KING OF THE JUNGLE " ENDANGERED TO EXTINCT "

IUCN RED LIST claims a total of 63,837 species out of which 19,817 species are threatened with extinction (3,947 described as "critically endangered" and 5,766 as "endangered", while more than 10,000 species are listed as "vulnerable") on 19 July 2012 at Rio+20 Earth Summit.

Among this list is the TOP PREDATOR OF THE ECOSYSTEM , 

THE TIGER

A hundred years ago there were 100,000 tigers in the wild with nine subspecies, Today there are as few as 3,200. Only 7% of the historic tiger habitat still contains tigers.

SPECIES

ROYAL BENGAL TIGER

NATIVE : INDIA, BANGLADESH, NEPAL & BHUTAN

POPULATION : 2500 OR LESS

STATUS : ENDANGERED

MALAYAN TIGER

NATIVE : MALAY PENINSULA

POPULATION : 500 OR LESS

STATUS : ENDANGERED

SUMATRAN TIGER

NATIVE : ISLANDS OF SUMATRA

POPULATION : 400 OR LESS

STATUS : CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

INDOCHINESE TIGER

NATIVE : THAILAND-MYANMAR BORDER, SOUTHERN LAOS AND CENTRAL VIETNAM
POPULATION : 350 OR LESS

STATUS : ENDANGERED

SOUTH CHINA TIGER

NATIVE : SOUTHEAST CHINA
POPULATION : ZERO (HAS NOT BEEN SIGHTED FOR MORE THAN 15 YEARS, 
SO CONSIDERED 'FUNCTIONALLY EXTINCT' )

STATUS : CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

JAVAN TIGER

NATIVE : INDONESIAN ISLAND OF JAVA
POPULATION : ZERO 

STATUS : EXTINCT

CASPIAN TIGER

NATIVE : INDONESIAN ISLAND OF JAVA
POPULATION : ZERO 

STATUS : EXTINCT

SIBERIAN TIGER

NATIVE : INDONESIAN ISLAND OF JAVA
POPULATION : ZERO 

STATUS : EXTINCT

BALINESE TIGER

NATIVE : INDONESIAN ISLAND OF JAVA
POPULATION : ZERO 

STATUS : EXTINCT

DECLINE OF WILD TIGERS AT A SPEED NEVER EXPECTED

A century ago there were 100,000 tigers in forests, swamps and tundra of Asia.
Today, there are as few as 3,200 left in the wild. Only 7% of historic tiger habitat still contains tigers.

THREATS

What and who all are becoming a threat for TIGERS' survival :

There is no single cause leading the tiger to extinction. Poaching and habitat loss are major contributors to the decline in the wild tiger population, a combination of all these threats are often to blame.

ILLEGAL TRADE

Tigers are being hunted to extinction by poachers for their skins, bones, teeth and claws, which are highly valued for their use in traditional Asian medicine (TAM), various folk remedies and various products. The wildlife trade network, TRAFFIC, found that for the past two years, the smuggled parts from at least 200 tigers have been confiscated per year by law enforcement in Asia. In the past 10 years, over 1000 tigers have been killed to traffic their parts to meet consumer demand in Asia.

Illegal trade of Tiger skin and body parts

Chinese medicine using Tiger parts as ingredients

Tiger tooth used as ornament  

Every part of the tiger—from whisker to tail—is traded in illegal wildlife markets. Poaching is the most immediate threat to wild tigers.

HABITAT LOSS

Tigers have lost 93% of their historic range. Their habitat has been destroyed, degraded and fragmented by human activities, including the clearing of forests for agriculture and timber trade and development activities such as the building of road networks. Fewer tigers can survive in small, scattered islands of habitat, which lead to a higher risk of inbreeding. These small islands of habitat also make tigers more vulnerable to poaching.

Tiger walking in a deforested region

HUMAN WILDLIFE CONFLICT

People and tigers increasingly compete for space. The conflict threatens the world’s remaining wild tigers and poses a major problem for communities living in or near tiger forests. As forests shrink and prey gets scarce, tigers are forced to hunt domestic livestock, which many local communities depend on for their livelihood. In retaliation, tigers are killed or captured. “Conflict” tigers are known to end up for sale in black markets. Local community dependence on forests for fuel wood, food and timber also heightens the risk of tiger attacks.

Tiger entering human community

PREY BASE DEPLETION 

People and  tigers compete for similar foods such as deer and pigs. Rudimental traps left to capture prey can also seriously injure or kill tigers. Additionally, overhunting of the tiger’s prey means they may struggle to feed themselves and their cubs.

CLIMATE CHANGE

One of the world’s largest tiger populations is found in the Sundarbans—a large mangrove forest area shared by India and Bangladesh on the northern coast of the Indian Ocean. This area harbors Bengal tigers and protects coastal regions from storm surges and wind damage. However, rising sea levels caused by climate change threaten to wipe out these forests and the last remaining habitat of this tiger population. According to a WWF study, without mitigation efforts, projected sea level rise—nearly a foot by 2070—could destroy nearly the entire Sundarbans tiger habitat.

TIGER CONSERVATION

The tiger is an iconic species, and tiger conservation is involved in attempts to prevent the animal from becoming extinct and preserving its natural habitat. This is one of the main objectives of international animal conservation charities. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)  is an international governance network employing tools and measures which is aimed at protecting the tiger and ban the trade of tigers or tiger derivatives. CITES members have agreed to adhere to this international trade ban; once a member states ratifies and implements CITES it bans such trade within its national borders.

