By William Berg

The Siberian Tiger is found in cold regions in Russia and China. To survive in the harsh climate, the tiger builds up fat reserves. Siberian Tigers are also much larger than the tiger variants found in warm habitats, since a large body will conserve heat more efficiently than a small body. During the cold winter, a Siberian Tiger will need up to 10 kilograms of meat a day to do well. It hunts primarily wild boar, deer and elk and can eat much more than 10 kilograms in one gulp if given the opportunity. Siberian Tigers have been noticed when they feast on 50 kilograms of meat or more. The staple food is wild boar, and the Siberian Tiger population is therefore dependant on a healthy wild boar population. Roughly 50 percent of the tigers' diet is typically made up by wild boar. Siberian Tigers can also catch smaller prey, such as lynx, rabbit, rodents and fish. The Siberian Tiger can also occasionally hunt bear.

The hunting style of the Siberian Tiger is based on surprise attacks. The Siberian Tiger is capable of running faster than 50 miles an hour, but can only keep up this speed during short and explosive attacks. The Siberian Tiger will therefore usually choose to hunt during the night, when it can use its supreme night vision to ambush prey. The Siberian Tiger is also equipped with superb hearing and a keen sense of smell that is helpful during the hunt.

The Siberian Tiger lives in oak, birch and coniferous woodlands in Russian Siberia and northern China. The Chinese population is almost extinct, just like the Korean population, but the Russian population shows strong signs of recovery and has increased significantly during the last two decades. In 1997, there were approximately 350-400 Siberian Tigers living in Russia.

Siberian Tigers mate during December or January and the cub litter is born during early spring when the climate is less harsh and prey offspring are abundant. The Siberian Tiger is a solitary dweller and they will only form pairs during the short mating period. Two Siberian Tigers have been seen hunting together during the mating period, but this is quite extraordinary. They will usually prefer to hunt alone even during the mating period. The female tiger will care for the cubs alone and teach them how to hunt. The gestation period of the Siberian Tiger is 3-3.5 months.

The Siberian Tiger litter will usually comprise three or four cubs. The cubs are born toothless and with closed eyes. After 14 days, the eyes will begin to open. The cub will consume milk from the mother for roughly six months. Siberian Tigers learn how to hunt from their mother. After around a year, the cubs will have become somewhat independent and capable hunters, but they will still stay with their mother until they are 3-5 years old. The life of the young cubs is hard and it is unusual for more than one tiger from each litter to reach maturity.

By Madan G Singh

Hunting a tiger is banned in India. The tiger is a protected species and indiscriminate killing can land you behind bars. In fact killing any protected species will invite criminal action. The Bollywood Film star Salman Khan had shot a black buck in the Indian state of Rajasthan in 1998. He was tried under the protection of wildlife act of 1972(India) and sentenced to a 5 year jail term by the lower court. The case is presently in appeal. However once a tiger is declared a man eater then he can be hunted down.

Man eating tigers terrorize the villages and attack human beings and thrive on them as their prey. Generally man eaters are known to attack villagers who are walking or sleeping alone. There are cases of man eaters removing the door of a hut and carrying away his victim stealthily. There are also cases of Tigers carrying away small children, even from the arms of their mothers. A man eater is a very intelligent beast. He develops a sixth sense that makes him aware that an armed man is approaching. In such circumstances the man eater will mostly slink away into the forest or hide in a cave. Kenneth Anderson and Jim Corbett both veteran hunters of man eaters will vouchsafe for the cunning of the man eater.

The District magistrate will notify all concerned, once a tiger is declared a man eater. You can then opt to go in for the kill. Shooting a man eater however is not an easy task. If you have never shot or taken part in a tiger hunt then it's better to go along with an experienced hunter. Going alone is very dangerous. Having made the decision, it's important to equip yourself as a first step. More important you must be mentally prepared to confront the beast- because he or she is a formidable adversary. Firstly your attire. Wear a pair of strong jungle boots and slightly loose fitting trousers and full sleeve shirt. Do cover your head or wear a jungle hat. Apply sun screen cream on your face and neck as well as mosquito repellent cream on your hand and uncovered portions of your body. Keep adequate quantity of drinking water and some dry biscuits with you to munch along.

