Wildlife Vets International (WVI), a British charity saving endangered species using veterinary expertise, has increasing evidence that the world's most endangered tigers are facing a new and deadly danger from canine distemper virus (CDV). Not only has CDV killed tigers in Russia and India, but experts now agree that the virus causes a change in tiger behaviour, making them less afraid of humans and more at risk from conflict and poaching.
WVI co-founder and big cat specialist Dr John Lewis shares mounting concerns on the impact of CDV within the Russian Far East, India and potentially Sumatra and other range states, where domestic dogs are coming into contact with wild tigers and leopards.
In Indonesia, the Sumatran Tiger Health Forum (STHF) has been created to initiate and coordinate disease surveillance activities for tigers across the whole of Sumatra, and advise on disease mitigation strategies should they become necessary.
A major leap forward, this new Indonesian initiative will contribute to the conservation of the dwindling Sumatran tiger population, now down to less than 500, and combat the emerging threat of distemper. ‘We aim to create veterinary services in these areas using people who are experienced in wildlife medicine and conservation, because that is what is needed,’ says Dr Lewis.
Most information about Sumatran tigers comes from tigers rescued from human conflict situations, radio-collared and successfully re-released — not necessarily behaving the same as non-conflict or ‘normal’ tigers.
Ideally, data will be gathered from non-conflict tigers as well to compare the health and behavior of tigers that become conflict tigers and those that do not. This is the beginning of the world's first comprehensive tiger disease surveillance programme which could become a model for tiger range states everywhere.
Dr Lewis was in Indonesia in March 2014 for the first progress meetings following the formation of STHF in September 2013. Sadly, progress had been hindered by the critical illness, then death of the chair, Dr Retno.
Although not ideal, Dr Lewis has agreed to guide the committee by email to achieve the goals that had been set by Dr Retno until a new chair is elected at the STHF's first annual meeting in September. In this way progress, albeit slow, will be made.
‘The loss of Dr Retno to the STHF and tiger conservation in general is a sad and significant one, but ambitious projects like the development of disease surveillance programmes for wild tiger populations inevitably experience setbacks. It is the response to such situations that is important,’ said Dr Lewis on his return from Indonesia.
‘WVI takes a long-term view and will assist in overcoming such difficulties as and when they arise. The need for the STHF is not diminished, and neither is our commitment to the project. Furthermore, key partners remain solidly supportive of the STHF and there is no reason why the forum shouldn't evolve into a valuable organisation serving the needs of tiger conservation in years to come.’
Proposals are in to fund the attendance of vets working in Sumatra, and that of Dr John Lewis, to the first annual meeting of the STHF. Progress in collecting and analysing samples will be assessed and the next steps determined. At the request of the Indonesian vets, a training course on the correct procedure will follow the Annual General Meeting.
John encourages the British veterinary profession to support WVI work, saying: ‘Ours might be a niche branch of veterinary science but I would like to think that the profession in the UK will support WVI in helping ensure that wild tigers can survive and thrive thanks to our specialist intervention.’
Contact info@wildlifevetsinternational.org to find out how you can help combat the threat to tigers from a domestic dog disease.