HUA HIN, Thailand

HUA HIN, Thailand – Efforts to save the wild tiger are at a critical point and it will take greater political will and cooperation from Asian countries to prevent the big cats from becoming extinct, conservationists and the World Bank warned Wednesday.

The dire message was offered to 13 tiger range states attending the first Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation. The aim of the three-day meeting is to convince countries to pledge to spend more on tiger conservation and set targets for boosting their numbers — vows that would then be finalized by heads of state in September at a meeting in Vladivostok, Russia.

"There will be no room left for tigers and other wildlife in Asia without a more responsible and sustainable program for economic growth and infrastructure," World Bank President Robert Zoellick said in a video message to the 180 delegates.

"The tiger may be only one species, but the tigers' plight highlights the biodiversity crisis in Asia," he said.

Thailand's Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Suwit Khunkitti told delegates the time had come for his fellow ministers to commit to "bold commitments and actions so that we can collectively turn the tide of extinction on the tiger."

Tiger numbers have plummeted because of human encroachment, the loss of more than nine-tenths of their habitat, and poaching to supply the vibrant trade in tiger parts. From an estimated 100,000 at the beginning of the 20th century, the number today is less than 3,600.

John Seidensticker, head of conservation ecology at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park and chairman of the Save the Tiger Fund, recalled how he watched the Javan and Bali tigers disappear in the 20th century, adding that "losing a tiger is like losing a very close, dear relative and I'm still saddened by that experience."

He said conservationists have over the years been successful in banning trade in tiger parts, outlawing hunting and boosting protection measures. But he said he and others never foresaw the breakneck economic development in Asia that would "pave over" key tiger forests and grasslands and create a market for tiger parts that has caused poaching to skyrocket.

Still, Seidensticker and others said the meeting itself offered hope, showing that the bid to save tigers has gone beyond passionate environmentalists and scientists and is now being embraced by government officials and key donors like the World Bank.

The meeting is being organized by Thailand and the Global Tiger Initiative, a coalition formed in 2008 by the World Bank, the Smithsonian Institute and nearly 40 conservation groups. It aims to double tiger numbers by 2022.

"That this meeting is happening is hugely important," said John Robinson, executive vice president of conservation and science for the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society.

Robinson said the political will to save the tigers must be strengthened, funding increased for impoverished countries where tigers remain and forests expanded to ensure that tigers and humans don't clash — a problem especially common in India and Indonesia.

Relocating communities is an option as long as the villagers are compensated adequately, Robinson said.

The World Bank said countries must work to minimize the impact of roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects on tiger habitat — something the bank has vowed to do in projects it funds. It also called on countries to better train and equip their forest rangers and reduce corruption in the government agencies tasked with running national parks and protected areas.

"Corruption has been rampant and all pervasive in some of the countries as far as forest management is concerned," said Keshav Varma, the Global Tiger Initiative's program director, told delegates. "Corruption is gradually and persistently nibbling away at our natural resources. The politics of money is drowning out the weak voices of the tiger and the poor."

The 13 countries attending the meeting are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.

1-20 Pets: Rescued Animals

This is a list of animals that have been impounded by Edmond Animal Welfare at the Edmond Animal Shelter, Interstate 35 and Covell in the Cross Timbers Municipal complex. Call the shelter at 216-7615.

A domestic short-haired cat, seal point, was found on East 10th Street.

A pointer/pit bull mix, white and black, was found on Seventh Street and Kelly.

A male miniature schnauzer, silver and white, was found in the Trails North.

A male pit bull, chocolate, was found on Sorghum Mill Road and Coltrane.

A male Lhasa mix, apricot, was found on Fretz and Danforth.

A female Wheaton terrier, buff, was found on I-35 and 15th Street.

A domestic short-haired cat, white and black tiger, was found on Teal Place.

A female German shepherd mix, brown, was found on Natchez Road.

A German shepherd mix, black and tan, was found between Kelly and Santa Fe on Second Street.

A domestic short-haired cat, brown tabby, was found on Stonebrook.

A female domestic short-haired cat, orange, was found on 15th Street and Bryant.

A female domestic short-haired cat, black tiger, was found on 15th Street and Bryant.

A female Great Dane, black and white, was found on Pine Valley.

A male chow mix, brown, was found on Pine Valley.

A female German shepherd mix, black and brown, was found on South Bryant.

20 Animals To Be Seized From Gallatin Property

Twenty animals -- 10 horses, the rest ponies and donkeys -- were in such bad shape in Sumner County that they'll be seized by deputies Wednesday morning. Animal Control and equine rescue volunteers found the animals living in terrible conditions.

Under one pile of hay was a dead horse. Another lay yards away. Wild animals had been feeding on the carcasses. Sumner County animal control Sgt.Michael McLeeren saw the animals were in poor condition and quickly obtained a search warrant.

"I called the ag-extension agents immediately he came out to the scene he evaluated each horse individually he advised to take them immediately," he said

Sgt. McLeeran said the animals were slowly starving. "I didn't see any grain feed that I could observe on the property I did see some hay on the property but it was poor quality hay.

Animal Control deputies and equine volunteers assessed the animals Tuesday. Volunteers will feed the horses, and veterinarians will make sure the animals have their proper shots. The ten horses are faring the worst, officials said.

The lot has no grazing value, it's mostly mud, and Animal Control deputies said the hay is worthless.

Deputies said they knew something was wrong when they received five complaints Tuesday morning. They quickly got a search warrant.

Tracy Jackson who lives across the street said she would get angry every time she drove by the property. "Who ever the owner is I would like to know why they haven't taken care of the animals," she said

Animal Control said there may be other horses in the same predicament, as the man who owns the animals leases a number of properties in the county. It also isn't the first time the owner has been brought to Animal Control's attention.