Next choosing a weapon is of the utmost importance. A shot gun or small arm will not do and you will have to use a heavy caliber rifle. Preferably you can use a SLR if you have the license for it. Carry the gun loaded and keep spare ammunition handy. In addition you will need a4wheel drive vehicle and an experienced driver. Take a local who knows the jungle routes well. An equally important part is hiring a tracker who can follow the spoor of the tiger. Remember tracking a tiger in the jungles of India is well nigh impossible without a tracker. Hire a trustworthy fellow who is familiar with the area. You will have to shell out money for all these hiring's.

The next step is to study the habitat of the tiger. For example a tiger in the Sunder bans In Bengal and Bangladesh moves in areas which have knee deep water, while a Tiger in the Kumaon hills of Northern India moves in mountain areas. Again a tiger in Central India moves about in thick jungles and small hills.

The last step is to locate the tiger. This could be near the last human devoured by him. You will have to pick up his spoor from there. You will need to track the tiger from his pug marks hence the guide you have hired will be of immense help. Once you are ready get going, keep yourself mentally and physically alert and think of further action from the tiger's point of view. Hunting a man eater is very different from hunting a normal tiger. In case of a normal tiger shoot, it is customary to tie bait (a goat or lamb) to tree. The hunter climbs up the tree and sits on a machan (platform) with his gun loaded and awaits the tiger. In the case of a man eater this ploy will not work and perforce you will have to track the tiger. This is dangerous stuff and a great deal of experience and nerve is required for such an operation.

Track the tiger as fast as possible. Follow his spoor and move swiftly. The tiger will probably sense your approach and try to slink away as he can sense that an armed man has approached. There is a good chance that you will be able to confront the tiger if you move swiftly. Once the tiger is sighted take a shot at him as he is moving away. If you are lucky you may get him, otherwise in case he gets wounded he is likely to turn around and attack you. That is a testing moment as you and the tiger will come face to face. In one of my tiger shoots in in Bengal, I had shot at a moving tiger and hit his leg. He turned around and attacked me. Because the beast was injured, the leap of the tiger was not effective and he was slow, hence I could shoot him by firing two shots in quick succession.

The second option is that the tiger may hide in a cave. You will have to enter the cave. It requires nerve as the cave is dark. Hence use a powerful torch which will be handled by the tracker. Move slowly as the tiger will sense your approach. This will be a face to face meeting with the man eater. In such a scenario he will rush headlong at the hunter and spring towards his neck .There will be only one chance in such a scenario. Your aim should be lethal. Aim for the tigers head and fire quickly. Speed is of essence. In case you miss then you can say good bye to this world. There is an excellent adaption of this in the movie "Harry Black and the Tiger" when Stewart Granger approaches the tiger in the cave and shoots the beast.

Though killing a tiger is against all canons of justice and fair play, yet there may be no option if a Tiger turns into a man eater

By Omer Ashraf

Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?...

William Blake's 'The Tyger' is the most anthologized poem in all of English literature. Lord of the Jungle, tiger has captured human imagination through ages unlike any other creature.

Largest amongst all existing cats, tiger compares in size to the biggest feline fossils ever found. Named 'Panthera Tigris', tigers are characterized by their orange coat and black stripes, the pattern of which uniquely identifies each individual tiger. With a whitish belly, tiger's coat is designed to disperse their outline, aiding them in camouflage as they stalk their prey. Tigers generally weigh in a wide range - from two hundred and fifty to eight hundred pounds - depending on the individual subspecies and gender of the animal. Female Sumatran Tigers may weigh around two hundred seventy pounds, whereas adult male Siberian Tigers can be as heavy as eight hundred pounds. In fact the largest ever recorded Siberian Tiger in captivity weighed over one thousand pounds! The average length is between 2.5 to 3.5 meters, again subject to variation amongst sub-species.

The reason behind these size variations is evolutionary adaptation of the tiger to varying environments in different regions of the world. The large Amur tiger prowls over huge territories in Siberia, tackling massive prey animals and having to cope with bitter cold - thus evolving into the biggest tiger species with a thick fur. The Bengal Tiger comes next with its notoriety for great ferocity and occasional man-eating in the mangroves of Sundarban (more on that later!). In fact big male Bengal tigers, particularly those in northern India and Nepal, weigh close to the Siberian Tiger. Following are the Indochinese Tiger, Malayan Tiger, South China Tiger and Sumatran Tiger. The other three sub-species - the Caspian Tiger, Balinese Tiger and Javan Tiger have all gone extinct in the past century.

