First tiger conference in India

A newly formed task force of countries pledged to safeguarding wild tigers will hold its first meeting next week in Delhi to co-ordinate strategy.

Delegates from China, India, Indonesia, Cambodia and Nepal are expected to attend, along with Canada and the Netherlands.

The three-day conference is being held under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme's Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species CITES.

The secretary general of the body Willem Wijnstekers said it was appropriate that India -- which has the largest number of wild tigers -- should host the first meeting. The number of tigers in the wild around the world is put at between five and seven-thousand, but experts say they are in increasing danger from poachers and wildlife crime networks.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service