The Tiger

 The tiger is a fearsome, but mysteriously magnificent, creature. Ranging from Siberia to India, tiger species have long been a part of several ecosystems. They are ferocious, to be sure. They are beautiful, beyond doubt. Because of their tendency to kill, and because of their amazing fur, tigers have been hunted and killed to the brink of extinction. There are only six subspecies left, and from those six subspecies, we get a meager 4,000 tigers today.

Approximately 100 years ago, there were more than 100,000 tigers in the world. It doesn't seem like a huge number, but there was a greater viability and diversity in that population than there is today. In the last decade alone, tiger populations have dropped 40%. It is sad to see this most elegant and mysterious predator brought to its knees.

Poaching for tiger parts is one of the leading causes in the decline of tiger populations. Combine that with habitat loss and understandably angry humans (when a tiger eats one of us), and you have a recipe for disaster. Fortunately, the BBC reports that the 13 countries wherein tigers reside have agreed to toughen up their laws for, and enforcement of, tiger protection. They are diverting money and manpower to crack down on poachers and the illegal tiger trade in an effort to keep tigers from the brink.  While many of these countries are considered "developing nations", it is heartening to see them take this stand. Without the support of wealthy nations, however, many of these 13 countries will have a hard time finding the money and retaining the political willpower to keep up the fight to save the tiger.

It is up to us to donate to organizations, such as the World Wildlife Fund, WWF, that can help these nations, and to encourage nations with the money and manpower (such as Russia) to help lead the way in habitat protection and effective crackdowns on poachers. Tigers have been a part of human cultures for so long, and unless we do something, several of the six subspecies are projected to become extinct in 20 years. To lose this predator would be to lose a part of ourselves and another predator which plays an important part in many ecosystems.