It is the year of the Tiger on the Chinese calendar. This new year finds the tiger in tough shape. There may be as few as 3,200 individuals still living in tiger range. Dr. Eric Dinerstein of the World Wildlife Fund is still optimistic about the future of
Panthera tigris in the wild. According to Dr. Dinerstein there is about 425,000 square miles of tiger habitat remaining in the world, enough to support 20,000 to 30,000 wild tigers. WWF and its partners have successfully brought back other species from the edge of extinction. At the turn of the last century there were only 100 southern white rhino clinging to survival in a reserve. Now because of conservationists' direct intervention more than 17,000 live in the wild, albeit still under threat from ivory poachers. Tigers breed much more robustly than white rhinos. Developing countries in tiger range must consider the needs of their remaining tigers when making plans for human infrastructure. Poaching is one of the greatest threats facing wild tigers. Education and law enforcement in the field are the two best ways to counter this threat to the tiger's existence. There are around 5,000 captive tigers in the United States. Allowing captive tiger parts to reach the black market also poses a threat to wild populations because the supply stimulates further consumer demand, leading to more poaching in the wild. You can help protect the wild tiger by asking our government to close loopholes in protected species regulations, and prevent the use of captive tiger products. Take action and go to
www.worldwildlife.org/tigerpolicies
