A Resting Bengal Tiger

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The tiger (Panthera tigris), one of the world's most beautiful and revered animals, stands near the brink of extinction. Since the turn of the century, its habitat and numbers have been reduced by up to 95 per cent. For a million years the tiger ruled over a territory stretching from eastern Turkey to North Korea, its forest home extending northward to Siberia and southward into Bali. In this century alone, three sub-species of tiger were driven into extinction, including the Bali, Javan, and Caspian. Tragically, the remaining five sub-species are at risk of meeting the same fate.

The tiger faces an onslaught of poaching throughout its range. In 1991, one-third of the Siberian or Amur tigers were killed to meet the demand for their bones and other parts. These are used in the production of traditional medicine which is sold in the markets of China, Taiwan, and Korea, and even exported to the USA and Europe (explained in detail below). Now there are less than 50 Siberian tigers left on this planet--fewer than 20 in the wild. Unfortunately, this leaves the Siberian tigers prone to genetic disease (described specifically below). In addition, tigers compete with expanding populations of human industry for land and food, and are killed by poachers when interfering with the plans of man. If these trends continue, despite many laws and conservation efforts, the wild tiger may soon be doomed to extinction.

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