BGrimm: Dedicating Time & Resources to Save the Tiger and Its Habitat
In 2023, BGrimm celebrated 145 years of conducting business in Thailand. Their activities places strong emphasis on ESG, environmental, social and corporate governance responsibility. As one of the pioneering companies acting with compassion towards Thai society, BGrimm recently partnered with CNN International Commercial (CNNIC) on an advertising and sponsorship Campaign centered on conservation efforts for tiger populations and habitats.
BGrimm Power’s project sites are intricately connected to nature. Hence, the organization places high value on lessening environmental impact from their operations. One strong focus lies in preserving biodiversity - the diverse range of plant and animal life in the natural ecosystem - alongside safeguarding water sources and forests. The firm is committed to implementing company-wide measures to ensure compliance, monitoring and restoration efforts to minimise impact on the environment. BGrimm has successfully collaborated with external partners to actively contribute to biodiversity preservation and prevent deforestation. One prime example is their “Save the Tigers” project in partnership with CNN to create awareness towards tiger conservation. The aim is to create a dialogue and action towards a sustainable future for the environment.
Why Tiger
In the wild, tigers play the role of an apex predator. The biggest of the wild cats can roam almost 300 kilometres to find food and mates, and they very rarely come into contact with other tigers or people. Unfortunately, the number of wild tigers in Thailand is dwarfed by the number that now live in captivity. There are roughly 200 tigers in the wild, and the Kingdom is committed to increasing that number to 300 in the coming years. These wild animals are constantly facing the threat of poaching, and a breakdown in the ecosystem of their habitat can drive them to near extinction.
The tiger, as a protected and endangered species, is an indicator of forests’ natural abundance that provide a safe habitat for wildlife. This wild cat is a pinnacle hunter at the top of the food chain in the forest. An increase in the tiger population demands an adequate supply of prey and plants to satisfy their needs for food. Such a relationship serves to illustrate the abundance of sustenance of forests.
For over a decade, under the vision of “Empowering the World Compassionately”, since 2011, BGrimm has collaborated with the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, together with other independent organisations to continuously support the “Save the Tigers” project to increase the population of wild tigers in the Mae Wong National Park and Klong Lan National Park of Kamphaeng Phet province, covering a vast area of 4,532 sq.km. Considered most suitable for tiger repopulation in Southeast Asia, the area is known as a ‘Forest of Hope’. The project has now been extended to two other sites, the Khlong Wang Chao National Park in Kamphaeng Phet province and Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary in Tak province, both of which lie adjacent to the existing project area. The prime objective of the project is to increase the tiger population to meet the goal of 300 domestic wild tigers. The project is not only designed to safeguard tiger habitats and save them from poaching, but also prevent them from encroaching on humans’ dwellings; the scheme aims to conserve and restore the stretch of forests in western Thailand to generate a positive impact on the environment.
Thailand is one of the very few countries, and possibly only Southeast Asian country, where there are still enough tigers to attempt to increase the population. Here, there is still a chance for the country to maintain the natural balance in the forest habitat. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown the devastating results of an ecology out of balance. The WHO estimates that 70-75% of new emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic (passed from animals to humans). Aggressive wildlife protection efforts will not only protect these magnificent creatures, but will also mitigate against the severity of future pandemics and their effects on human welfare and economic stability.
Humans and animals are inextricably connected if animals suffer, humans suffer. Covid-19 is a painful reminder of what happens when wildlife is not treated properly. Protecting the tiger, an apex predator, and keeping this system in balance is absolutely critical not only for their species, but also for human existence.
Mission Tiger
BGrimm as a multi business corporation based in Thailand that recently extended its partnership with CNN International Commercial (CNNIC) on an advertising and sponsorship campaign centred on conservation efforts for tiger populations and habitats. Recently hailed as the National Winner for the Best Infotainment Programme at the Asian Creative Academy Awards 2023, their multiplatform award-winning show covered the story of the tiger through their ecosystem and explored how building a strong ecosystem allowed the tiger population to thrive. Hosted by CNN’s Senior International Correspondent, Will Ripley, the new episode was aired on CNN International in November 2023 to explore how people committed to the cause of tiger conservation were reversing the threats tigers face, bringing benefits to wildlife and communities alike.
“Environmental sustainability remains a key focus for CNN, and we are delighted to collaborate with reputed brand partners like BGrimm who are deeply committed to bringing awareness around the protection and conservation of this majestic species,” said Cathy Ibal, senior vice president, CNN International Commercial. “We are confident that this award-winning show powered by CNN’s immersive storytelling will resonate with audiences by showcasing the importance of advocating the need to protect wild tigers.”
Dr Harald Link, president of BGrimm, emphasized that doing business with compassion promotes the harmonious coexistence of businesses with nature and communities. Over the past decade, BGrimm has
actively supported tiger conservation initiatives through collaborative efforts involving both the public and private sectors. Their partnership with CNN, a globally renowned news channel, has been seen as a crucial avenue for disseminating content produced by CNN's news team, leveraging their extensive reach. Their collaboration intends to highlight the pivotal role of tigers in the ecosystem and serve as the cornerstone of BGrimm's unwavering commitment to environmental preservation in the years ahead.
In addition to preventing encroachment on natural forests where animals, crucial for tigers' food, reside, the conglomerate has offered assistance to forest rangers. The aid has included providing essential equipment for their comprehensive forest patrol, known as SMART Patrol, across the three sites of the Save the Tigers project in Thailand. Moreover, educational activities were leveraged with the Tiger Learning Centre at Khlong Lan Kindergarten School. These initiatives involve arranging briefings at schools and within communities to raise awareness about biodiversity and conservation efforts. In 2023, over 208 students from local communities actively participated in these educational projects, fostering a deeper understanding of the importance of preserving biodiversity.
