Tiger Population
Until about 100 years ago, tigers roamed freely and in numerous quantities across countries such as India, China, Pakistan and others; today, the tiger population has taken a severe nosedive with numbers only in the thousands. Such a decline has occurred, in fact, that all tiger subspecies are considered endangered or threatened with conservation efforts in full force to ensure their survival.
Already three tiger subspecies have gone extinct, never again to be seen on earth in living form. These include the Caspian or Persian tiger, the Javan tiger and the Balinese tiger. Of these three big cats, the most recent to disappear in the 1980’s was the Javan, whose habitat was restricted to the island of Java in Indonesia. While unconfirmed sightings are still reported from time to time of the Caspian and Javan, the Balinese vanished in the late 1930’s. Tiger population numbers dwindled rapidly for each of these, and the widely held opinion is that the unfortunate animals were hunted to death, though the destruction of the cats’ natural habitat was also a viable factor.
Today, six remaining tiger subspecies battle for survival: the Siberian, the Bengal, the Indochinese, the South China, the Malayan and the Sumatran tiger still exist albeit in much smaller numbers than previous days. Stringent efforts are in place to stop the decline of the tiger population in India, where approximately 60% of the existing tigers live. On both a local and global level, conservation programs are being implemented to save the tiger population from disappearing altogether.
The programs are being designed for not only saving the current tiger population but also to provide a good environment to promote natural breeding of those existing tigers, building and strengthening populations of tomorrow. Addressing the issue of dependency on forest resources by introducing alternatives can help to rebuild the forests; the natural habitats of the tigers. Evidence shows that the restoration is working, with breeding occurring in the wild, increasing the numbers of tiger population.
Another method of conservation has taken place in Cambodia; an area that has seen alarming decreases in tiger population due to the black market medicine trade involving the big cats. The Wildlife Protection Office hired former tiger poachers to become community wildlife rangers to protect tigers in the wild and educate remote villages of the importance of their efforts. Tiger population can only become stable if everyone understands how dire the tiger’s future truly is, and then all work together to remedy the situation.
Efforts are in force to stabilize the tiger population in Russia, as well, where over 90% of the world’s Siberian tigers roam. Capturing tigers in the wild and fitting them with radio collars data is able to be collected and studied; furthering knowledge of the lifestyles of these magnificent creatures. Through knowledge, programs can be instituted for current and future implementation that will protect habitats of both the tiger and its prey. These efforts show true commitment to helping the tiger population regain numbers and avoid extinction.
Tiger populations across the world have dropped drastically, and only through efforts of tiger conservation with all government levels working together will the future of these powerful creatures be ensured.