The Amur Tiger Conservation Fund has been established in Russia upon President Vladimir Putin’s initiative. Konstantin Chuichenko, Aide to the President and Head of the Presidential Control Directorate, has been appointed as the Supervisory Council’s chairman.

The fund’s major goal is to preserve, increase and study the population of the Amur tiger. The fund’s organisational and legal form is the Amur Tiger Centre autonomous non-profit organisation. The centre’s sole founder is the Russian Geographical Society, which has traditionally participated in a large number of projects to conserve rare animals.

The organisation’s activities will be funded through extra-budgetary resources, including grants from the Russian Geographical Society.

The Amur Tiger Centre was established as part of Russia’s commitments made at the World’s First Tiger Summit in 2010 in St. Petersburg upon Russia’s initiative.

Following the summit, the 13 countries where the tiger can be found set the goal to double the number of wild tigers over the next 12 years, as well as to eliminate and prevent threats to the preservation and restoration of its population.

The law toughening criminal responsibility for murder and trafficking in rare animals signed this month by the President is also aimed at reaching these goals. From now on, violators will only face criminal responsibility.

On July 29, International Tiger Day is celebrated, which was established by the St. Petersburg Declaration following the World’s First Tiger Summit.