The declaration of a moratorium on killing of tigers has been recommended by the tenth general assembly of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. The IUCN assembly which concluded its week-long deliberations here [New Delhi] yesterday [December 1] has suggested in one of the 33 resolutions it adopted yesterday that the moratorium should be in force till censuses and ecological studies of tigers reveal the correct positions as regards the population trends. The resolution also wants emphasis to be shifted from killing by a few hunters to enable tourists to watch and photograph these animals in sanctuaries and national parks. The resolution urged the Government to close all loopholes in the enforcement of restrictions on export of tiger and leopard skins. The IUCN, in another resolution, has pointed out that the prey upon which the Gir lion depends is disappearing because of agricultural encroachment and has requested the Government of India and the other authorities concerned to prevent any further encroachment.