The CITES works closely with NGOs such as The Trade Records Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce (TRAFFIC) to assist member states with the implementation of the convention. States are provided with training and information about requirements (when necessary), and their progress and compliance are monitored and evaluated.

In order for CITES to work effectively it requires the involvement of institutions, NGOs, civil society and member states: especially Asian tiger range member countries. The Tiger Range Countries (TRC) – countries where tigers still roam free are: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia,Thailand, Vietnam and North-Korea. Whilst there have been no recent tigers sightings in North-Korea, it is the only country listed which has not ratified CITES.

WORLDWIDE PROJECTS TO PRESERVE THE WILD CAT

• PROJECT TIGER - started in 1972 in INDIA
• TAL ( Terai-Arc Landscape) in Nepal and Northern India
• TIGERS FOREVER by collaboration of PANTHERA & WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY(WCS) in 2006 in INDIA, MYANMAR, THAILAND, LAO PDR, MALAYSIA, INDONESIA.
• TIGER CORRIDOR INITIATIVE (TCI)
• SAVE THE TIGER FUND (STF) IN 1995
• SAVE TIGERS NOW by WWF
• GLOBAL TIGER INITIATIVE (GTI) IN 2008

LOOKS LIKE WE ARE LOOKING AT THE LAST OF THEIR TYPES, SO EVERYONE WHO READS THIS BLOG  PLEASE TRY TO SHOW SOME CONCERN FOR THESE LITTLE ONES AND LET THEM SEE THE FUTURE WORLD.

HELP SAVE TIGERS

BIRDS OF PARADISE

Paradisaea rubra or Red bird of Paradise

The birds-of-paradise are members of the family Paradisaeidae found on the island of New Guinea.

DESCRIPTION

 The family has forty species in 14 genera.

Birds of paradise are generally crow-like in general body-form.

The members of this family are perhaps best known for the plumage of the males of most species, in particular highly elongated and elaborate feathers extending from the beak, wings or head.

Birds-of-paradise range in size from the King Bird-of-paradise at 50 g and 15 cm to the Curl-crested Manucode at 44 cm and 430 g.

The male Black Sicklebill, with its long tail, is the longest species at 110 cm (43 in).

For the most part they are confined to dense rainforest habitat.

The diet of all species is dominated by fruit and to a lesser extent arthropods.

Paradisaea rudolphi or Blue bird of Paradise

The species is approximately 30 cm long, black with a bluish-white bill, dark brown iris, grey legs, broken white eye-ring and bright blue wings. The male is adorned with violet blue and cinnamon flank plumes and two long ribbon-like tail feathers. The female has a chestnut brown below.

It is a VULNERABLY THREATENED SPECIES.

Paradisaea decora or Goldie's Bird of Paradise

Goldie's Bird of Paradise is a large, approximately 33 cm long, olive-brown bird of paradise. The male has a yellow and dark green plumage with a lavender grey breast, yellow iris and grey colored bill, mouth and feet. It is adorned with large crimson ornamental flank plumes and two long tail wires. The male is distinguished from other species by its lavender grey breast plumage. Unadorned female has an olive-brown plumage with cinnamon brown below.

Paradisaea guilielmi or Emperor bird of Paradise

Emperor of Germany's Bird-of-paradise is a large, approximately 33 cm long, yellow and brown bird with a reddish-brown iris, bluish-grey bill and purplish-brown legs. The male has an extensive dark emerald green face and throat, two very long tail wires and large white ornamental flank plumes. The female is almost similar to the male, but has an all brown plumage, smaller in size and has no ornamental plumes.

 Paradisaea minor or Lesser Bird-of-paradise

The Lesser Bird-of-paradise is medium-sized, up to 32 cm-long, maroon-brown with a yellow crown and brownish-yellow upper back. The male has a dark emerald-green throat, a pair of long tail-wires and is adorned with ornamental flank plumes which are deep yellow at their base and fade outwards into white. The female is a maroon bird with a dark-brown head and whitish underparts.

Paradisaea apoda or Greater Bird-of-paradise

The Greater Bird-of-paradise is the largest member in the genus, with males measuring up to 43 cm (excluding the long twin tail wires). The female is smaller, at only 35 cm. The plumage of this species is also sexually dimorphic. The male has an iridescent green face and a yellow glossed with silver iridescence crown, head and nape. The rest of the body plumage is maroon-brown. The flank plumes, used in displays, are yellow at the base, turning white and streaked with maroon. The female has unbarred maroon brown plumage. In both sexes the iris is yellow and the bills blue.

Paradisaea raggiana or Raggiana Bird-of-paradise

It is 34 cm long, maroon-brown with a greyish-blue bill, yellow iris and greyish-brown feet. The male has a yellow crown, dark emerald-green throat and yellow collar between the throat and its blackish upper breast feathers. It is adorned with a pair of long black tail wires and large flank plumes. The female is a comparatively drab maroonish-brown bird with no long tail feathers. The ornamental flank plumes vary from red to orange in color. one of the subspecies has the deepest red plumes, another subspecies of northeast New Guinea, also known as the Empress of Germany's bird of Paradise, has apricot-orange plumes.