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