29 July is “International Tiger Day”.
Tigers may be one of the most admired animals, but they are also vulnerable to extinction. The world has lost 97% of all wild tigers in a bit over 100 years. Instead of 100,000 that roamed in the wild, not even 4,000 survive today. Worse, a number of tiger species are already extinct. We can’t let the same happen to those that survive.
At this rate, all tigers living in the wild could be extinct in 5 years!
How did this happen?
Habitat loss
Tigers lost 93% of their natural habitat due to the expansion of cities and agriculture by humans.
Fewer tigers can survive in small, scattered islands of habitat, which lead to a higher risk of inbreeding. These small islands of habitat also make tigers more vulnerable to poaching
Human wildlife conflict
People and tigers are competing for space. The conflict threatens the world’s remaining wild tigers and poses a major problem for communities living in or near tiger forests. As forests shrink and prey gets scarce, tigers are forced to hunt domestic livestock, which many local communities depend on for their livelihood. In retaliation, tigers are killed or captured. “Conflict” tigers are known to end up for sale in black markets. Local community dependence on forests for fuelwood, food and timber also heightens the risk of tiger attacks.
So called “climate change”
One of the world’s largest tiger populations is found in the Sundarbans—a large mangrove forest area shared by India and Bangladesh on the northern coast of the Indian Ocean. This area harbors Bengal tigers and protects coastal regions from storm surges and wind damage. However, rising sea levels threaten to wipe out these forests and the last remaining habitat of this tiger population. According to a WWF study, without mitigation efforts, projected sea level rise—nearly a foot by 2070—could destroy nearly the entire Sundarbans tiger habitat.
Source: Times of India
More to read: Only 106 tigers left in the Sundarbans in Bangladesh