All About Tigers

 The continental tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) and the Sunda tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) are the two recognised subspecies of tiger* (Panthera tigris sondaica). Tigers, the largest of all Asian big cats, hunt mostly by sight and sound rather than scent. They usually hunt alone, stalking their prey. A tiger can eat up to 80 pounds of meat in one sitting. Every two years, tigers give birth to two to four cubs on average. If all of the cubs in one litter die, a new litter could be born in five months.

Female tigers reach sexual maturity at the age of three or four years, whereas males reach sexual maturity at the age of four or five years. However, juvenile mortality is high—roughly half of all cubs die before they reach the age of two. In the wild, tigers have been known to live up to 20 years.

Males of the continental tiger, the largest subspecies, can weigh up to 660 pounds. The highest limit for males of the lesser subspecies, the Sunda tiger, is roughly 310 pounds. Males are heavier than females in both subspecies.

Apart from interactions between mother and children, tigers are typically solitary. Individual tigers have wide territories, which are largely determined by prey availability. Individuals use urine, excrement, rakes, scrapes, and vocalisation to mark their territory.

Poaching, retaliatory killings, and habitat degradation are all constant threats to tigers across their range. They must fight for space with dense, frequently expanding human populations.

LOSS OF HABITAT

The historical range of tigers has been reduced by about 95%. Human actions have destroyed, degraded, and fragmented their environment. Tiger habitats are threatened by the removal of forests for agriculture and lumber, as well as the construction of road networks and other development activities. Because tigers have enormous home ranges and are fiercely territorial, they require large swathes of habitat to survive. Fewer tigers can live in small, isolated patches of habitat, which increases the risk of inbreeding and renders tigers more vulnerable to poaching as they expand their territories beyond protected zones. This emphasises the need of maintaining habitat connectivity between tigers' protected territories.

CONFLICT BETWEEN HUMAN AND WILDLIFE

People and tigers are increasingly vying for the same amount of area. Tigers are compelled to leave protected areas in search of food and to establish territories when forests shrink and prey becomes scarce. This leads them into human-dominated areas between habitat pieces, where they can hunt domestic livestock on which many local communities rely for survival. Tigers are sometimes killed or captured in revenge. Conflict tigers may be sold on the black market. The reliance of local communities on forests for fuel, food, and timber increases the risk of tiger attacks on humans.

CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS

The Sundarbans, a huge mangrove forest area shared by India and Bangladesh on the Indian Ocean coast, is home to one of the world's largest and most uniquely adapted tiger populations. It's also home to the world's only coastal mangrove tiger habitat. These mangrove woods are home to a variety of animals, including tigers, and provide protection from storm surges and wind damage to coastal areas. However, increasing sea levels as a result of climate change threaten to wipe away these forests and the tiger population's final surviving home. According to a WWF research, anticipated sea-level rise—roughly a foot by 2070—could wipe out nearly all of the Sundarbans tiger habitat if no mitigating measures are taken.

CAPTIVE TIGERS AND TIGER "FARMS"

According to current estimates, more than 8,000 tigers are being held in more than 200 facilities across East and Southeast Asia, with China accounting for about three-quarters of these tigers. Because they maintain demand for tiger items, serve as a cover for illegal commerce, and hinder enforcement efforts, the current size of commercial captive breeding initiatives within these farms is a serious hurdle to the recovery and protection of wild tiger populations. The WWF is working with governments in nations that have active tiger farms to lobby for the abolition of breeding and the phase-out of the farms. The WWF also campaigns for tighter controls on the captive tiger population in the United States. There are an estimated 5,000 tigers in the United States, and we must ensure that they are not exploited or contribute to the illegal traffic in tigers and their components.

TIGER HABITAT PRESERVATION AND CONNECTION

Tigers require safe environments to thrive, and our efforts to safeguard and connect their fragile habitat are founded on scientific research. Based on the best available data and where tigers have the best possibility of recovery and long-term persistence, WWF has determined where to spend its resources. The sites include tiger corridors that connect tiger sites across terrain. Building local ability to manage protected areas, collaborating with partners to manage essential tiger habitats and corridors, and tackling human-wildlife conflict and the effects of infrastructure development in tiger landscapes are just some of the things we undertake. The Conservation Assured Tiger Requirements (CA|TS) give a minimum set of standards to encourage the long-term viability of tiger conservation and best practises in these areas, in order to ensure effective conservation management of tiger habitats. CA|TS is now being implemented in nine of the 13 tiger range countries, and two sites have obtained CA|TS approval by achieving all of the needed standards.

TIGERS AND THEIR PREY ARE BEING SURVEILLED

It's critical to keep track of tigers and their prey if we're going to meet our aim of doubling wild tiger populations. We evaluate the progress of tiger populations using video traps, tracking devices, and DNA taken from scat (droppings) in order to change our strategies and make conservation decisions based on sound science and field experience.

STRENGTHENING POLITICAL WILL

WWF collaborates with governments in the 13 tiger range countries with wild tiger populations to establish and maintain momentum for tiger conservation, which is a valuable asset that may help them achieve their development goals. Tiger range countries and their partners may demonstrate their commitment to creating a healthy environmental and economic future by integrating tiger conservation with forest preservation and carbon sequestration projects.

TIGER TRADE ELIMINATION

The illegal trade in tiger parts and products poses a serious threat to the survival of wild tigers. We execute tactics to help governments arrest wildlife criminal networks, shut down illegal markets, and change consumer behaviour in collaboration with TRAFFIC, the global wildlife trade monitoring network. We perform investigations to chronicle the tiger trade, spur action against it, and assist law enforcement officials in their efforts. We're still working on ways to minimise demand for tiger parts and goods, as well as shut down tiger "farms."

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