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Tigers Are Fast Becoming An Extinct Animal

The Bali Tiger is an extinct tiger subspecie, together with the Javan Tiger and the Caspian Tiger. Active involvement of the local community is needed, if the remaining six tiger subspecies are to be saved from the fate of the Bali Tiger, above, that of extinction.

Tigers are fast becoming an extinct animal. Only 3,200 tigers of all six remaining tiger subspecies exist in the wild. Thirteen countries participated in the recent ‘Tiger Summit’ held in Russia, to create steps that will revive the continuously dwindling tiger population. Estimated to be around 100,000 one hundred years ago, the tiger population has shown no sign of veering from the course of near extinction.

The Tiger, Panthera Tigris, Might Soon Cease to Roam the Jungle

The Tiger, Panthera Tigris, might soon cease to roam the jungle. Three of the nine subspecies of the Tiger specie are extinct. Amur tigers are the largest among the six surviving subspecies. Only 450 of it remains in the Russian Far East, and 35, in the Russia-China border. Bengal tigers primarily live in India, with a population of 2,500 to 3,750, the largest tiger sub specie population of all; nonetheless, it still is an endangered animal in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN). Declared by the Chinese government as pests, which gave license for its hunting, the South China Tiger is listed as a critically endangered animal. Only forty of this sub specie remains in the world. Its wild population, if any still remains, is unknown. The Malayan tiger and the Indo-Chinese tiger subspecies are endangered animals, according to the IUCN and the Save the Tigers Fund, respectively. The smallest tiger sub specie, the Sumatran tiger, is a critically endangered animal. It is found only in the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Jail time and fines are supposed to protect the Sumatran tigers from extinction and conserve its population. It has the darkest coat of all tigers, and is  widely hunted for its skin and parts. Bali tigers, Javan tigers, and the Caspian tigers are extinct tiger subspecies. Bali tigers and Javan tigers became extinct in the 1940’s while the Caspian tiger ceased to exist in the 1980’s, because of their hunting and that of their prey, and loss of their habitat.

The ‘Tiger Summit’ in Russia

The ‘Tiger Summit’ was recently held in St. Petersburg, Russia, to create steps that will revive the dwindling tiger population. Thirteen countries participated in the event, hosted by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and the World Bank based in Saint Petersburg. World Bank President Robert Zoellick cites the causes of the threatening tiger extinction as the destruction of its habitat and the illegal haunting and slaughtering of tigers. Poachers and organized hunting groups hunt tigers for their bones, claws, skin, and meat. Tiger parts are on demand for making amulets and Chinese traditional medicine and in private collections. Instilling concern and arousing support for tigers among the local people residing in tiger habitats is the key to protecting tigers from extinction, backed by a strong and active political will. As Zoellick said, ‘If you don’t have local ownership, it won’t work.”

References:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20101120/sc_livescience/lastchanceforthetigersaysworldbankpresident;_ylt=Agxl.LaCYOfDF08PLFqB9_WHfNdF

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101121/ap_on_sc/eu_russia_saving_tigers;_ylt=AgIDLY14rpMGT0fbTCQxxJyHfNdF

December 20, 2010 - Posted by fpierredunn | Animals & Pets, New | Extinct Tiger Subspecies, Panthera Tigris, The ‘Tiger Summit’ in Russia, The Tiger (Panthera Tigris) Might Soon Cease to Roam the Jungle, The Tiger as an Endangered Animal, Tiger Subspecies, Tigers, Tigers Are Fast Becoming an Extinct Animal