Threats to Tigers
The global wild tiger population is believed to be as low as 3,200 at present, down from 100,000 at the start of the 20th century, and if left unchecked there is a chance that numbers will drop beyond a point of no return within many areas of Asia by 2022. WWF’s map highlights the increasing threats faced by the species, including habitat loss, illegal trade and climate change
The threats to wild tigers highlighted in the map include:
- Pulp, paper, palm oil and rubber companies are devastating the forests of Indonesia and Malaysia, which are home to critical tiger populations;
- Hundreds of new or proposed dams and roads in the Mekong region will fragment tiger habitat;
- Illegal trafficking in tiger bones, skins and meat feeds continued demand in East, Southeast Asia and elsewhere;
- More tigers are kept in captivity in the U.S. state of Texas than are left in the wild - and there are few regulations to keep these tigers from ending up on the black market;
- Poaching of tigers and their prey, along with a major increase in logging is taking a heavy toll on Amur, or Siberian, tigers;
- Tigers and humans are increasingly coming into conflict in India as tiger habitats shrink;
- Climate change could reduce tiger habitat in Bangladesh’s Sundarbans mangroves by 96 percent.
To view and/or download the map, please visit: www.worldwildlife.org/tigertroublespots
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