Critically Endangered Species: Tiger

Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica). A captive trained animal used for photography and filming. Rocky Mountains Montana, United States of America.

POPULATION AT A TIPPING POINT

Tiger numbers and Forest cover

©WWF

Although there are no accurate estimates of the world tiger population, numbers are thought to have fallen by over 95% since the turn of the 20th century – down from perhaps 100,000 to the current estimate of possibly as few as 3,200 individuals.

Three subspecies – Bali, Javan and Caspian tigers – were extinct by the 1980s.

Even in India, the species' stronghold, a recent government census suggests there may be as few as 1,400 tigers left.If the wild tiger population continues to decline at the current rate, recovery may not be possible.

http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/tigers/about_tigers/tiger_population/

This above shows that at the current rate that the decline in the Tigers populations would mean that by 2050 there may not be any in the wild. That is a shocking fact. The graph does give hope though as it shows that if we start to act now then there would be hope for the Tigers, this would only happen if there is sufficient protection and forest restoration.

Tiger
New studies indicate that there may be as few as 3,200 tigers (Panthera tigris) left in the wild. Tigers occupy less than seven percent of their original range, which has decreased by 40 percent over the past ten years. Continuing deforestation and rampant poaching could push some tiger populations to the same fate as its now-extinct Javan and Balinese relatives in other parts of Asia. Tigers are poached for their body parts, which are used in traditional Asian medicine, while skins are also highly prized. Additionally, sea level rise, due to climate change, threatens the mangrove habitat of a key tiger population in Bangladesh’s and India’s Sundarbans. The upcoming Chinese Year of the Tiger, starting in February 2010, will mark an important year for conservation efforts to save wild tigers, with WWF continuing to play a vital role in implementing bold new strategies to save this magnificent Asian big cat.
http://www.wwf.org.uk/wwf_articles.cfm?unewsid=3618

I have recently been watching this series on the BBC about the preservation of Tigers in remote areas to ensure that they survive for many generations, I would highly recommend the program as its very interesting and has some amazing footage of Tigers and other rare cats like the Asian Golden Cat which there is very little known about it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00ty6b0/hd/Lost_Land_of_the_Tiger_Episode_1/

Tiger face, California, USA Close up of a captive tiger's face (Panthera tigris), Africa Marine World, Vallejo, California, United States. Image No: 239815