Sgt. Michael McLerran said this type of animal abuse won't end until there is more sting to the punishment.

The owner will be charged with 20 counts of animal abuse.

N'Yaounda, a western lowland gorilla at Hungary's Budapest Zoo, gave birth to a healthy baby on Jan. 5. The baby is N'Yaounda's first, and it's the first western lowland gorilla birth at the zoo in 10 years.

Of course, zoo staff are overjoyed about the new baby -- but they're also a bit distracted by a mystery surrounding its birth. See, two males -- Golo, a 30-year-old male, and his son, Ebobo, 10 -- both seem to think they're the baby's father. The zoo hopes that DNA testing will solve this gorilla paternity mystery, the Austrian Times reports.

"They both try to protect the mother and baby and both seem to believe it is their son -- which can only mean the mother N'Yaounda may have a bit of explaining to do when we get the results," one keeper told the newspaper. Zoo intrigue -- color us fascinated!

See more photos of N'Yaounda and her baby after the jump.

2010 Is Year of Tiger Conservation

This upcoming February 14 marks the start of the new year according to the traditional Chinese calendar, and most of what we will know as 2010 will be the Year of the Tiger.

According to the Guardian, the World Wildlife Fund is gearing up a dedicated conservation program highly appropriate for this time.

Attaching top priority to remaining wild tiger populations around the world, WWF has announced that this year will witness the organization redoubling its efforts to preserve habitat and to give remaining species of wild tigers an earnest boost in their struggle to remain viable.

The numbers paint a dire picture indeed, but WWF underscores past tiger conservation efforts to indicate how successful and dedicated conservation efforts can and do make a huge difference. The Amur tiger, native to eastern Russia, was facing extinction as its ranks had been culled through hunting down to a few dozen. As a result of successful efforts to impose and enforce hunting bans, their population has rebounded back to about 500.

Diane Walkington, overseeing species conservation efforts from the WWF's UK outpost, provided a statement to the Guardian that the organization's plans for the year are not simply about one critically endangered but solitary species:

"Of course, there are thousands of other species on the endangered list. However, there is particular importance in selecting a creature such as the tiger for special attention. To save the tiger, we have to save its habitat which is also home to many other threatened species. So if we get things right and save the tiger, we will also save many other species at the same time."

Global Warming Indigestion May Kill Gorillas, Monkeys

Annual temperatures are predicted to rise 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) by mid-century in some climate models.Leaves that grow in hotter air contain more fiber and less digestible protein, meaning leaf-eaters would take longer to process their food.

In addition, the higher temperatures may force the animals to spend more time lounging in the shade to avoid overheating.

Such changes may force some gorilla and monkey species to sit still for long periods—time that would otherwise be used for finding food, protecting territory, or maintaining social bonds, the study says.

The inaction, combined with less nutritious food, could eventually cause mountain gorillas and African colobines—a large group of species including colobus monkeys—to go extinct, the study predicts.

"A two-degree temperature increase is not a very farfetched idea," said study leader Amanda Korstjens, a biological anthropologist at Bournemouth University in the U.K.

"Animals can adapt ... and maybe primates will find another way of coping," she added. But "I expect that they are at their limits already."

Flexible Fruit-Eaters

Korstjens and colleagues compared climate models with previously published data on primates' behavior, diets, and group sizes worldwide.

Based on the data, the team created global maps that show where primates exist now and where climate change is predicted to cause die-offs.

The data revealed that the expected higher temperatures shouldn't affect most South American primates, which eat highly digestible fruit. Also, South American primate habitats are less fragmented by agriculture and encroaching deserts than most primate habitats in Africa, Korstjens said.

Around the world, fruit-eaters—such as baboons and vervet monkeys in Africa—would also be better off. They occupy a wider range of habitat than leaf-eaters, which are confined to a narrow belt near the Equator, according to the study,

"Not as Stable As You Think"

The theatened primates could possibly adapt to the global warming-induced changes by changing their diets, but no one knows for sure.

Colobines could eat some fruit, but their highly leaf adapted stomachs aren't equipped for all-fruit diets, Korstjens said.

Such assumptions of inadaptability may be weak points in the new study, said Colin Chapman, a primate ecologist at Montreal's McGill University, who was not involved in the study.

"It's not clear how flexible [colobines] could be."

But "if the assumptions are correct," Chapman said, "shows a pretty big potential in changes in distribution and extinction risk."

Mountain gorillas are in a particularly serious bind, he added. They have little access to fresh fruit in their high-altitude habitats, and they're "sitting on top of mountains with nowhere else to go."

A hotter Africa would also pose a threat for conservation efforts, Chapman said.

Well-managed national parks may be able to keep out poachers and loggers, for example, but they can't protect against temperature changes, he said.

"You think you have a perfectly stable national park," he said, "all of the sudden it's not as stable as you think."

Firefighters rescue 3 dogs from SW Houston blaze

Firefighters saved three dogs from a heavy fire that raced through portions of an apartment complex in southwest Houston early this morning.

The two-alarm fire broke out about 12:30 a.m. at the complex in the 8700 block of Gustine, Houston fire officials said. Firefighters extinguished the blaze about an hour later.

No injuries were reported, but firefighters saved two puppies and their mother from a smoke-filled apartment adjacent to the burning units.

The dogs were not injured, but one of the puppies appeared to have inhaled too much smoke and firefighters placed a specially designed animal oxygen mask on it to help it breath.

The fire gutted two apartments. Fire officials said it appears the blaze started from an electrical problem in the kitchen of one of the units.