Apex predators, tigers are solitary hunters designed to take down huge prey animals. They are excellent stalkers and display great cunning in patiently pursuing and ambushing their prey. Despite their great size, they can reach speeds up to 60km/hr and leap up to 10 meters. The primary mode of attack is a sudden charge and leap to unbalance the animal. Next they use their muscular forearms to hold down the hunted whilst they severe their spine (or suffocate by crushing the windpipe in case of big animals like gaur and water buffalo) using their long canines and strong jaws. Even still only a fraction of the hunts are a success for the tiger. Therefore it eats a lot during one sitting once it makes a kill (usually every four or five days).

Next it hides the carcass and usually returns to it over the next couple of days to devour the scraps. Usual prey is deer, buffalo, gaur. However a hungry tiger will go for anything from young elephants, rhinos, crocodiles, leopards, bears and even humans. Whereas conflicts between tigers and elephants are rare, tigers have been known to charge and maul Indian bull elephants. A tiger can climb to the back of the elephant in a single leap and viciously attack the tourists atop - as is often chronicled by historians of the British India.

Tigers are territorial animals and mark their domain in the forest by leaving scat and urine trails. Males are very defensive of their region and this frequently leads to conflict between individual tigers, leading to severe injury and even death. A male's territory frequently overlaps those of several females, to which he mates as they come in estrus. Pregnancy lasts for around three and a half months and usually four or five cubs are born. In the wild not all of these survive since the female is often not able to hunt enough to feed all of them as they depend on her for their food until one and a half years of age. Also randomly, other male tigers may kill the cubs to bring the female into heat.

Despite all its magnificence the tale of the tiger has been a sorry one over the past century. Their number in the wild has dwindled from over one hundred thousand to nearly seven thousand today, with the Bengal Tiger having the healthiest population among existing tiger species (thanks largely to an initiative by the Indian Government in the 1970's that led to 'Project Tiger', one of the more successful conservation programs worldwide). Still many are killed annually by poachers for use in Chinese traditional medicines that make ridiculous claim about the aphrodisiac and strengthening abilities of tiger parts - with no scientific evidence to back them. Others are threatened by habitat destruction and ever increasing human populations. Of the others, the South China tiger is in immediate threat of extinction owing to ruthless hunting in the 1960's when it was declared as a 'pest' by the then communist government. Despite the passage of a law protecting them in 1977, the few remaining tigers in China lack genetic biodiversity to sustain them as a specie.

There are glimmers of hope though and NGOs and independent organizations world wide are taking aggressive step to tackle the issue of poaching and establish reserves to sustain tiger population in the wild (which at present is less than their numbers in captivity).

By Peter Dickinson

February 14th 2010 saw the start of the Chinese "Year of the Tiger". The thing is, it isn't. It will never be the Year of the Tiger until we have adequate room and protection for them in the wild and a real understanding of the problems they face in captivity.

There will be those who recently read and were assured that there are 6000 tigers in captivity in China. That is nearly double the entire wild population! Couple that to the 3000 or so Tigers held in private hands in Texas alone it really looks like the tiger has nothing to worry about. There are Tigers elsewhere too. It isn't just Texas in the USA as it is estimated there may be as many as 5000 'American' Tigers. Every other country has its quota too. Europe, South America, Asia, Australasia and the Middle East, they all have Tigers. There are lots and lots of Tigers.

The Tiger is under threat not just from habitat destruction and poaching but from irresponsible breeding in captivity. There is one species of tiger and six surviving subspecies. These are the Bengal Tiger Panthera tigris tigris, the Amur Tiger Panthera tigris altaica, the South China Tiger Panthera tigris amoyensis, the Indochinese Tiger Panthera tigris corbetti, the Sumatran Tiger Panthera tigris sumatrae and the Malayan Tiger Panthera tigris jacksoni.

Three other subspecies, the Javan Tiger Panthera tigris sondaica, the Bali Tiger Panthera tigris balica and the Caspian Tiger Panthera tigris virgata have become extinct in the past sixty or so years.

Today there remains only around 3200 Tigers in the wild shared out in varying numbers between Malaysia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

Within the reputable, the good zoos of the world, there are genuine sincere efforts to keep these subspecies separate. Each has its own studbook and the available gene pool is managed by genuine caring professionals with the long term future of that species or subspecies in mind. Nobody is kidding themselves that any but a small number will ever be released into the wild, if at all, whilst the problems in the wild still exist. The zoos today are looking as far as a hundred years ahead to a period in which we presently cannot predict the state of the planet.

