The Tragic Fate of the Wild Tiger.

 

The Tragic Fate of the Wild Tiger:

 

 

 

The tiger, one of the worlds most respected, loved and beautiful creatures, is on the verge of been lost forever.

 

The number of tigers in the wild has reduced dramatically over the last century, from over 100,000 in 1900 to as few as 3,200 in the wild day. There are a number of reasons why;

 

Their habitat has been destroyed, degraded and fragmented by human activity, including the clearing of forests for agriculture and the timber trade and development activity such as the building of roads.

Tigers have now lost 93% of their historic range. Also the tiger populations in the rainforests of Sumatra are vanishing at a staggering rate, reducing the number of the endangered species to as few as 400.  This is due to the recent expansion of oil and pulpwood plantations which has been  responsible for nearly two-thirds of the destruction of tiger habitat between 2009 and 2011.

 

 

Furthermore, as the worlds population grows rapidly, people and tigers are increasingly competing for space. The conflict threatens the worlds remaining tigers and poses a major threat for communities living in or around tiger habitat. As the tiger's habitat shrinks, tigers are forced to hunt domestic livestock which many local communities depend on. In retaliation many tigers are killed or captured;

 (Please be aware graphic footage below)  

 

 

 

 

However, poaching is perhaps the most immediate threat to the last remaining tigers in the wild. Every part of the tiger from the whiskers to the tail is traded in illegal wildlife markets. In a relentless demand, their parts are used for traditional medicines and are increasingly seen as a status symbol among wealthy Asians.

 

More than 5,000 captive bread-tigers are held in sickening Chinese farms. These animals are kept in small cages and starved to the extent that there fur is hanging off their bones, where they are mercilessly being killed to decorate the houses of the elite while their bones are ground down to make toxic wines.

 

 

 

The impact from the death of a single tiger can have huge consequences for a local population. If the tiger that was killed was female with cubs, her cubs are likely to die without their mother and the female's potential for future breeding is lost. If a male is killed, then his death can result in increase competition for his territory among the remaining males creating further disruption in potential breeding males. With a global population of only 3,200 this is a huge problem.

 

However, there is still a future for the tiger if we act now. The World Wildlife Fund has set up a bold initiative of doubling the numbers of tigers in the wild by 2022. They are focusing on protecting and connecting key tiger habitat, monitoring tigers and their prey and building political will.

 

 

Heads of government from all over the world met in 2010 and set up the first Tiger Summit to finalize a Global Tiger Recovery Programme. The summit was met with a success and huge multi government backing was given to the creation of a plan to help reverse the decline in wild tiger populations.

 

However, as the number of tigers continue to decrease, many have argued that more action is needed  to save this amazing species. Of the nine original subspecies of tiger, the Bali, Caspian and Javan are already extinct and the South China Tiger has not been seen in the wild for over 40 years. The five which remain, the Siberian, Malayan, Indo-Chinese, Bengal and Sumatran, are "spread across south-east Asia, small areas of China and Russia, and the sub-continent, with around 1,400 in India."

 

With the Indian government pledging to spend over $150 million on tiger protection in the next five years and the sentencing for tiger poachers increased to six years, there are signs that the necessary steps are finally being taken. However, what is needed is a worldwide push to save the tiger. As Dr Barney Long states "Saving the tiger is simple. All they need is enough prey, space and protection. The difficult part is securing unswerving long-term commitment from the world to save this species".

 

In short, it is up to the world to decide if they want to save one of our most majestic and beautiful animals, or if they are happy to sit back and see the king of the jungle disappear forever.