Fewer than 3,000 tigers remain in the wild today, compared to an estimated 100,000 individuals only 100 years ago. Now occupying only seven percent of their historic range, the remaining wild tigers are threatened by habitat loss and poaching, among other human pressures. Although most agree that saving this charismatic species will require intervention, there is sharp debate as to what strategies should be employed. A recent article in Science, "Can the Wild Tiger Survive?" takes a closer look at the current status of tiger conservation efforts, both in captivity and the wild.
One of the Most Endangered Species in the World
Wild tigers, belonging to nine subspecies, once roamed the Asian continent from Turkey to China. Today, the vast majority of the surviving 3,000 individuals reside in India, no more than 50 live in China, and populations on the islands of Bali and Java have been completely extirpated. Habitat loss is a principal cause of this decline, and the tigers' range shrunk by an additional 40 percent in the last decade alone. Illegal poaching driven by demand for tiger parts is another major problem, especially in China where traditional medicines made from tiger bones are highly valued. This occurs despite an international ban on the trade in tiger parts instigated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in 1975 and a domestic ban in China enacted in 1993.
Historical and Current Distribution of Tigers
Source: Morrell, 2007 (adapted from Luo et al., 2004).
Captive Tigers Outnumber Wild Tigers
Relative to their wild counterparts, captive tigers appear to be thriving. There are at least 11,000 individuals in captivity: roughly 1000 in public zoos, 5000 in the hands of private owners in North America, and 5000 in state and private tiger-breeding centers. The conservation value of captive breeding programs is a point of controversy among conservation experts. Those running the breeding centers advocate them as the starting point for reintroduction programs. Reintroducing captive tigers is a difficult process, however, and it is unclear whether animals born into captivity will be able to hunt and survive in the wild. Furthermore, captive populations are often thoroughly inbred and are too genetically similar to be released. Many major international wildlife organizations advocate enhanced conservation of remaining populations in the wild instead, assuming that once granted adequate space and protection from poachers, their numbers will naturally increase.
Trade in Tiger Products Remains Controversial
Many of the 5000 tigers living in breeding centers are already generating economic benefits as tourist attractions, but the potential income from selling products made from tiger parts is substantial and has interested many breeders despite the current ban. Those in support of legalizing and regulating the sale of tiger products in China believe that it could reduce demand for black market goods and subsequently lessen poaching. Those in opposition argue that legalizing trade would reignite demand from former consumers and create new consumers, thereby increasing total demand. Furthermore, raising a captive tiger to maturity is 250 times more expensive than poaching, meaning that poached tigers might continue to be desired as a cheaper alternative to legal sources.Survival Remains Uncertain
No matter what strategies are used to help save the tiger from extinction, wildlife biologists will inevitably face many challenges. A single tiger requires a minimum of 100 square kilometers of range and plentiful prey. Finding this type of open space is becoming increasingly difficult, and adequately protecting it from human pressures requires significant resources and political will. Between 1998 and 2003, $23.3 million was invested in tiger conservation landscapes, yet only 23 percent of existing landscapes are currently protected. Increasing this investment will be vital to ongoing conservation efforts, but even then, the future of the tiger remains uncertain.
More about the information and sources from this article are available from:
Virginia Morell (7 September 2007). "Can the Wild Tiger Survive?" Science 317(5843): 1312-1314.
RELATED LINKS:
Tiger Information from the World Wildlife Fund
Setting Priorities for the Conservation and Recovery of the World’s Tigers: 2005-2015 (pdf)
TRAFFIC: the wildlife trade monitoring network
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