Don't take the tiger for granted.

There are some things in your life that always seem to have been around.  For me, one of them is the tiger.  It is the largest cat species, with body length up to 3.3m and weighing up to 306kg.  That's big!  But it's not just the knowledge of the existence of the animal that has been with me for as long as I can remember, it's also the use of the word 'tiger' as a name or brand - Tiger Woods and Tiger Beer being just two examples.  It is synonymous with strength, skill and majesty.  Despite being regarded by some as dangerous, wild tigers will normally avoid interactions with humans.  Attacks can, however, be provoked, for example when they are hunted or looking after their young.

My recent interest in tigers was prompted by information from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).  According to the WWF, there are now around 3,200 tigers left in the wild.  There are more than that number in captivity.  Over the last century the population has reduced by over 95%.  Tigers used to roam over most of Asia, from as far west as Turkey.  But now they are only found in isolated areas in India, Nepal, China, Russia, Malaysia and Sumatra.  The main reasons for the population decline are habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation and poaching.  The main reasons for poaching have been the high prices paid for body parts, particularly the skins, and the belief by many people in China and other parts of Asia that some tiger parts have medicinal properties, including pain killers and aphrodisiacs.  Some of the claims of those practising traditional Chinese medicine are as follows:

Tiger claws cure insomnia.

Teeth treat fever.

Fat treats leprosy.

Nose leather cures bites.

Bone treats rheumatism and arthritis.

Eye balls treat epilepsy and malaria.

Tail is used to cure skin diseases.

Bile cures meningitis.

Whiskers cure toothache.

Brain treats laziness and pimples.

Penis is used in love potions and aphrodisiacs.

Dung or feces treats boils, hemorrhoids and alcoholism.

Western medical experts tend to discount all the claims but still the practice goes on.  In my opinion, one of the reasons the traditional practice is perpetuated is because it is 'traditional'.  The adjective 'traditional' almost becomes a seal of approval, a guarantee of success, because so many people have benefitted from (or been fooled by!) the traditional remedies.  I suppose when the traditional cures involve the the use of herbs, then there is little or no damage to the environment, but when it means slaughtering tigers, already an endangered species, it beggars belief.

The other major threat to tigers is habitat loss.  Information from WWF UK States that only 7% of the tiger's historical range is still available to them.  The rest has been cleared and gone to agriculture, forest clearing, roads, etc.  This has forced the tigers to inhabit isolated pockets of land thus impeding their breeding characteristics.

So unless action is taken and fortunately WWF and others do have programmes to save tigers, an animal which is known by all could become extinct and relegated like the dinosaur to the history books.  Please don't take the tiger for granted!