The subspecies held in captivity are instantly recognised as Tigers even to the novice eye. Put them into adjoining enclosures and the subspecific differences become apparent. These are animals which have been shaped by nature over many thousands of years. Time has weeded out the weak features. These are animals which have been naturally selected by nature to survive in their environment. At one extreme we have the small dark short haired Sumatran Tiger Panthera tigris sumatrae ideally suited to the dark tropical humid forests of Sumatra. At the other we have the large, light coloured and long haired Amur Tiger Panthera tigris altaica which is adapted to the snowy wastes of Eastern Russia. They are what they are because of natural selection.

Within the managed captive Tiger populations no money changes hands. Tigers are moved between collections for the consideration and well being of the population as a whole. Breeding pairs are carefully selected. An unnatural selection done with an understanding of natures choice. Breeding is limited with the health and well being of both animal and population being important. Parent rearing is one of the main considerations.

Outside of the worlds reputable zoos we have the bad zoos and Tiger farms which give no consideration to subspecies of tigers, or any other animals for that matter. All they are really concerned about is having a tiger or tigers. They breed brother to sister to mother to son. They give no care to crossing a Bengal Tiger Panthera tigris tigris with whatever other subspecies may be to hand. No records are kept. The more cubs they can produce the happier they are. Nobody knows or cares in such collections. Yet these places have the audacity to excuse their crimes and talk about conservation and re-introduction programmes whilst they have not the faintest idea about either concept. What is really sad is that in some countries the officials in charge of the wildlife departments have no understanding either. There is a real danger that some of these animals may actually be released by people working along with the assumption that as it is striped, so is a Tiger, so it must be okay. It isn't.

Nobody in their right mind would release Polar Bears Ursus maritimus into jungles of Malaysia or Malaysian Sun Bears Helarctos malayanus into the Arctic wastes. It would be equally crazy to consider releasing hybrids of the two into either environment. They would be clearly unsuited. The example may sound a little extreme but it is not so very far removed what some of these disreputable collections are doing and talking about. They are even crossing Lions with Tigers (Ligers) and Tigers with Lions (Tigons). We have known that such hybrids could be bred in captivity for more than a hundred years. Just what are they trying to prove? Where on earth do they expect to release such animals?

There are those who argue that subspecific tiger crosses can introduce 'hybrid vigour' into a population. The fact that it has already been done in some cases by people of reputation does not make it right. It is just as easy to consider such an act as genetic pollution and as a dilution of needed physical attributes that nature has taken aeons to establish and hone. Tigers are not common peas Pisum sativum. This is not one of Mendel's experiments with plants. These are living breathing warm blooded mammals.

Then we have that group of zoos which continue to breed White Tigers. Undeniably beautiful but so often wrongly promoted as a rare endangered species which they most definitely are not. White Tigers are completely messed up genetically and most carry defects like cross eyes and similar. Then they go on to promote these as rare or endangered. This would be a bit of a joke if it were not in reality a blatant lie. There are probably as many White Tigers in captivity as there are wild normal coloured Tigers in the whole of India. To cap it all they are nearly all cross breeds between Bengal and Amur Tigers. These animals will never be released into the wild by any competent authority.

There is a place for a few White Tigers in captivity for, after all they did, very rarely occur in the wild within India. A genuine naturally produced White Tiger in the hands of a zoo which is actively involved in an approved and regulated breeding programme would be valuable not only genetically but as an educational tool. White tigers as they exist today are no more than a commercial draw to pull in the public. Any other colour would do to the disreputable zoo as long as it is not natural.

The real threat to the Tigers of the world is not just the problems they face in the wild (though these should not be dismissed because they are critically important) but from the huge unregistered, unmanaged, genetically damaged populations held in captivity in tiger farms and in second and third class zoos.

By Omer Ashraf

Named Panthera Tigris Jacksoni after Peter Jackson, the former head of cat specialist group of IUCN who spent forty years in tiger conservation efforts, Malayan Tiger is now alternatively called Panthera Tigris Malayensis by some after Malaysian protests that the name should reflect the area of the big cat's origin.

Similar in physical appearance to the Indochinese Tiger, the Malayan Tiger is closer to the Sumatran Tiger in size. Males weight around two hundred and sixty pounds and females are on average two hundred and twenty pounds in weight. Average body length is seven and a half and six and a half feet respectively for males and females. Coat is dark red to orange in coloration, marked by thin black stripes. Belly, cheek and area around eyes is white. Whiskers are somewhat long and so is the tail. Overall body is muscular.

