Tiger Conservation

Over the past century the number of tigers in India has fallen about 40,000 to 4,000. Relentless poaching and clearing of habitat for agriculture have the primary facts of this decline. In recent years demand for tiger skin and parts for “medical” purposes has become an increasingly important threat.

However the news is not all bad. Research shows that if protected and given sufficient access to ample prey, tiger populations can quickly stabilize. With India’s large network of protected areas and continued funding from conservation groups like the wildlife conservation society, the outcomes provided hope that tigers can avoid extinction in the wild. The biggest threat to tigers in India is decreasing of their chief prey like deer, wild pigs.

As a result although about 300,000 square kilometers of tiger habitat still remains, much of it is empty of tigers because there is not enough food for them to survive.
          The tiger is not just a charming species. It’s not just a wild animal living in some forest either. The tiger is a unique animal which plays an essential role in the health and diversity of an ecosystem.

It is a top predator in check, thereby maintaining the balance between prey herbivores and the vegetation upon which they feed. Therefore the presence of tigers, in the forest is an indicator of the well being of the ecosystem.The extinction of this top predator is an indication that its ecosystem
is not sufficiently protected, and neither would it exist for long thereafter.
 

One important thing that you can do is learn as much about tigers as you can, and teach others about the threats they face. You can do reports at school, or just talk to your friends and family. As people learn more about tigers , they will try harder to protect them.