Save the Tigers!

All species of Tiger are either extinct or seriously endangered. The main reasons for this are due to people hunting them for their pelt (skin and fur), for their meat and also for their body parts which can be used in local medicines. They are also endangered due to increasing habitat loss. In all, there are fewer than 2000 Bengal Tigers left in the wild, and fewer than 500 Siberian/Amur Tigers, Malayan Tigers, Sumatran Tigers and Indochinese Tigers left in the wild. Other species of Tiger are thought to be extinct such as the South China which although there are still roughly 50 Tigers in captivity, none have been sighted in the wild for many years.

Due to people constantly destroying more and more of prime Tiger habitat, we are putting more and more pressure on them to survive, and they aren't going to go down without a fight. This is why they are getting an increasingly bad name due to them having more and more run ins with people and most of these leading to the death of either the person or the tiger. Whenever a Tiger is killed by a person people don't pay much attention, but as soon as a person is killed by a Tiger there is uproar and it simply isn't fair. They are trying to survive and protect their own just as we do and we need to understand that. We should protect and respect these animals, not try to wipe them off the face of the Earth! Just imagine how you would feel if you were one of those Tigers.

Each of these types of Tiger bring a different thing to the world and they are all very important. The Sumatran Tiger is the smallest but has the largest canine teeth and the Siberian Tiger is the largest. Overall the Tiger is the largest big cat species in the world and we can't lose these magnificent creatures due to our own selfishness! We need to all start doing things now, before it is too late.

To help save the Tigers there is a number of things you can do; you can donate to an organisation such as the WWF or 'adopt a Tiger'. You can support the laws and bans that are put in place to stop the killing of Tigers by signing petitions and things. You can support zoos which participate in Tiger conservation and research and you can even volunteer yourself in these zoos or even abroad to help to save the Tigers!

We need to take action before it is too late.