Tigers 'on verge of extinction'

The world's tiger population is on the verge of extinction, a multinational delegation has been told.

Yuvaraj Bhusal, Nepal's forest secretary, issued the dire warning to representatives from 20 countries, including 13 where tigers are still found in the wild, at a conference in Kathmandu, adding strategies to deal with poaching and the illegal trade of tiger parts were urgently needed.

Delegates attending the meeting include representatives from the World Bank and the World Wildlife Fund.

Nepal's prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal blamed poaching and the loss of habitat for the decline in the tiger population.

"Despite our efforts in the last three decades, tigers still face threats of survival. The primary threat is from poaching and habitat loss," Mr Nepal said.

"Global and regional solidarity and corrective measures are more necessary now than ever to face these challenges."

The tiger population has fallen from around 100,000 at the start of the 20th century to an estimated 3,500 to 4,000 in recent years.

Wild tigers are still found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Burma, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.