Not much is understood about this big cat except that it resides mainly in tropical forests and grasslands of Malaysia and Thailand. It is known to prey on barking deer, sambar and wild boar as well as sun bear in certain parts of its range. The cat is thinly distributed in their habitat owing to low prey density. Little is known about its behavior patterns and reproductive profile.

There are between five hundred to one thousand Malayan Tigers left in the wild. Threats include habitat fragmentation and shrinkage, poaching, conflicts with humans and decline of prey species. Even as Malaysia enforces a rigid control on poaching that has cut down the loss of tigers to an extent, many of the Malayan Tigers live outside the designated forest reserves, often bringing them into conflict with farmers.

By Mithi Dey

'Can you help me find my mother, she has left me alone for hunting'-says a two months old cub. He is hungry, scared to make a loud roar and helpless to search his mother. He is trembling with fear and begging to save him out from becoming an orphan.' This is the cry of every cub!

Today, our India is left with only 1411 Tigers and their existence is under threat. 'Save Our Tiger' -the recently launched television commercial by AIRCEL has framed a mission to preserve our wildlife heritage.

The zeal with which the Project Tiger was initiated in 1972, by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, has deviated from its ambition. The most recent Tiger Task Force headed by Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh in 2005 has also brought red alert to all poaching networks. But, all legal practices resulted in vain. As of now, out of the 40, 000 population of tigers in the last century, only a mere lives are left.

The Global Tiger Workshop conducted on 2009 highlighted the main cause for the sharp declination in the tiger population. Excessive poaching for illegal trade, habitat loss and fragmentation are major reason behind the plight of this wild animals. The production of traditional medicine is nothing new in this world. But, it's not a good deal to make curing processes at the expense of precious lives. Way back, in 1991, Chinese authorities have disclosed the export of tiger bone medicines, that included 15079 cartoons of tablets, 5250 kg of liquid syrups and 31500 bottles of wine.

Add to this, a most recent study organized by WWF(World Wild Fund) in 2010, stressed on the effect of climate change on the Royal Bengal Tiger. It has been estimated that by 2070, the sea-level will rise to 11.2 inches above 2000 levels and may gulp the entire mangrove forest, of Sunderban National Park (West Bengal). The iconic species is under the spell of greenhouse effect and the world's largest population are likely to disappear by the end of this century.

In this era, number of issues are popping up with or without concern. We, human-beings are the only species to fight against any odds. Lets not cut down the wild habitat and build dream-like houses for ourself. Lets be responsible and put on best effort to help maintain our earth's ecological balance. The heart-touching visual ends up with question mark on our mind. But, can we afford to leave the issue without support? Its high time to hear the cry of our national animal and let them live. 'Save Our Tigers' - Their end indicates the beginning of our end.

By Mary Newton

This story takes ideas that would normally seem impossible and outstanding and ushers it into the realm of the possible.

A federal republic in southern Asia, forming a sub continent in the South of the Himalayan Mountains, with the Arabian sea to the west and the bay of Bengal. To the west is India Madaya Pradesh. A prime territory area where the meadow has a constant supply of freshly chilled clear water.

Over the years, it was known to be the habitat in territories of the Tigers. The tribe called the Mohawks lived in the centre of the park known as Karma meaning Fate and destiny. Their village was in the heart of prime predators habitat.

They keep a close count on tigers. They respected and honoured this wild beautiful animal. The Mohawks had great beliefs in the Modjadji Queen who ruled in the 1930 It was said the queen was immortal and possesses great powers.

One early evening the tribe left the village for hunting. They wander far and deep into the forest and will not return to the village until each operate hunts and catch prey.

They heard the alarm of the monkeys, which gave the warning that a predator is in the prowl. When the wild monkeys call out in that manner the reason is that a prowler is close and is the dangerous predator of all.

Predators capture the moment where life is uncertain, the split second that the human eye would never normally see. The drama of a gripping battle of wits that decides which animal get a meal or which escape becoming one.

The tribe were nearby and followed the track of the roaring sound.

The sound led the tribe to the entrance of the Karma Park. There under an old oak tree and in the covered space of the old roots laid a newborn baby a little girl who skin was as white as snow and as soft as silk.

