"The tiger is a large-hearted gentleman with boundless courage." - Jim Corbett

One of the most majestic cats is also among the world's most endangered mammals. In recent years, the population of tigers in the wild has dropped dramatically. Numerous tiger species are on the brink of extinction, following the vanished populations of three subspecies in just 60 years.

Today, Amur (Siberian), Malayan, South China, Indo-Chinese, Royal Bengal and Sumatran Tigers are on the brink... The numbers of these wild beasts are declining rapidly.

The original range of tigers spread over lands from Siberia to Bali, and Turkey to the east coasts of Russia and China. The magnificent cats roam mountains, forests and jungles, adapting to a wide variety of terrain. Nonetheless, tigers prefer to live in the underbrush, hiding in tall grasses, and using their natural camouflage to hide from prey.

Today, tigers are endangered in part because they are being squeezed out by growing human populations, but also because poachers continue to prey on the cats for their skins and other body parts, used for concocting Chinese medicines. Also, like the Giant Panda, the habitat of the tigers is being separated/fragmented, which makes it harder for their survival.

The tiger was first declared an endangered species in 1969. But sadly, over the past century, the Earth has witnessed the fasted growing disappearance of any other species. Close to 99% of the wild cats have been wiped out in 100 years.

What is the bottom line?

First and foremost, the loss of thick forests have accelerated in Asia. Like areas of Tropical rain forests, vast swathes are cleared for agricultural production. When this happens, tigers lose their vegetative cover, are forced into inhabited areas for prey, and get killed by people protecting livestock.

Second, poaching of tigers still occurs. No mind that its illegal to do so. People are willing to take risks because the payout is so high. From $20,000 for a tiger hide, to hundreds of dollars per pound for an intact tiger forearm, and even lucrative Tiger penis soup (going for over $300 per bowl in Taiwan), every part of the tiger is "on the market," whether legal or not. Bones, eyes, whiskers and claws may find a part in exotic elixirs. Unfortunately, the price on the black market exceeds the perceived penalties for killing the last tigers in the world. They are often smuggled across International borders, free from the oversight of strained wildlife departments that lack resources to enforce laws.

Finally, the original hunting grounds and habitat of the tigers has been broken into small pieces that threaten its survival. With smaller pockets of the wild left, tigers become separated from each other, which results in reproductive difficulties. Those that are left suffer inbreeding and gene pool weakening, which results in cubs that are less likely to survive as a result of birth defects and other mutations.

Since 1969, there has been an official ban on the export of tiger pelts from India. Just a few years later, the Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species (CITES) enacted a ban on buying/selling tiger part. Yet, even up until 1993, China and Taiwan continued operating black markets in tiger parts. President Clinton imposed trade sanctions against Taiwan in 1994 because of its role in continuing to illegally market tiger and rhino parts. This is the same year that the United States enacted the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act to allocate resources to conservation programs to save these endangered species.

Did you know that, due to the extreme endangered status of tigers, some people are breeding domestic cats to resemble their wild counterparts? Amazingly, "Toygers" are tame alternatives to the wild Bengal Tiger both in appearance and in many ways, behavior. But as precious and beautiful as these small creatures are, they certainly cannot replace the Tiger.

Upon hearing grim news about the environment or endangered species, some people shut down. They may think, "What can I - just one person - do?" The answer is: plenty!

Just imagine if you and everyone in your neighborhood gave $1. What if it was $5. Now, multiply that by the population in your hometown. Truly there is strength in numbers. Perhaps you are starting to get the picture!

So here's what you can do to help the endangered tigers:

1. Write to your congressperson, the Secretary of the Interior (Ken Salazar) and/or President Clinton. Tell them that you are concerned about the tigers and ask them to continue national and international efforts to preserve the species.
   

2. Pledge monetary donations to Adopt-A-Tiger at The Tiger Foundation, and/or become a member.

3. Join the Global Tiger Patrol, a conservation agency which places a priority on protection of the tiger in the field, especially India.

4. Look into the Save the Tiger Fund, a program of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
5. Keep track of the latest endangered species news at the Environmental Investigation Agency.
   

Today wild tigers exist in Eastern Russia, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) , North Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Bhutan, India and Nepal. Yet, the largest population of tigers in a single reserve is a mere 250 cats.

If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a virtual continent of people to save endangered species like the tigers. Its time to change our ways, including the wearing of faux fur, or dabbling in exotic medicines.

Being conservation-minded should no longer be relegated to a small population of granola-crunching greenies. Daily decisions you make can literally mean the future survival of the tigers, Giant Pandas, dolphins, sharks, etc. You can easily minimize your impact on the global community with very little effort.

Donate if you can to reputable organizations that are working to save endangered species. Support your local zoo or aquarium.

“The human race's prospects of survival were considerably better when we were defenceless against tigers than they are today when we have become defenceless against ourselves.” - Arnold J. Toynbee