Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said during an interview with U.S. talk show host Larry King that he took interest in tiger conservation efforts when he saw a TV report on the issue.
When King asked Putin during the satellite interview aired on CNN why he was so interested in tigers, the premier said, "Not only in tigers. I simply love nature, and thank God there are many such people on the planet. I am just one of them."
"As far as tigers are concerned, my interest in them has something to do with the United States," he said. "Once I saw a TV report about American and Russian experts working together in the Far East to protect tigers. Honestly, I felt ashamed because the American partners were helping our specialists to solve the problem. I went there and we worked out a program to protect tigers in the Far East."
Putin attended the International Tiger Conservation Forum, which took place in the northwestern Russian city of St. Petersburg on November 21-24, and pledged that Russia will toughen its laws against hunting tigers.
Delegates from 13 countries where tigers still live adopted a program to double tiger numbers by 2022. More than $380 million will be earmarked toward saving the big cats from extinction.
Putin told King that efforts to save the tiger made in Russia and the Soviet Union have yielded positive results.
"We had only 20-30 tigers several decades ago and today we have 500 [tigers]," he said.
The worldwide tiger population has declined from 100,000 to just over 3,000 over the past century.
He also said he was trying to save other rare species from extinction.
"I hope more and more people will be getting involved in the solution of such problems. Many people would like to do something but few have such an opportunity, and I do. I think it is my duty to do it," Putin added.
MOSCOW, December 2 (RIA Novosti)
