‘Donating money for tiger conservation disastrous’

The Telegraph quoted him as saying: “Tiger conservation is a multi-million pound business that isn’t working. If it were in the FTSE 100,it would have gone bankrupt.

Who”d buy shares in a business that”s failing in its objective?” he asked.

He told the Radio Times: “I do rather dislike the fact that if you do as I do and openly criticise conservation,it”s almost as if you”re attacking something holy.

“But if we”re all giving a pound for the tiger,or whatever,I think we all have a right to think that money is being best spent,that”s all. Why shouldn’t I criticise if there is a criticism to be levelled? One would hope the vast majority of wildlife charities are doing good – but why shouldn’t I ask? What”s so sacred?”

There are only 3,000 tigers left in the world,down from an estimated 100,000 a century ago,according to figures from the World Wildlife Fund.

Last year,85 tiger deaths were recorded in India – the highest toll since 2001 – many of them a result of poaching,Packham said.

The presenter of BBC Two’s Springwatch said conservation projects were failing because the demand for dead tigers,mostly from China,is so great.