On Wednesday, September 17th members from the
National Tigers for Tigers Coalition flew to Washington D.C. to speak with
Senators and their Representatives to rally support for not only their shared
tiger mascot, but also for wildlife conservation in general. There were three
ultimate asks when it came to conversations with the Senators & their
staffers:
1. To seek funding to address
wildlife trafficking.
2. To seek funding to support U.S.
Fish & Wildlife Service’s international
conservation efforts.
3. To seek co-sponsors for the Big
Cats & Public Safety Protection Act.
The illegal wildlife trafficking crisis generates an
estimated $20 billion annually which is now being used by crime syndicates all
over the world to fuel terrorist activities. Thankfully, the Administration and
many Congressional leaders have made this issue a priority. Tigers for Tigers
members raised their voice to help address the issue. They asked for an increase in funding to support the
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)’s efforts combat wildlife
trafficking in foreign countries by improving local law enforcement and
reducing demand.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Wildlife
Without Borders program provides critical funding to conserve rhinos,
elephants, great apes, marine turtles, and our beloved mascot, the tiger. They
work directly with local conservationists and organizations to expand education
programs, reduce demand for wildlife products, protect habitats, and
collaborate across the world.
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| Pictured L to R: Chelsea Connor, Taylor Tench, Nathan Hahn, Diane Dotson |
A small increase in funding within both of these programs will
make a huge impact on the
conservation of not only the tiger, but also other endangered species that need
our help NOW!
In the United States, there are an estimated 10,000 big cats
in the hands of private owners. There are no federal regulations protecting
these animals when it comes to ownership and breeding, putting not only the
animal in harm’s way, but the people around it as well. This brings us to the
third and final ask. The Big Cats & Public Safety Protection Act (S.1381)
prohibits the private ownership and breeding of big cats in the United States.
For two days, members met with over nine Senators and their staffers
to discuss these concerns and seek their support. The students found it
relieving that the staffers were around their age ranging from 23-28 years old.
“The Senators and their staff were nice and willing to hear us out. It felt
good to know that by me being there to voice for tigers really helped push
wildlife conservation in the right direction,” said Chelsea Connor, Towson
Tigers for Tigers president.
The students even got to personally thank Senator Rob
Portman of Ohio who played an integral role in championing the Save Vanishing
Species Stamp! “It made me realize how much is currently being done at the
federal government level, and how many more opportunities remain to make an
even greater impact,” said Taylor Tench, current Clemson University Tigers for
Tigers president. During the meet and greet with Senator Mark Udall of
Colorado, the Senator himself said he would love to put the National Tigers for
Tigers Coalition in direct contact with his team to provide suggestions on how
to combat wildlife trafficking. Taylor went on to say, “I used to think that
conservation meant going out in the jungle and studying animals or plants.
While that is definitely a part of it, I never truly made the connection of
field research to policy. Through policy, these types of projects get funded
and laws are made to support conservation.”
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| Pictured L to R: Taylor Tench, SC Senator Tim Scott, Diane Dotson |
When asked whether the trip had an impact on her future
career choice, Diane Dotson, vice-president of Clemson University Tigers for
Tigers said, “As much I want to be on the ground seeing my progress, I would
love to work with Public Awareness. Human-animal conflicts play a huge role in
conservation and with our help we can make a difference. I absolutely loved
learning the policy side of things and am eager to learn more!” At the National
Tigers for Tigers Coalition, we want to help students with their career goals
by providing them with unique experiences that will empower them to make a
difference. That’s what college is all about, and it’s what makes T4T so
special!
For some, the National Tigers for Tigers Coalition has already
helped get students in the career paths they want. Nathan Hahn, Colorado
College Tigers for Tigers alum, is currently working with tiger biologist Eric
Dinerstein on new anti-poaching technologies. For Nathan, this was his second
time visiting several Senators’ offices on behalf of the Coalition. When asked
about this year’s trip, Nathan said, “Since I was fortunate enough to go last
July as well, I could see how much more ready to listen these guys about the
poaching crisis and its links to crime and terrorism. That was a new idea among
them just a year ago, and it just goes to show what getting involved on the
legislative/political side of conservation can do for the overall goal of
protecting wildlife.” These students are not only putting in an immense amount
of effort to protect their mascot, but they are seeing the progress being made
firsthand. We have the ability as U.S. citizens to let our voices be heard on
issues we care about, and that is exactly what we are going to continue to do!
All the best,
Carrah Lingo
Communications Associate
National Tigers for Tigers Coalition
