded within a larger tiger-suitable landscape
with potential to maintain >50 breeding females.
PANTHERA’S COMMITMENT TO SITES: Steps & Actions
Human Resources/Services
Providing or liaising expertise to accomplish inter-
ventions, monitoring and evaluation, GIS (geographic
information systems), SMART, data analysis, and law
enforcement
Genetic analysis through partnership with AMNH.
Team site visits and annual peer review at Tigers
Forever meetings.
Government/Social Requirements
Potential for a high level of control over the site by govern-
ment, NGO partners, and/or private individuals or compa-
nies.
Commitment to relocating existing human settlements and
activities and limiting human access and preventing infra-
structure development.
Legal framework for and commitment to the prevention of
poaching of tigers and their prey.
Financial and Technological
-
Facilitating access to new or existing technology, e.g., camera
traps, poacher cams, etc.
23
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We thank the following for providing comments on previous drafts of the TFP:
F. Bagley (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), U. Breitenmoser (International Un-
ion for the Conservation of Nature), S. Christie (Zoological Society of London), C.
Gascon (National Fish and Wildlife Foundation), S. Gubbi (Nature Conservation
Foundation, Panthera), M. Gumal (WCS), A. T. J. Johnsingh (Nature Conser-
vation Foundation), A. Johnson (Foundations of Success), U. Karanth (WCS), D.
Miquelle (WCS), S. Naidenko (Russian Academy of Sciences), G. Schaller (Pan-
thera), E. Stokes (WCS), and Hariyo T. Wibisono (HarimauKita).
© STEVE WINTER/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 24

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27
 © STEVE WINTER/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

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