Are tigers doomed?

[Kyle]

Heres a tiger I snapped a pic of in Disney's animal kingdom.
http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs38/f/2008/ ... gmcube.jpg

Anyone know what type of tiger this is?

[yamiiguy]

Panthera tigris tigris, the Bengal Tiger.

[yamiiguy]

yamii guy, no disrespect, but your opinion comes in direct conflict with facts. And your comment on "several subspecies"...There is no such thing as a species of cat known as simply, Tiger. They are ALL subspecies. And they are all highly endangered.

Bengal tigers population has dropped by 60%. Less than 1,500 in the wild.
Sumatran tigers have a wild population of 500-600. 66 of them were shot and killed in a 2 year span.
Siberian tigers have a wild population of 400-500.
South China tiger, there is no number. This animal has been listed as one of the most endangered species, with a sidenote that its likely already extinct.
Malayan tigers are numbered at 400-600 in the wild.

The Bali tiger and Javan tiger are both listed as extinct.

What's left of the tiger population is becoming more and more inbred. So not only is habitat loss and poaching causing their numbers to dwindle, but the act of breeding is also causing deformed and diseased young. Some of the wild tiger attacks have been looked at as being the inbred young who have turned to killing and eating people.

Panthera tigris, aka the Tiger, is a species.
Panthera tigris tigris, Panthera tigris corbetti, Panthera tigris jacksoni, Panthera tigris sumatrae, Panthera tigris altaica, Panthera tigris amoyensis are all subspecies of Panthera tigris. The Tiger will go extinct, there is no doubt about that, it's just a matter of when and if I see the Bengal Tiger extinct in the wild by 2050 I'll be very surprised. Let's not forget that the Tiger, as a whole, isn't even critically endangered, only endangered. Unlike, say, the Asiatic Lion.

[Siren]

Yeah, AK has Bengals. Siberians are the other most popular tiger in captivity.

Unfortunately though, tigers in captivity are suffering the same inbred fate. Tigers in breeding programs through AZA accredited zoos, not so much. They have been able to keep the gene pool relatively clean, for now.

But a majority of captive tigers are not in AZA accredited zoos. They are in circuses, non-AZA accredited zoos, movies/tv, and as pets. Tigers breed very well in captivity. They can be in the nastiest more unclean of places, be very unhealthy, and they will still breed. This makes breeding them a cheap practice. In one investigation, they found several tiger breeders selling cubs for as low as $500. And before the year of captive tiger attacks, it was very easy to get permits to keep tigers. Now some states have all out banned ownership of them, save for in the case of educational purposes and breeding practices.

But regardless, captive tigers have had their genetic pool severely tapped. Blame it on Siegfried and Roy. They inadvertently took a genetic flaw and made it a hot commodity. White tigers. White tigers are rare in the wild, most are killed before they reach adulthood. Or they starve to death because the black/white pattern on their fur doesn't camouflage them as well to catch their prey. But captivity, 1000s of white tigers. Some breeders have been found to either sell orange tigers at a cheaper price or simply kill them. They want white tigers, especially solid white tigers because they fetch more money from circuses, non-accredited zoos, etc.

Some examples of color and what that does to these animals.....

normal tiger...see how their color blends with their surroundings?


White tiger...like White German Shepherds, these cats are prone to many ailments such as skin problems, heart problems, and hip problems. Deafness is common


Pure white tiger...same as tiger about, also blind and deafness are very common.


And in the end, after you imbred them a bit too much, you now start making them look like a domesticated bulldog or Persian cat...



Are tigers, as we know them, as nature intended going extinct? You bet.

[Siren]

as a whole, isn't even critically endangered, only endangered.

The WWF would disagree with you there. Tigers TOP their list.

WWF’s “Ten to Watch in 2010” list:

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.

Source: http://www.wwf.org.uk/news_feed.cfm?361 ... ch-in-2010

[Kyle]

My God that last one is hideous...

[yamiiguy]

The WWF isn't the organization that judges the levels of endangered...ness. The IUCN is. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/15955/0

[Super Aurora]

yamii guy, no disrespect, but your opinion comes in direct conflict with facts. And your comment on "several subspecies"...There is no such thing as a species of cat known as simply, Tiger. They are ALL subspecies. And they are all highly endangered.

Bengal tigers population has dropped by 60%. Less than 1,500 in the wild.
Sumatran tigers have a wild population of 500-600. 66 of them were shot and killed in a 2 year span.
Siberian tigers have a wild population of 400-500.
South China tiger, there is no number. This animal has been listed as one of the most endangered species, with a sidenote that its likely already extinct.
Malayan tigers are numbered at 400-600 in the wild.

The Bali tiger and Javan tiger are both listed as extinct.

What's left of the tiger population is becoming more and more inbred. So not only is habitat loss and poaching causing their numbers to dwindle, but the act of breeding is also causing deformed and diseased young. Some of the wild tiger attacks have been looked at as being the inbred young who have turned to killing and eating people.

not to mention there are more inbreed or holded as pets Tigers in USA than there are in combination of ones in the wild.

[Siren]

The WWF isn't the organization that judges the levels of endangered...ness. The IUCN is. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/15955/0

There is no one set group that does the numbers. This isn't American Idol. No one group "judges" levels of population in species. They each have their own teams of researchers. So one group says critically and the other group said just endangered. But either way, there is no one set group who is tasked with this. They both research, and as is pretty common in scientific research, they don't always get the same answer. It just depends who you follow.

[yamiiguy]

I'd think you find that the majority follow IUCN. The WWF does not say that the Tiger is "critically endangered", infact the WWF works with the IUCN to produce the Red List. The list you posted isn't the top 10 most endangered species, it's a "one to watch" list.

[Siren]

I'd think you find that the majority follow IUCN. The WWF does not say that the Tiger is "critically endangered", infact the WWF works with the IUCN to produce the Red List. The list you posted isn't the top 10 most endangered species, it's a "one to watch" list.

Did you go to the link? Headline: Tigers, Polar Bears and Blue Fin Tuna Among the Most Threatened Species in 2010, says WWF

With tigers being on the top of the list. Its really not an argument to further though.

[yamiiguy]

Should I really debate grammar? Probably not but the Tiger is among the 4613 most endangered species in the world. All I can say is this, we must strive to protect all endangered species whether they are critically endangered or merely threatened, from the smallest amphibian to the largest mammal, they are all worthy of our protection. It will be a sad day when the only place I can see a Tiger is in a zoo, yes that day will likely come, yes some of us may, unfortunately, be alive to see it happen but there are many, many species that will go before it.

[Big Disney Fan]

I brought this matter up to my dad, since I got an email from the WWF where I was asked for a $16 donation to help the tigers. But he stubbornly insists that I don't give them any money and that the tigers will be fine, like he's in denial about this whole thing. Now what?

[Kyle]

Well you shouldnt expect your dad to pay out of his own pocket, this should be your money.

[Super Aurora]

I brought this matter up to my dad, since I got an email from the WWF where I was asked for a $16 donation to help the tigers. But he stubbornly insists that I don't give them any money and that the tigers will be fine, like he's in denial about this whole thing. Now what?

Screw your dad. He's seem narrow minded. Why don't you donate it(16 bucks isn't a lot to ask for).


I would of done same thing too if i knew where send the money address to.

[Big Disney Fan]

Well you shouldnt expect your dad to pay out of his own pocket, this should be your money.

Well, I didn't ask for his money, just to use mine.

[yamiiguy]

Donate anyway. Wildlife charities need all they can get. Donate to the WWF, Tiger Awareness or Tiger Trust.

[Siren]

Take your money, go to the store and get a money order, put it in an envelope and send it. Your father should have nothing to do with how you spend the money you earned

[Big Disney Fan]

Take your money, go to the store and get a money order, put it in an envelope and send it. Your father should have nothing to do with how you spend the money you earned

What store? Just any old store?

[Siren]

Take your money, go to the store and get a money order, put it in an envelope and send it. Your father should have nothing to do with how you spend the money you earned

What store? Just any old store?

Yup, Walmart, your local grocery store, many convenience stores, they do money orders. Plus you will have a record of that donation in the form of a receipt. If you file taxes, donations are tax deductible.