Bengal Tigers
Endangered Species information
FACT
The Bengal Tiger is one of the largest species of tigers in the world. Although it is the most numerous of tiger subspecies, there are fewer than 2,500 of them left in the wild!
Background Information
The Bengal Tiger, Panthera tigris tigris is primarily found in India, but has smaller populations in other places such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, China, and Myanmar.
Its habitats include the dry and wet deciduous forests, grassland and temperate forests, as well as mangrove forests.
An interesting fact is that there's about 1% of Bengal Tigers that are DNA verified hybrids. That is when they have one parent that's a Bengal Tiger, and the other that's a Siberian Tiger. It is believed that this genetic link was the result of mistakes in breeding while in captivity, and then released to the wild instead of a natural occurrence that takes place in the wild.
---> Bengal Tigers can weigh up to 500 pounds for a full grown male and about 310 pounds for a full grown female! They also feature very long tails and heads that are larger than that of other species. They are excellent hunters and feed on a variety of prey found around India. They include deer, antelope, hogs and buffalo. They have also been seen consuming monkeys, birds, and other small prey when their main food selections become scarce.
Threats and Causes of its Decline
The Bengal Tiger, Panthera tigris tigris is primarily found in India, but has smaller populations in other places such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, China, and Myanmar.
Its habitats include the dry and wet deciduous forests, grassland and temperate forests, as well as mangrove forests.
An interesting fact is that there's about 1% of Bengal Tigers that are DNA verified hybrids. That is when they have one parent that's a Bengal Tiger, and the other that's a Siberian Tiger. It is believed that this genetic link was the result of mistakes in breeding while in captivity, and then released to the wild instead of a natural occurrence that takes place in the wild.
---> Bengal Tigers can weigh up to 500 pounds for a full grown male and about 310 pounds for a full grown female! They also feature very long tails and heads that are larger than that of other species. They are excellent hunters and feed on a variety of prey found around India. They include deer, antelope, hogs and buffalo. They have also been seen consuming monkeys, birds, and other small prey when their main food selections become scarce.
Threats and Causes of its Decline
- Loss of Habitat-- Less than 100 years ago, Bengal tigers prowled free all across India. However, booming human populations, particularly starting in the early 1940s, have resulted in a loss of this tiger's habitat. The habitats are being harmed even more due to agriculture and the clearing of forests for new developments and roadways. This then forces tigers into smaller, scattered habitats.
- Illegal Wildlife Trade-- Before the international ban on tiger trade in 1993, tiger populations were being decimated by poaching and trade. Despite the ban in the past few decades, the illegal demand for tigers as status symbols, decorative items, and folk cures has increased dramatically, leading to a new poaching crisis. Poaching driven by the international illegal wildlife trade is the largest immediate threat to the remaining tiger population.
- Loss of Prey-- Bengal Tigers are losing natural prey like deer and antelopes. These numbers are declining and harming tigers because of poaching for meat and trade, competition with other livestock over food, and habitat infliction due to excessive wood removal for fires.
- Conflict with Humans-- Since Bengal Tigers have been losing their habitat and prey for food sources, they have been coming in contact with humans, attacking their livestock, and sometimes attacking people as well. This in turn has lead to some tigers being killed by angry villagers.
Why are Bengal Tigers Important!?
-- Bengal Tigers are vital to maintaining the diversity of nature in the ecosystem. These tigers are carnivores and at the top of the food chain in the wild. However, when we protect them, we end up protecting and saving much more. For instance, with just one tiger, we end up protecting around 25,000 acres of forest. These ecosystems are important because they supply people and nature with fresh food, water, and health. If the world were to lose Bengal Tigers it would be a horrible tragedy for future generations both socially and scientifically.
-- Bengal Tigers also have a positive effect on poor communities. Wherever Bengal Tigers exist, tourists go. When tourists go to these poor areas, money can be made by communities with few alternatives for making a living.
--Saving these tigers can also save the rich and diverse landscapes in which they roam.
Current Conservation Efforts
The World Wildlife Foundation has done a lot to help conserve the Bengal Tiger species.
They are:
- Conserving lanscapes (especially in India)
- Strengthening anti-poaching efforts
- Empowering communities
- & Stopping illegal wildlife trade to prevent tiger parts and products from being sold into black markets.
In addition, the Wildlife Protection Society of India continues to strive to look into all allegations of tiger poaching. They have confiscated large amounts of tiger parts and pelts but it is often hard for them to get to the source of who is actually responsible for killing and for shipping them. Even though they detain those caught with them there are more people involved in the process than they are able to uncover. Key landscapes vital to Bengal Tigers are consistently trying to be preserved and conserved for this animal's future.
How YOU Can Help!
-- Help stop wildlife crime against Bengal Tigers! Learn how you can take action here: STOP WILDLIFE CRIME AGAINST TIGERS
-- Become a monthly member to the World Wildlife Foundation with a monthly gift that helps protects Bengal Tigers and other species.
No comments:
Post a Comment