Is It The End Of Tigers?

Some very familiar animals are under threat of extinction. They include the gorillas, African and Asian elephants, the black rhino, the giant panda and many species of whale, such as blue, right and fin whale.

Tigers are also in serious danger. Hundred years ago, there were more than 100,000 tigers. Of the eight known subspecies of tiger, three – the Bali, Caspian, and Javan – became extinct. There are now fewer than 5000-7500 tigers left in the wild because their habitats have been destroyed and they have been illegally hunted for their bones and other parts used in traditional Chinese medicines.

Numbers of the Armor or Siberian, the largest tiger, have recovered slightly to 600 in the wild, with fewer than 501 in wildlife parks and zoos. The Sumatran tiger is down to about 400-500, with 232 in captivity. The Bengal, including the rare white tiger, ranges from 3176-4556, with about 200 in zoos, and there are only an estimated 1227-1785 of the Indochinese, with 60 in zoos.