Tigers are one of the worlds most recognizable animals. However, Tigers are also an endangered big cat which is slowly disappearing from the world. Just a few days ago, it was reported that Tigers could become extinct within the next 10 years - that is within our lifetime. We could be the generation that sees these beautiful animals become extinct, if we do not do anything to preserve them, and their habitats. There is still time to save Tigers, and their habitats. However, time is not on our side, and is slowly slipping away.
We will be the generation who either saves Tigers, or lets them go extinct. The choice is ours to make.
Tigers were not always at risk of extinction, like they are today. Once, there was a thriving Tiger population in the world. In the beginning of the 20th century, there was around 100,000 Tigers in the wild. Contrast that to today, where the Tiger population is no more than 4,000 individual Tigers in the wild - and you can see how quickly, and dramatically the Tiger population has declined. The Tiger population has declined in just 100 years.
Why?
India has had a long history of hunting this big cat. It was especially common for the Indian nobility to hunt these big cats. This was something that continued to happen under the British occupation of India, during the late 19th century and early 20th century.
During the early 20th century, the hunting of Tigers, specifically in places such as India, became heavy and intense. Tigers had always been hunted and persecuted in India. However, during the occupation of India, by the UK, that hunting an persecution of Tigers increased dramatically. Tigers were hunted in India by the wealthy British elite during the early 20th century - it was something that resulted in a dramatically decline of the Tiger population.
By the time that the UK pulled out of India in 1947, the Tiger population was at 40,000. The heavy hunting of Tigers by the British wealthy elite, resulted in more than half of the Tiger population being wiped out by 1947. The end of British rule in India, was not the end of the persecution of Tigers in India, though.
Tigers continued to be persecuted and hunted after 1947, in independent India. Tiger hunting escalated after India achieved its independence. These big cats were hunted and persecuted in independent India to near extinction - the Tiger population had dropped to (roughly) where it is today - since then, the Tiger population has never really recovered.
And. Even though the killing of Tigers has been banned in India since 1971, it sadly still happens. Tigers are still persecuted in the country today. Not just in India, but everywhere they are found.
The heavy persecution of Tigers in the early 20th century, is also mirrored in Russia. Russia also heavily persecuted and hunted Tigers in the early 20th century. They also done it when they were colonizing Asian countries during the early 20th century. This also resulted in a massive declined in Tigers: Amur Tigers, which exist in Russia and China. China has also played its part on Amur Tigers being hunted (to near extinction). Today, there are only around 540 Amur Tigers left in the wild, due to both Russia and China persecuting and hunting Amur Tigers.
Amur Tigers are still endangered, however, due to successful conservation work, their numbers have increased significantly. By the 1940s, there were only 40 Amur Tigers remaining in the wild. Today, there are 540 Amur Tigers remaining. In 2010, Russia and China agreed to protect Amur Tigers. If Amur Tigers, and other Tigers are to survive, then this has to be the way forward - governments have to protect Tigers, and their habitats.
What About Tigers Today?
Tigers in the world are in a very precarious position today: they are one of the worlds most endangered animals. All species of Tiger are either endangered, or critically endangered. These animals are one of the worlds most endangered animals. They are also well-known for being one of the worlds most endangered animals.
There are a total of six species of Tiger. The six species of Tiger are: (1) the Sumatran Tiger, (2) the Amur Tiger, (3) the Bengal Tiger, (4) the Indochinese Tiger, (5) the South China Tiger, and (6) the Malayan Tiger. Most of these Tigers are found in Asia, and the Amur Tiger is found in both Asia, and in Russia.
The Sumatran Tiger
The Sumatran Tiger is the worlds most endangered Tiger species. The Sumatran Tiger is critically endangered: there are only around 400 Sumatran Tigers living in the wild today. The live in the Sumatran forest. Sumatran Tigers are faced with two threats to their existence - the illegal wildlife trade, and the loss of their forest habitat.
The Amur Tiger
The Amur Tiger doesn't fare much better than their Sumatran cousins. The Amur Tiger is an endangered animal. There are only around 540 Amur Tigers remaining in the wild today, in both Russia and China. There could also be Amur Tigers in North Korea. However, due to the secretive nature of North Korea, it is not known if, or how many Amur Tigers exist in the country. Amur Tigers face the same threats as Sumatran Tigers - they are threatened with a loss of their habitat, and the illegal wildlife trade.
The Bengal Tiger
The Bengal Tiger is probably the worlds most famous Tiger: they are found in India. Their population is more healthy than other Tiger species. However, that is not saying much., The Bengal Tiger is still threatened with extinction, as they are also an endangered animal. Currently, there is thought to be 2,500 Bengal Tigers in the wild today. Bengal Tigers face more conflicts than the other Tigers on this list. Sadly, Bengal Tigers are threatened with: loss of habitat, the illegal wildlife trade, conflict with humans, and a loss of their prey.
The Indochinese Tiger
The Indochinese Tiger is also another Tiger species which are endangered. Although, the Indochinese Tiger probably should be considered a critically endangered species due to their very low population: there are currently only around 350 Indochinese Tigers left in the wild today. Sadly, these Tigers face three threats: poaching, the illegal wildlife trade, and a loss of habitat.
The South China Tiger
The South China Tiger is classed as a critically endangered animal. However, today, they are thought to be extinct. They have not been seen in the wild for over 25 years.
The Malayan Tiger
The Malayan Tiger is the last of the Tiger species in the wild today. It wasn't until very recently that we knew that the Malayan Tiger was, and is in fact a different species than the Indochinese Tiger - it was thought that the Malayan Tiger was the same species as the Indochinese Tiger until 2004. Sadly, like other Tiger species on this list, the Malayan Tiger is critically endangered. There are thought to be only between 250 to 340 Malayan Tigers left in the wild today.
Like the other Tigers, Malayan Tigers face a similar threat to their existence. They are threatened with extinction due to a loss in habitat, and the illegal wildlife trade.
The Future Of The Worlds Tigers
The future of the worlds Tigers remains in our hands. We are the ones that can prevent them from going extinct.
There are several ways that we can prevent Tigers from going extinct. One of the key ways to prevent these beautiful animals from becoming extinct, is by preserving their habitat. Tigers cannot exist without their habitats; they cannot exist without their homes. Tigers need their habitats to live in and to hunt in - without these places surviving, the Tiger will go extinct. We can also prevent them from going extinct by tackling the illegal wildlife trade in Tiger parts.
Tigers are too often killed for their parts to be sold off for a profit. Things such as Tiger fur and bones are sold, and this is a large contributing factor into this animals demise. By refusing to purchase these products, we help to squash the illegal wildlife trade. If however, we purchase things such as Tiger fur, we play a role in Tigers being killed.
Whether Tigers survive will be up to our generation living today. It is thought that Tigers could become extinct in as little as ten years.
Tigers could become extinct within our lifetime, not hundreds of years in the future. Let us not wake up a few years from now one morning, turn on the news, and hear that 'Tigers have gone extinct.' Instead, let us be the generation that saved this marvelous cat from extinction.