Tiger  (Panthera tigris)

Human activities are the principal cause of declining tiger numbers. Hunting was a major cause of mortality in the past; both for trophies and as part of organised pest control measures (3). Poaching and illegal killing, for example by livestock owners, today remains one of the major threats to the survival of the species, particularly with the growing demand for tiger bones in Oriental ‘medicine' (5). The demand for remedies made from tiger parts has increased due to increasing affluence in Asia, and laws preventing international trade in tiger parts are largely ignored. Hong Kong is the main importer of tiger products, with tiger bone the most used part. The bones are crushed to be used in anti-inflammatory drugs for rheumatism and arthritis, amongst many other uses. The trade in tiger skins is also increasing (11). Habitat loss has occurred through much of the tiger's range and also threatens survival; as land becomes rapidly developed to meet the increasing demand of the Asian population explosion (3), tiger populations become isolated in remaining fragments of wilderness and ultimately die out (2). The tiger's natural prey species have declined in numbers due to over-hunting, leading individuals to turn to domestic livestock, which inevitably causes conflict with local farmers (3).

The tiger is classified as Endangered by the IUCN (the World Conservation Union), and of the six surviving subspecies the futures of the South China tiger and the Siberian tiger seem particularly bleak. Recent extensive surveys resulted in no sightings (10). India has the greatest number of tigers but even the Bengal tiger population is estimated at no more than 3,000 to 3,500 individuals (3). TRAFFIC (the trade monitoring arm of the WWF and IUCN) monitors the level of international trade of tiger products and brings it to the attention of the relevant authorities (6). The Indian government established Project Tiger in 1973 (7) with the aim of conserving the tiger population. Within India there are currently 21 tiger reserves, although, these are increasingly threatened by human pressures on the land (3). The key to the survival of the tiger is the maintenance of large tracts of contiguous habitat, but protection of this species is complicated by its man-eater reputation and by the threat posed to livestock (2). The involvement and commitment of local people will be vital for the future sustainability of this most regal of cats.