Tigers are critically endangered, with populations having declined by over 95% in the past century. There are now fewer than 3,500 tigers remaining in the wild, with 50% found in India. The key reasons for their endangerment are poaching for skins and body parts used in traditional medicine and loss of habitat due to human population growth. There are 6 surviving subspecies of tiger: Sumatran, Amur, Bengal, South China, Malayan, and Indo-Chinese. Efforts are underway worldwide to save the remaining tiger populations.
2. Informationabout tigers
• TIGERS ON the threshold of extinction. According to WWF, Tigers are
amongst the ten most endangered species in the world. Over the last century
more than 95 per cent of the Tiger population has been wiped out & three
sub-species are already extinct. Less than 3500 tigers remain in the wild
today with around 50 per cent in India and their numbers are declining fast.
The world is abuzz with news, views and moves in a bid to save the Tiger.
4. Reasaonfor extensionof tiger
• They are illegally killedor poached because their pelts are valuable in the black market trade, their
body parts are used in traditional Asian medicines and they are seen as threats to human
communities. There is also large scale habitat loss due to human population growth and
expansion.
5. Endangeredspecies of tiger
• The main reasons tigers are endangered—in most cases, critically endangered—
are illegal hunting for their pelts, meat and body parts (used in folk medicines) as
well as habitat loss that results from logging and other forms of forest
destruction.
6. Namesof speciesof tiger
• Sumatran Tiger.
• Amur tiger
• Indian (or Bengal) tiger
• South China tiger
• Malayan tiger
• Indo-Chinese tiger