Her eyes wild brown and widely open with a head of golden curls and by her side lay Lucchme the female tiger he had board and raised Bearskin he found her as a young cub and despite her illusive nature he was always aware of her secret hideaways He had a gifted touch with tigers. The white spots behind the tiger ears help identify them in the gloom of the Jungle Over the years the tribe hunted every corner and know the land well

A bright light surrounded the little girl like the bright moon when it is full and stars that shimmers in the sky a glimmering sparkle surrounded this child She was a sparkling image of the unbelievable Queen of the great powers. Almost instantly, the tribe lay out on their knees and bowed to the vision. The MODJADJI Queen of great powers sent this child to protect the tribe from evil spirit.

Bearskin the chief of the Mohawks went forward to pick up the child and wrapped her in the coat of skin. He named the child Sundilli meaning Beautiful girl.

The summer rain was late that year. The water in the dam fell low and predators were coming down to drink. The wind Exhausted and the predators lie in wait.

The hills on either side were roaring with the calls of the predators. The river went on for miles; the pines grew through glacier smooth ground.

The years passed by and Sundilli was turning into the beauty of the perfect image of the goddess. She learned how to hunt and spear prey. She ventured out on her own many times, especially at night. She climb trees like a monkey and sits there on the slightly bend trunk gazing at the moon, and at the far distance, the beautiful mountains and the forest. Sundilli was as wild as a tiger and lead the tribe as a true ruler was.

She lived the life of the tiger that is the largest and the heaviest of the cat family, and very much feared by animals and humans alike.

She has a classic orange and white striped coat. She patrols her own territory and usually hunts alone, stalking its prey and killing it by ambush. She is immensely strong and can bring down animals much larger than herself

The tiger relies on stealth to catch its prey. It has excellent eyesight and hearing which helps track animals such as deer, wild pigs, buffalo and other animals of the jungle, which provides food for days.

Tigers slink up slowly, tightly and gentle on their prey. Unseen, it charges only when it is within twenty metres of the prey. It kills its prey by biting into the back of its neck or throat. It drags the carcase away and conceals it with leaves so they are able to return to it. Male tigers can eat up to 40kh of meat in one day, they are able to find their females by their roars and scent marks.

A pair of tigers may mate to a hundred times over in two days.

He roams a territory of up to a hundred square metres depending on its boundaries with metres with scent markings, droppings and scratch marks on boulders or on trees. These signals tell other tigers about its sex and the size of its territory.

They endangered species of about 2.8metres maximum length. The tail alone is around one mete long and weighs up to 220 kilograms .

Sundilli and Lucchme grew up and close to each other and often roamed around together as Lucchme defends its territory fiercely against other rivals, especially the male tiger that tends to attack the young tigers for prey.

Sundilli had the body of a champagne glass and is a picture of indescribable beauty and was just as wild

The Modjadji Princess a true leader, Immortal and possess as much power as that of the Modjadji Queen

By Steve Challis

South China Tiger

The South China Tiger, Panthera tigris amoyensis, is one of the smallest subspecies of Tiger. Other names for this creature are the Amor Tiger and the Xiamen Tiger.

Size

A fully grown Male South China Tiger will weigh about 150 Kg (330 lb). this is a bit over half the size of the Siberian Tiger which is the biggest Tiger subspecies. Females are smaller.

An Enemy of The People

In 1959, as part of the Great Leap Forward, Chairman Mao Zedong declared this animal to be an enemy of the people. Before this there were over 4000 of these Tigers in the wild. Most were killed.
In 1982, the Chinese Government reversed its Tiger killing policy, and they are now protected.

Critically Endangered

The wild population of the South China Tiger is estimated to be about 20, but the accuracy of this estimate is very doubtful. The captive status of this rare subspecies is more hopeful. There are probably enough Tigers in zoos and similar places to save the subspecies.

Rewilding

There is a joint project involving both China and South Africa. Captive South China Tigers are being bred in South Africa, and their cubs trained to hunt and survive in the wild. Fortunately, Tigers are reasonably easy to breed in captivity, and the semi wild animals in the project are breeding. They will be used to repopulate some of its former range in China.

Problems

Although it appears possible to save this subspecies, there are a lot of problems.

Habitat Destruction

Much of its habitat has been destroyed, and its prey animals greatly reduced in numbers.

Poaching

Tiger parts are used in traditional Chinese medicine. The Chinese Government is attempting to stop the trade in Tiger parts, but it is difficult. The possible returns to Tiger poachers are very high, and even the harsh punishments given to those caught committing crimes in China have not made its Tigers safe.

