Future looks brighter for the tiger

Tiger hunting is now illegal everywhere

October 13, 1999
Web posted at: 11:53 a.m. EDT (1553 GMT)

The world tiger population, which was greater than 100,000 in the 19th century, plummeted to an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 individuals. At one point during the free-fall, many scientists predicted that the tiger would be extinct by the year 2000.

Tiger experts today, who recently met at a workshop hosted by the Wildlife Conservation Society, confirm that tiger populations are actually growing in some core areas. According to the workshop participants, a combination of better science, increased public awareness and collaboration among conservation groups has contributed to the upswing in tigers, particularly in the Russian Far East, Nepal and areas in India and Bhutan.

"We are succeeding at saving the tiger," said Director of the Asian program for the Wildlife Conservation Society Joshua Ginsberg. "We are making progress at reducing the consumption of tigers, the laws are better and enforcement is improving in consumer countries."

Tiger hunting is now illegal everywhere, and international trade in tigers and tiger products is completely banned under the Convention for International Trade on Endangered Species.

The number one threat to tigers remains loss of prey

Nevertheless, habitat destruction continues at a rapid pace, live tigers enter the illegal exotic pet trade, tiger skins are bought and sold and tiger parts are sought by traditional medicine practitioners to improve virility and achieve other presumed health benefits.

Despite the fact that illegal trade of tigers continues to be a significant problem, Ginsberg said the number one threat to tigers is loss of prey. "To have cats, you have to have cat food," he said.

"Various organizations, including World Wide Fund for Nature and CITES, are doing a good job at educating consumers and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners in both the U.S. and China. We must now move forward, analyze what has worked, what has not and apply these lessons to key populations across Asia."

Representatives from 147 member states of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species also met recently in Lisbon to strengthen international protection for the tiger.

"The CITES Review is important because it shows where the weaknesses are," Ginsberg said.

Cites spokesperson, John Sellar said the meeting's greatest accomplishment was establishing that "greater communication between enforcement agencies is needed. Intelligence gathering must be increased and the organized smuggling routes identified."

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