According to conservationists, fewer than 50 wild tigers still roam China. The South China Tiger is probably already extinct and other populations have been reduced to a handful of individuals. A century ago, an estimated 100,000 tigers prowled the Asian continent. Today that number has been reduced 97%, to 3,500 individuals.
This decline is largely a result of habitat loss and illegal poaching for furs as well as body parts used in traditional Chinese medicine. Despite Chinese stringent poaching bans, the underground industry for tiger body parts continues in China -- a single tiger pelt can sell for as much as $20,000.
Year of the Tiger
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Conservationists are most hopeful for the Chinese tiger population in China’s northeast. This population is more stabilized because it is connected to larger tiger populations in Russia. Hopefully, this Year of the Tiger harbors a change in stripes for the destiny of this mighty creature.
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Source:
Reuters
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Mother Jones
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Mother Jones Magazine is offering an on-line version of the March/April 2006 "Fate of the Oceans" issue. Topics include pollution, industrial fishing and the impact of global warming on marine life. Visit the link below to learn more:
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