Tiger – Endangered Species

TigerAbout the Species: The total count of tigers has risen to 2,967 in 2018 from 2,226 in 2014 — an increase of 741 individuals or 33% in four years.
Conservation Status:

  • IUCN Red List: Endangered
  • CITES: Appendix I

Habitat: Tigers are found in amazingly diverse habitats: rain forests, grasslands, savannas, and even mangrove swamps. Unfortunately, 93% of historical tiger lands have disappeared primarily because of expanding human activity.

Distribution: There are 13 tiger range countries in the world. This includes India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Distribution in India: India’s tiger habitat in India is classified into five landscapes–Shivalik hills and Gangetic plains, central and Eastern Ghats, Western Ghats, north-east hills and Brahmaputra, and the Sundarbans.

Characteristics:

  • The tiger is a powerful and colourful species of big cat.
  • They are native to isolated areas of Asia and East Russia.
  • A tiger is solitary in nature, marking out its territory and defending it from other tigers.
  • In order for it to survive and thrive in its own habitat, the tiger has powerful physical features.
  • From razor-sharp teeth to muscular legs, they can catch prey and put up a fight from potential poachers.

Conservation Initiative:

  • Project Tiger: It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Government of India launched in 1973. It aims for the in-situ conservation of wild tigers in designated tiger reserves.
  • Global Tiger Forum(GTF): It is the inter-governmental international body established in 1993 with members from willing countries to embark on a global campaign to protect the Tiger. It is located in New Delhi, India.
  • Global Tiger Initiative(GTI): It was launched in 2008 as a global alliance of governments, international organizations, civil society and the private sector with the aim of working together to save wild tigers from extinction. In 2013, the scope was broadened to include Snow Leopards.
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