![]() ![]() To learn more about tigers, watch this Tigers 101 video. Cubs cannot hunt until they are 18 months old, and remain with their mothers for two to three years, when they disperse to find their own territory. Reproductionįemales give birth to litters of two to six cubs, which they raise with little or no help from the male. These animals are often sick and unable to hunt normally, or live in areas where their traditional prey has vanished. ![]() A hungry tiger can eat as much as 60 pounds in one night, though they usually eat less.ĭespite their fearsome reputation, most tigers avoid humans however, a few do become dangerous killers. They lie in wait and creep close enough to attack their victims with a quick spring and a fatal pounce. Tigers use their distinctive coats as camouflage (no two have exactly the same stripes) and hunt by stealth. They are powerful hunters that travel many miles to find prey, such as elk and wild boar, on nocturnal hunts. Tigers live alone and aggressively scent-mark large territories to keep their rivals away. Poaching is a reduced-but still very significant-threat to Siberian tigers. All six remaining tiger subspecies are threatened, and many protection programs are in place. ![]() Tigers are hunted as trophies and also for body parts that are used in traditional Chinese medicine. Over the last hundred years, hunting and forest destruction have reduced overall tiger populations dramatically. In its natural environment, the White Tiger has no predators due to the fact that it is such a big and powerful animal itself. There were once nine tiger subspecies, but three became extinct during the 20th century. Tigers are the largest of all wild cats and are renowned for their power and strength. According to a report by Shepherd and Magnus, from 1998 to 2002 at least 51 tigers per year were killed, 76 percent for trade and 15 percent because of. genitalia for food, and skin for fur) continues to pose an enormous threat. The vast woodlands also allow tigers far more room to roam, as Russia's timber industry is currently less extensive than that of many other countries. The smallest of all living tigers, the Sumatran tiger weighs 260 pounds on average and is up to eight feet long. Northern forests offer the lowest human density of any tiger habitat, and the most complete ecosystem. Though their northern climate is far harsher than those of other tigers, these animals have some advantages. They live primarily in eastern Russia's birch forests, though some exist in China and North Korea. Not only can this result in human/tiger conflicts as tigers roam to find new habitats, but it can also result in inbreeding in small populations which can reduce genetic diversity.Siberian (or Amur) tigers may be the world's largest cats. This results in small pockets of tiger habitat surrounded by human populations. Only 7% of the tiger’s historical range is intact today and tiger habitats are left in isolated areas. Over the past 100 years, tiger habitats have dwindled as they've been overtaken by agriculture, plantations, timber logging, human settlements and access routes. Loss of habitatĪn increase in human populations throughout tiger range countries has resulted in tiger habitats being reduced. By supporting charities such as the EIA, who conduct undercover investigations, we can help to do this. It is vital that we work to expose the criminals involved and uncover the illegal sale of tiger parts in order to prevent this trade from continuing. With illegal wildlife trade thought to be worth around US$10billion per year, the illegal trade in tigers (and other Asian big cats) has generated millions for organised criminal networks. įollow this link to watch the EIA's Hidden in Plain Sight video. If you then take the INTERPOL rule of thumb – contraband seized is about 10% of what is actually being trafficked – the figure of poached and illegally traded tigers is probably, unfortunately, a lot higher. Since 2000, the skins and carcasses of at least 1,031 tigers have been intercepted in trade and an additional 136 live tigers have also been seized. Both are traded by illegal criminal syndicates for huge profits. Skins are seen as status symbols, used for home décor, whilst bones are used in tonics and medicines. The continued demand is putting the species under huge pressure and driving them closer and closer to extinction. Demand for tiger skin, bone and other body parts, fuels and finances organised poaching and trafficking, which has had a rapid effect on tiger sub-populations and resulted in localised extinctions. Poaching and the illegal trade is, without a doubt, the biggest and most concerning threat that the world's remaining wild tigers face. Tigers are threatened by habitat loss, conflict with humans, and poaching to feed to the illegal trade in tiger parts and products. Unfortunately, the threats that are driving tigers closer to extinction all stem from us, man.
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