Tiger

Aaron 1
Aaron Cervantes
Mr. Butler
British Literature
02 June 2010
A Tiger’s Roar For Help:
The tiger is one of the planets most powerful animal, but its also one of the most
endangered mammal in the world. Tigers rarely attack humans and they are perfectly capable of
taking out prey on their own. They have razor sharp claws, really strong teeth, and are able to
run fast enough after their prey. So why is the tiger in a crisis of extinction?
Let’s begin with how many tigers use to live before they started becoming extinct. In the
1900’s the world population of tigers was 100,000, 70 years later the population in the 1970’s
had become just 4,000! There was 8 species of tiger during the 1900’s which were the: Bengal
Tiger, Indochinese Tiger, Chinese Tiger, Siberian (Amur) Tiger, Sumatran Tiger, Bali Tiger,
Caspian Tiger, and the Javan Tiger. Now 5 remain and the 3 other species went extinct one
being the Bali Tiger in the 1940’s, the other Caspian Tiger in the 1970s, and the last in the1980s
being the Javan Tiger. These poor species have become extinct and the rest of the species is still
left for us to see if they will survive.
The current populations for each species of tiger are different than each other. The
Bengal Tiger has been estimated that the minimum population of this type of tiger is 3,176 and
its maximum about 4,556. The Indochinese Tiger about 1,227 being its minimum and its
maximum 1,785. The Chinese Tiger population is about 20 minimum to 30 maximum still left in
the wild. The Siberian Tiger still has about 360 left in the wild and about 406 being its max
population. The Sumatran Tiger has about 400 to 500 tigers still in existence today. The most
Aaron 2
populated tiger species is the Bengal Tiger, Indochinese tiger being second in place, Sumatran
Tiger coming in on third, The Siberian Tiger on fourth in biggest population of tigers, and the
most endangered species being the Chinese Tiger.
Although there is not an accurate number of tiger population there are really good
estimates. Some say that the tiger population has decreased by 97% in the past 100 years and
some say 95%. Others also say that 93% of their home range has been destroyed making
habitats for tigers to live in smaller.
There are a couple of reasons that led to the decline of tiger population and having this
decline turn into an endangerment for these animals. Tigers have been severely hunted down by
humans. Humans are the number one source for having tiger population decline so dramatically
as it has been. Humans would hunt tigers for many selfish reasons and beliefs. The tiger is also
considered one of the strongest and majestic animals on earth, this is what is causing the
downfall of the tiger. Since the tiger is admired so much by humans they would pay poachers
great amounts of money for tiger body parts from the fur being about $10,000 to $20,000 to
testicles being $320 a bowl. Tiger body parts are high in prices they sell everything from claws,
bones, fur, and sometimes even their eyeballs. Its these high prices of tiger body parts that make
poachers want to kill these animals even more. These poachers can make more money in 1 tiger
than they would in 6 years.
Some people also believe that tiger body parts contain important ingredients for making
ancient Chinese medicine. Some also believe that having a soup of tiger testicles will increase a
person’s sexuality. Tiger bones, claws, and whiskers are being used to make potions and elixirs.
People also make talismans out of tiger body parts because they believe that these talismans will
Aaron 3
protect them. Even though the medicine does not work and its just a myth people refuse to
believe that and still kill tigers because of their supernatural elements that people think tigers
posses.
Tigers have also become endangered because of their loss of habitat. Humans move
deeper into jungles causing problems to tigers and other animals. The tigers have lost so much
of their home destroyed that they are separated from other tigers and are unable to mate with
other tigers. This causes the tigers to mate with a small population of tigers causing inbreeding.
This inbreeding causes the gene pool to become weaker and cause many birth defects to new
born tiger cubs. These tiger cubs are sometimes born without being able to reproduce meaning
they won’t be able to create more tiger cubs to expand the population of tigers.
Also another factor that many do not know is that mating white tigers really does not help
the growth of population of tigers. When a tiger is kept in captivity it is raised to go back into
the wild to live a normal tiger life. With white tigers that cannot be done because white tigers
have a less likely chance to survive in the wild. Sure they are bigger than a normal tiger but they
have a harder chance in catching prey because of their fur color (they are easily spotted). This
means that white tigers are taking up space other normal tigers can be using because white tigers
are being bred but are unable to be sent out to the wild. They do help though because people like
white tigers more, which means they are willing to donate to support groups more often so there
could be more money to help breed other tigers.
Another downfall of tigers is that they like to hunt alone. This means that a tiger if
wounded can easily die by starving to death or being killed by other animals. A tiger also does
Aaron 4
not live as long in the wild as they do captive because when they get old they are too old to hunt
for prey and starve to death.
A lot has been done to prevent the killing of tigers. Countries have passed laws where
it’s illegal to kill tigers

Tiger

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Tiger

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Tiger

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Aaron 1

A Tiger’s Roar For Help:

left for us to see if they will survive.

most endangered species being the Chinese Tiger.

habitats for tigers to live in smaller.

than they would in 6 years.

could be more money to help breed other tigers.

for prey and starve to death.

it’s illegal to kill tigers

You might also like