Extinct Tiger Subspecies
 In the last half century we have
lost three subspecies of tiger. The Bali
tiger went extinct in the 1940’s, followed by the Caspian
tiger in the 1970’s and the Javan
tiger in the 1980’s. It is also likely that we have lost
the South China tiger in the wild and only a few individuals of this
subspecies remain in captivity.
People living alongside tiger have historically regarded them as
vermin. People persecuted tigers to protect their own livelihoods, in
much the same way as wolves have been persecuted in the United States.
People living in tiger landscapes deal on a daily basis with the dangers
of a predator that occasionally eats their livestock. As growing
human populations fragment tiger habitats, there is a need for mutual
respect and tolerance for tigers.
Tigers are a resilient and fast-breeding species. Their needs are
quite simple-they need they need a lot of space, protection from
poachers and abundant prey animals. Given these simple ingredients
tigers could survive indefinitely, yet tiger populations
continue to take a beating. Tiger habitats have declined by up to 40%
across their range in the last 10 years. As tigers are lost there
is growing recognition that people are losing an integral
piece of their historical and cultural identity that can never be
replaced.
Tigers are one of the most charismatic species on the face of
the planet. They are a flagship for conservation efforts throughout
Asia. Tigers need space and food just as much as people do, but
this space is not freely available in Asia where growing human
populations live in poverty and clamor for more land. It
is impossible for politicians to place the welfare of
animals above their constituents, so saving tigers in the 21st
Century will require strong political will, dedicated communities,
good science and a growing appreciation of the value of wild
tigers as an important national treasure.
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