Khunta Mi Reception 2005

Livingston, Montana Renowned wildlife artist and conservationist, John Banovich and Safari Club International hosted an event to launch Tiger Friendly Certified Conservation Programs for the Wildlife Conservation Society at his studio in Paradise Valley, Montana.

Joined by the esteemed Maurice Hornocker, Ph.D., founder of the Siberian Tiger Project and Dr. Dale Miquelle, the Russian Director for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), guests feasted on an exotic menu ranging from rabbit appetizers, wild boar soup, roasted red deer and Sika —all things a tiger might eat.

Guests from the WCS`s Siberian Tiger Project were introduced by a live Siberian tiger—a 4-year-old, 400-pound male who lounged and feasted in a meadow above the Yellowstone River in front of Banovich`s dinner crowd.

The animal inspired each person in the audience. The $275.00 exotic dinner plate event raised more than $25,000 for the Siberian Tiger fund.

More than funding, the event provided a link between hunters and conservationists with the intention of conserving Siberian tigers and valuable habitat in the Russian Far East.

To this, John Banovich said, "Saving the Siberian Tiger is about caring beyond borders. This groundbreaking effort puts the Siberian tiger`s destiny in the hands of people in the Russian Far East and also around the world. Just knowing an animal like this exists in the wild is a benefit to our planet."

Banovich spent time in Russia observing the majestic Siberian tiger for his "Tigers in the Snow" collection. Awed by the beauty and spirit of this wild cat, he vowed to help preserve its legacy.

Twelve vivid paintings depict the majestic tiger in his natural habitat and a portion of the proceeds for this series benefits the Siberian Tiger Project.

In a unique effort to bring the plight of the legendary tiger to the forefront, the WCS introduced its Tiger Friendly hunting program.

The goal is to unite local hunters with international sport hunters in an effort of stewardship that will save tigers and develop a viable long term economic and conservation plan.

Faced with the fact that half of the world`s subspecies of tigers have gone extinct in the last 50 years, WCS has given an urgent call to take action in the Russian Far East.

With less than 20 percent of Siberian tiger habitat under protection, the organization is working quickly to galvanize on the ground efforts to protect this majestic creature. All other tiger habitat exists as multiple use lands, where hunting is allowed.

Tigers are threatened by poachers who are driven by the global demand for their bones and parts used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Local hunters also poach tigers to eliminate competition for native deer and wild boar.

WCS is attempting to turn these confrontations into cooperative efforts by linking local and international hunters to the value of a tiger lives.

In 1995 new legislation in Russia turned wildlife management over to the hands of its citizens. The new arrangement provides opportunities for local people to create nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that could obtain private hunting leases.

With over 40,000 registered hunters in the region, this group is a significant shareholder in the fate of the Siberian tiger. WCS plans to link hunters socially and economically to the international sport hunting community by offering programs to hunt wild game here in the shadow of the tiger.