Endangered

Species: the
Tiger
Tiger
Panthera tigris
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Only one species of tiger, Panthera tigris, but there are nine
known subspecies

Bali tiger- extinct

Caspian tiger- extinct
Javan tiger- extinct
Amur (Siberian) tiger - endangered
Malayan tiger- endangered
Sumatran tiger- critically endangered
South China (Amoy) tiger- critically endangered
Indochinese tiger- endangered
Bengal (Indian) tiger- endangered; highest surviving population
Tigers are considered an
endangered species;
currently between 3000-
4000 tigers remaining in
the wild

1997- 6000 tigers

2023- 3890 tigers
35% decrease over last 26 years!
 Tiger Territory
● Found in in tropical, subtropical,and temperate regions
● India, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Vietnam, Loas, Cambodia
● Currently inhabit 4-7% of historic range
Approximate Numbers of Tigers Remaining

EIA, 2021
 Tiger Territory
● Solitary species with large territories determined by prey availability
● Territories marked by urine, feces, scrapes and rakes, and vocalizations
● A tiger’s roar can be heard from 3 km (1.86 mi) away
 Range between 6-10 feet in length
Males: up to around 300 kg (662 lbs)
Females: up to around 170 kg (375 lbs)

Tigers are the largest of

the big cat species
Diet and Feeding
● Considered a top predator within their ecosystems
● Hunt alone at night and stalk their prey; ambush hunters
● Rely on sight and sound
● Hunt about once a week and can consume up to 80 lbs
of meat at one time
● Prey includes deer, boar, buffalo, etc.
 Reproduction

● Mating occurs between November and April

● Females are sexually mature at 3-4 years, males at
4-5 years
● Tigers are induced ovulators, meaning they only
release eggs when a mating occurs
● Gestation period of 100 days
● Females can birth 2-4 cubs every two years
● If all cubs from the litter die, will reproduce again in that season
● High juvenile mortality rate- 50% do not survive past two years
● Tigers have an average lifespan of 10-15/20 years in the wild
● Fun fact: tigers have white spots on the backs of their ears so that their young can easily follow
behind them
Fun Fact: no two tigers have the same
pattern of stripes! They’re like human
fingerprints. Scientists can use facial
features and stripe patterns to track,
research, and protect tigers this way
CONSERVATION &
THREATS
Threats to Tiger Populations

● Biggest threats to tiger populations are:

○ Human infringement and Overpopulation
○ Habitat destruction and Fragmentation
○ Hunting/Poaching/”Farming”
 Human Infringement and Overpopulation
● As human populations increase, the need for
increased food production does as well
● Agriculture moves further into tiger’s natural
habitats and displaces or removes the tigers
● Overgrazing by native farmers drives away
tiger’s prey, so the tigers attack and eat
livestock, decreasing numbers even more
● Tigers are hunted as pests or potential predators
Habitat Destruction and Fragmentation
● Increasing populations causes the encroachment of towns and cities into tiger territory
○ Tigers may retaliate out of fear, decreasing their numbers further
● Encroachment drives away native prey, so tigers hunt and kill domestic livestock or people
○ Further retaliation from man leads to fewer tigers
Hunting, Poaching, and “Tiger Farming”
● Tigers are hunted and killed for almost every part of their body
○ Lucrative black market trade
○ Traditional Eastern medicine
● Tigers are illegally bred and raised until they are old enough to butcher
● Tiger cubs are killed in youth or are smuggled across borders
Tigers have been almost completely wiped out in Cambodia, China, and Loas as a
result of illegal tiger farming and blackmarket tiger trade
● Every part of the tiger has value
● “tiger skins and taxidermy specimens are used as rugs for home decoration and are
often purchased as bribes;
● tiger bones are used in traditional Chinese medicine, with wild tiger bone preferred
over captive tiger bone;
● tiger wine – made using tiger bones or even whole dead cubs – is a ‘tonic’ that is sold
as a prestigious gift or as a virility product;
● tiger teeth and claws are widely available across China and South-East Asia, often set
in silver and gold, and worn as charms;
● tiger meat is consumed as an exotic delicacy and status symbol.”
EIA, 2020
What We Can
Do/What Has
Been Done
● Several conservation groups are making conscious efforts to
prevent any further population loss
● Several organizations committed to improving/protecting
natural habitats of tigers
○ By maintaining tiger territories, reduces human-tiger
conflict that leads to tiger number loss
● Scientist collect and analyze data of tiger populations to
determine size and the best way to protect them
○ Rangers trained and given equipment to prevent
poaching and mitigate any conflict
● Global governments and scientists attempt to decrease demand of tiger parts through
education and legislation, but illegal tiger farms still exist
● Disrupting transnational criminal networks involved in illegal tiger trade (Laos,
Thailand, Vietnam, China, Vietnam)
● Exposing role of tiger farming in stimulating demand for tigers/tiger poaching
● Campaigning for more protective legislation of big cats
● Calling out Asian governments to crack down on tiger farming and stop butchering
tigers for ornamental or “medical” purposes
Undercover investigators of the Environmental
Investigation Agency (EIA) traced several Chinese
criminal networks in Nepal smuggling tiger parts (skin,
bones, teeth, claws, live cubs, and dead cubs) from India
to Nepal and China
To help stop illegal tiger poaching and trade, people can stop going to tiger-featured
tourist attractions that encourage the keeping and breeding of tigers
● Donate money to causes to fund research and protection
● Avoid economically supporting countries involved in tiger poaching/trafficking
● Reduce the need for further expansion into natural tiger habitats
● Love the world and the creatures in it!
References
Dale Miquelle (Wildlife Conservation Society Russian Far East Program), et al. “The IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species.” IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 15 Dec. 2021,
www.iucnredlist.org/species/15955/214862019#use-trade.

Farrows. “Bengal Tiger.” World Land Trust, 2 Feb. 2021,

www.worldlandtrust.org/species/mammals/bengal-tiger/.

“Protecting Tigers.” EIA, eia-international.org/wildlife/saving-tigers/protecting-tigers/. Accessed 17 May

2023.

“Tiger.” Smithsonian’s National Zoo, 28 Feb. 2023, nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/tiger.

“Tiger.” WWF, www.worldwildlife.org/species/tiger. Accessed 17 May 2023.