India to ask neighbours to help in tiger conservation

After China's lukewarm response to the issue of tiger poaching, India is pinning hopes on other neighbouring countries having population of the big cats to curb trade in parts and skins of the animal.

"We will take up tiger crime and poaching issue on a bilateral level with neighbouring nations particularly those touching the tiger reserves on the border areas of UP and West Bengal where a few tigers are left in the wild," National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) member secretary Rajesh
Gopal said.

"Unless there is a collective action to save tigers, we will not be able to protect the endangered species," he said. Around 3,000 tigers are left in the world with India having nearly 1,400 striped cats in the wild.

China has shown its reluctance to ban tiger farming. Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has termed his recent meeting with Chinese officials on the issue of tiger farming and poaching as "unsuccessful".

The decision to take up the issue of tiger conservation with neighbouring nations was taken up at a meeting between NTCA and northern states housing big cats.