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Why are tigers in trouble?
At the beginning of the last century it is estimated that there
were 100,000 wild tigers, today the number is about 5,000. Simply put,
tigers are disappearing in the wild. The main threats to tigers are:
People continue to kill tigers:
Tigers are legally protected in all of the countries in which they
live today, and international trade in tiger parts is prohibited. Yet,
illegal trade in tiger bones and skins flourishes across international
borders and within tiger range countries. People continue to poach
tigers, and law enforcement agencies in tiger range countries continue
to confiscate large quantities of bone and skins. The main obstacle to
wildlife conservation in Asia today is that eliminating illegal wildlife
trade is not a priority on any country’s national agenda.
People continue to destroy, fragment and degrade existing and
potential tiger habitats and overkill the tigers prey:
Poised at the top of an intricate ecosystem, the endangered tiger is
an indicator of ecosystems in crisis. Conservationists must create
bottom-up support for tiger conservation and enlist key social,
governmental, and corporate support for the tiger’s survival in
the wild. Save The Tiger Fund views the maintenance of viable tiger
populations as an essential component of sustainable ecosystem
management and is working to reduce poaching, connect fragmented
landscapes, prevent existing habitats from being fragmented by human
activities.
Insufficient knowledge of what tigers need to survive in the
changing landscapes of Asia and inadequate strategies and tools to meet
these needs:
Despite a decade of conservation investment, our knowledge of the
tiger’s ecological needs and the strategies and tools needed to
meet them remains inadequate. There is also a critical shortage of
trained conservation practitioners, organizations, alliances and
networks that recognize the tiger’s ecological needs and know how
to link the tiger’s survival with the welfare of people. A
divergence of opinion and lack of collective knowledge on the current
distribution and population trends of tigers further restricts our
ability to identify and respond to impending crises.
Lack of recognition and visibility to mobilize multisector
support:
Effective communications messages, tools and tactics – are
critical to saving tigers. Communications needs to be part of the
ongoing efforts to increase international visibility on tiger
conservation and to develop and sustain key partnerships and
constituents that support work to save the tiger from extinction.
Attitudes towards tigers are slowly changing from from one of disdain to
respect in many tiger landscapes. Politicians need to wholeheartedly
support initiatives that help to preserve tigers which are an important
ingredient in the ecological and cultural fabric of Asia, and businesses
need to come together and provide financial assistance to support
ongoing conservation efforts.
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