Tx2#doubletigers

Tigers are a symbol for Asia.

Tigers come only from Asia and all across Asia, ranging from the Persian highlands all the way through India, China, Japan, Malaysia and the Pacific Islands. Rapid industrialization however pushed tigers to the brink of extinction. Within a century, wild tiger population fell 97% from 100,000 to as few as 3,200. As an apex species, tigers need a healthy overall habitat to thrive. Revitalizing tigers is revitalizing the Asian ecologies, an ecosystem wide approach, from industry, agriculture, deforestation, to climate change is crucial.

Tigers are also becoming a symbol for sustainability and a collaborative Asia.

In 2010, leaders in Asia and the world came together to set an ambitious and ground-breaking goal to #doubletigers in the wild by 2022, the next “year of the tiger”. Tx2 is a vision shared by tiger range countries (China, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Nepal, Laos, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Russia) and a pledge for positive coexistence between humanity and the wildlife ecology, regenerative sustainability to rejuvenate wild tiger population without compromising economic growth.

100 years ago there were 100,000 tigers in the wild, today there are as few as 3,200.

Tigers will not get this chance again.

While many people find tigers remote, unknowingly, the Internet we use everyday is having a direct impact on wildlife and the environment. Proliferation of illegal wildlife trade online, coupled with abusive mining of social media data for criminal poaching and deforestation activities are threatening the survival of tigers and other wildlife. The convenience of shopping online for illegal wildlife (for “parts” or for pets) further challenges enforcement.

At DotAsia, with Ajitora, we are urging the Internet community to address illegal wildlife trade and

Ajitora represents the focal point of a multidimensional approach to support Asia tigers, bringing together stakeholders contributing to technologies, policies and public awareness.

Ajitora (http://www.ajitora.asia) is a PR character of DotAsia. Inspired by tigers’ symbolic meanings for sustainable development and a collaborative Asia, the Ajitora movement is not only about tigers, but about bringing awareness of how we are all connected. Ajitora’s mission is to promote regenerative sustainability between the ecology, the economy and the Internet for Asia. As the Asian Tiger (and Tiger Cub) Economies roar forward in the Asia Century ahead, Asia’s wildlife, technology and policy environments should #RoarForward Together!

Ajitora is about regenerative sustainability as a movement in environment and economic development beyond conservation (reduce, reuse, recycle), towards a constructive (restore, renew, revitalize) paradigm. The Ajitora spirit is about positive change through collaboration.

Ajitora invites you to be part of the movement! The copyrights of the Ajitora image and designs are released in a CreativeCommons Plus (CC+) license. Derivative works are encouraged. Get involved!