The Chinese Year of the Tiger
{21.01.10} sees the awesomely beautiful and efficient feline on the bring of extinction. A tragic story, but one that can have a happier ending if, and that is a big word, the countries that are the tiger's home range make good on their proposals to double tiger populations by 2022, the next Year of the Tiger. The world population of tigers in the wild is estimated at 3,200 individuals. Thirteen countries met in Bali to try and agree on a global plan to prevent the big cat from disappearing in the wild. The meeting laid the groundwork for a later 'Tiger Summit' in Saint Petersburg, Russia where it is hoped the proposals can be made into binding commitments. The leaders at the Bali meeting apparently realize healthy tiger populations are a good indication of healthy forests that serve as huge carbon sinks. Efforts to curb global warming should benefit tigers, whose natural habitats are being destroyed at an alarming rate. Tigers also suffer from an insidious, irrational trade in body parts as well as retaliatory killing by villagers. The Bali tiger went extinct in 1940. Of the nine subspecies recognized by biologists only six remain today: Sumatran, Bengal, Amur, Indochinese, South China and Malayan. The Indonesian government was complimented by attendees for taking the initiative to hold the meeting on Bali as a symbol of its commitment to bring tiger populations up to more sustainable level. Igor Chesting, head of the Russian delegation got it right when he said, "The fate of the world's tigers is in our hands. We must not squander this opportunity to collectively do all it takes to ensure its survival..."
[photo: hubpages.com/hub/Siberian-Tigers]