Lack of Genetic Diversity

The current population of this subspecies is very small, and they are descended from a very small number of animals. This means that the gene pool is frighteningly small.

Man Eating

When there were more of these animals in the wild, they had the reputation of being more likely to become man eaters than any other type of tiger. This behaviour, if it is resumed, will not tend to endear this creature to the local Human population.

By Faheem Ur Rehman

The Indian government is running a campaign to save the tigers. Tiger is a charismatic animal playing a pivotal role in the preservation of the ecosystem. It is at the apex of the food chain, a top predator that keeps the population of the wild in check. Presence of tiger in the forest indicates the well being of the forest. If the tigers go extinct, the whole ecosystem will collapse.

If tiger goes extinct, few other species can or will go extinct. Like when Dodos became extinct in Mauritius, a species of Acacia tree also became extinct. Three sub species of tiger are already extinct. Nearly 95 % of tiger population has been wiped out in the last century. Now the total world population of tigers in the wild is about 3500 with about 1411 tigers in India. Protecting one tiger is equal to protecting 100 SQ KM of wildlife habitat.

The tiger census is also questioned by experts for its accuracy as many believe that the tiger population is much lesser than the census quote. Poaching is the major cause for this. Poisoned goat as a bait is the oft used method. In a recent incident at Ranthambhore national park, a popular destination for tourists, Aldrin - a powerful pesticide was used to kill two 15-18 months old tiger cubs.

In this case, first information is that it was an act of vengeance by the villagers. Hearing this, Jungle Lore, a Mumbai base conservator group has swung in action. They have packed their bags and have moved to Ranthambhore in order to make efforts to educate the villagers.

Celebrities, sport star, politicians and film stars have been roped in to promote the campaign. The biggest threat to the Tiger population is the perception that Chinese men create demand for tiger body parts for aphrodisiacal purpose, hence the poaching. For a parallel effort, to curb poaching, the Indian govt. has recently approached the Chinese govt. to join India in its endeavor to monitor and close the smuggler's/ poacher's routes. In December 2009, China sentenced the man who had shot a rare tiger for 12 years plus fined him about 85,000 U.S. dollars.

With the aggressive campaign of the Indian govt., it is now easy to see bill boards, signage's asking people to increase their awareness and consequently help the Indian govt. in its objective. A side effect of this campaign is that school children are highly aware of it now and are discussing this issue at their homes.

You can watch these beautiful cats in their natural habitat in the following tiger reserves of India. Corbett National Park, Kanha National Park, Bandhavgarh National Park, Ranthambhore National Park, Panna National Park, Manas National Park, Sunderban National Park. The chances of spotting a tiger is highest in Bandhavgarh National Park.

A family that adopts a tiger: this could be the premise of a new sitcom. However, this isn't necessarily what adopting a tiger is all about. When you adopt a tiger, you don't bring him into your home. Instead, you provide money to an organization which then makes sure the tiger is taken care of.

We often hear about how tigers are at the top of the food chain. They eat other animals, and no one messes with them. Despite this, tigers have become extremely endangered. This is mostly because humans have destroyed their habitats and hunted them for their beautiful fur coats. If we aren't careful, our children and grandchildren might never know what a tiger is except through pictures in books.

So what can you do to make sure that tigers continue to survive for years to come? One of the best things you can do is adopt a tiger.

One of the easiest ways to do this is through the zoo in your hometown. This is a particularly attractive option because then you have the ability to visit your tiger whenever you want. Many school teachers who are teaching their students about animals and the conservation of the planet will adopt a tiger on behalf of the entire class. This gives the class an interest in tigers which they might not have otherwise had. Especially if the tiger is a cub, they can watch and learn as the tiger grows. The best part about adopting a tiger through your zoo is that it is relatively inexpensive. Zoos are able to get lots of contributions from people like you, so you can usually donate as little or as much money as you'd like.

However, many people don't feel that adopting a tiger from the zoo makes much difference. After all, these animals aren't in any danger of extinction, and they have already been displaced from their natural habitat. They would rather see wild tigers protected from the zoos themselves. If this describes you, then you might consider adopting a wild tiger. The Tiger Foundation (tigers.ca) offers a one sponsor per tiger program. This foundation protects tigers that are still in the wild. Under this program, you will feel good knowing you are making a real difference in a tiger's life. The downside is that it costs $10,000 per year. You can also adopt an entire family of tigers for $50,000 per year.