Demand for tiger products and skins mean that these animals could be extinct in Bhutan within a decade. Although Bhutan’s constitution requires it to protect its biodiversity and wildlife, rangers are ill equipped to work in its severe weather conditions, making protection work challenging. Rangers work at high altitude, are posted for a minimum of 8 months and often take up to 10 days to reach basecamp. Bhutan is susceptible as a trade route for smuggling wildlife products into China.

IFAW will work to improve enforcement by training and equipping frontline field staff. A total of 350 rangers in 10 protected areas will undergo specialist training to enable them to effectively combat poaching and increase trade control. Specialist kit will be provided to rangers to support them in demanding conditions. Cross border coordination for patrolling and intelligence sharing will be developed and trans-boundary conservation linkages with India will be strengthened.