Endangered Species
Tiger
An animal of imagination and mystery, the tiger is an extremely popular species
world-wide. Their are five remaining subspecies of Tigers left in the wild. They
are the Sumatran, Bengal, Siberian, South China and Indochinese. Three
subspecies of tiger, the Bali, Caspian and Javan, have gone extinct in the 20th
century. This solitary and magnificent mammal suffers extreme population decline
due to loss of habitat, reduction in numbers of its prey, deliberate poisoning
by farmers as they are considered a threat to livestock, poaching and hunting.
The skins and bones, blood and other body parts of the tiger are thought to have
medicinal properties throughout
Asia.
The Five Remaining Tiger Subspecies
The Sumatran Tiger - Panthera tigris sumatrae with it's
dark coat is the smallest of the remaining five tiger species. It lives in the
forests of the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. Their population in the wild is
estimated to range between 400 and 500 individuals located primarily in the
Sumatra's five national parks.The average weight of a male Sumatran Tiger is 120
Kg. There are approx 190 in captivity.
The Indochinese Tiger
- Smaller and darker than Bengal tigers,
Panthera tigris corbetti is primarily located in Thailand but can also be
found in Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and southern China.
It is believed that as many as 1000 to 1500 members Indo-Chinese tigers survive
in the wild.
Bengal Tiger -
Panthera tigris tigris the most commonly known of all tigers and
can be found in a variety of habitats in including lush forests, swamps and high
altitudes of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Their wild population is
approximately 3,000 to 4,750 tigers.
Siberian Tiger - At up to 350 kilos, Panthera tigris
altaica is the largest of all the tigers and in is actually the biggest cat on
Earth. The Amur tiger as is also known can be found primarily in the
forests of eastern Russia, It is estimated that 360–400 live in the wild
although their are about 490 captive Siberian tigers
The South China Tiger
- Panthera tigris amoyensis is the most critically endangered of all tigers. As
it's name suggests it is found in Central and eastern China. The South China
tiger is the smallest of the tigers at 150 kilos. It's estimated that fewer than
30 can be found in the wild and 47 individuals currently live in zoo's
throughout China.
Tiger Images and Photographs
Tiger photos courtesy and copyright Fiona Anderson. Used
with permission.
Tiger photo courtesy and copyright Art Slack. Used with
permission.
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photos? Try here
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The World
Wildlife Fund will be running an online tiger adoption program from May 1 - June
30. Please visit their
Tiger Adoption Center
Tiger Information Center -
forum for exchanging information relevant to the preservation of wild tigers.
Internet Tiger Activists -
dedicated to saving the species from extinction.
Tiger Watch - dedicated to the survival of the remaining
five sub-species of the tiger, with up-to-date information.
The Tiger's Paw -
source for current news as well as information about Siberian Tigers and their
conservation organizations.
Tigers in Crisis -
highlights the problems which have led to declining numbers of tigers, and
discusses conservation efforts.
Tigers in the Wild - includes information on the tiger in
history and culture, current threats, and what needs to be done. From the World
Wildlife Fund.
Tiger Posters Online
Tiger Art
Online
"Bengal Tiger" by D. Smith
"Tiger Portrait" by Robert Bateman
