THERE BACK! Wild Tiger Population 40 Percent Larger Than Thought, According to Conservation Groups.
Published by -NAWA News Feed- in -Wildlife News- · Saturday 06 Aug 2022
2022 Reports Stun Conservationists as Wild Tiger Numbers Soar.
In 2010, India sought to double its tiger population by 2022. But in 2018 on International Tiger Day, the country announced it met its goal four years earlier than expected. Nearly 3,000 tigers now reside in India, that's more than 70% of the world's tiger population.
India has no doubt shown the rest of the world how to save the tigers!
Conservationists were recently taken back by a new evaluation from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). According to the report, there are currently 3,726 to 5,578 tigers in the globe, a 40 percent rise since 2015.
This rise is due to better monitoring, which reveals that there are more tigers than we previously thought. It also demonstrates that the worldwide tiger population "appears to be steady or increasing," according to the IUCN statement.
This evaluation's timing appears appropriate given that July 29 marked International Tiger Day and that this year is the Year of the Tiger. Although there is still work to be done, we can take heart from this updated number and consolation from local governments' conservation efforts in the areas where big cats are found. Dale Miquelle, coordinator of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Tiger Program, notes that although these findings are encouraging, "this improvement is fragile—we are still losing tigers from many regions, while they are rising in others." The IUCN Red List, which tracks the global conservation status of hundreds of species, still lists tigers as "Endangered."
The Bengal Tiger, (Panthera tigris tigris) is the only species of tiger that the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, (AZA) does not participate in it’s "Species Survival Plan", (SSP). When the AZA brings an animal into the SSP program, the AZA garnishes a tremendous amount of controlling "say so" within that animal's home territory.
However, India, the home of the Bengal tiger species (panthera tigris tigris) has not participated (or given in) in the AZA's SSP, and thus has maintained the control of the conservation activities with this species. This is probably a good thing since the devastating results that the AZA has seen with other tiger species under their realm in their SSP.
Poaching and habitat fragmentation, two destructive practices that continue to be a serious threat to our feline friends. According to some wildlife associations, human activity has resulted in the loss of an astounding 95% of an animal's historical range. Their location exhibits a troubling cyclical pattern: when their habitat is destroyed, tigers must leave to find food, which causes human-tiger conflict for territory and casualties on both sides. If we are to have any chance of protecting these magnificent creatures, human action is required because poaching is the "most widespread threat" to wild tigers.
According to the IUCN, "engaging with local communities living in and around tiger habitats, expanding and connecting protected areas, ensuring they are adequately maintained, are vital to protecting the species." Adding, "Although we still have a very long way to go, the current assessment reveals that the tiger can be preserved," Miquelle expresses a similar opinion.
Despite this encouraging new number, tigers are still listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The most immediate risks come from hazards that humans have caused, like habitat loss and poaching.
Thankfully, conservation initiatives around the world are still going strong. Tiger-focused projects are still collaborating with the neighborhood to guarantee proper protection and monitoring.
Despite the fact that there is still much work to be done, Wildlife Conservation Society Tiger Program coordinator Dale Miquelle asserts that "the current assessment demonstrates that the tiger can be saved."
Related stories:
