Tigers are the largest predators of the Cat family – reach a length of more than 3 m and a weight of more than 385 kg. In nature, they rank after polar and brown bears in size. In the last 100 years, the world's tigers have lost 93% of their natural habitats. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were about 100,000 tigers on Earth, while today there are less than 4,000 left. The remaining 6 subspecies are declared endangered.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is taking on the daunting task of conserving tigers in Asia and doubling their numbers. In 2010, the first high-level meeting dedicated to tigers was held, in which the governments of the 13 countries with protected tiger populations took part. The meeting stated the unanimous desire of the participants to preserve and double the number of tigers by 2022, which is the next year of the tiger according to the Chinese calendar.
Wild tigers are threatened mainly by poaching. Every part of the tiger's body – from the mustache to the last hair on the tail – traded on the black market. Deforestation and the construction of roads and industrial complexes disturb the natural habitat of tigers and they cannot adapt to the changes.
Tigers are an indispensable part of Earth's nature – by feeding on smaller animals, they maintain their numbers. This keeps the balance between the herbivores and the vegetation that serves them as food. If tigers live to the fullest, the entire ecosystem thrives, bringing financial, cultural and social benefits to local communities.
In Nepal and India, tigers in the wild are a real attraction that attracts tourists from all over the world to the national parks and reserves and thus brings real benefits to the local population.
Source: banker.bg