World's wild tiger count rising for first time in a century

[WhiteTara]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/worlds-wild-tiger-count-rising-first-time-century-183710913.html?nhp=1

NEW DELHI (AP) — The world's count of wild tigers roaming forests from Russia to Vietnam has gone up for the first time in more than a century, with some 3,890 counted by conservation groups and national governments in the latest global census, wildlife conservation groups said Monday.

The tally marks a turnaround from the last worldwide estimate in 2010, when the number of tigers in the wild hit an all-time low of about 3,200, according to the World Wildlife Fund and the Global Tiger Forum.

India alone holds more than half of them, with 2,226 tigers roaming reserves across the country, from the southern tip of Kerala state to the eastern swamps in West Bengal, according to its last count in 2014.

But while experts said the news was cause for celebration, they stopped short of saying the number of tigers itself was actually rising. In other words, it may just be that experts are aware of more tigers, thanks to the fact that survey methods are improving and more areas are being included.

[joeybee12]

1. Big KNR

I hope this trend continues.

[malaise]

2. Don't tell Trump's sons

[WhiteTara]

4. That was my thought too...that dentist also

[malaise]

5. LOL

I almost included him

[swilton]

3. Russia has been one of the world leaders in tiger conservation

I wrote a graduate school paper on tiger conservation..............

In the late 1800’s when Vladivostok had just become incorporated into the Russian Empire more than 1,000 tigers inhabited the region’s forests. After the species declined to less than 40 individuals in the mid-20th century, the Soviet Union renewed measures to protect the tigers by expanding zapovedniki and strengthening anti-poaching legislation that resulted in an increase of the tiger population to nearly 500 adults today. Of twelve countries have tiger populations, Russia is one of six countries where tiger populations have stabilized or increased its population. Notably, it was announced on 7 May 2009 that the World Wildlife Fund has asked Russia to host the top-level 2010 Summit on Tiger Conservation.. This 500 species’ comeback happened only after a long and arduous processes involving the interaction of national and international actors and occurring domestically under extreme political repression, and internationally in the midst of Cold War tensions.

There are many sub-species of tigers - those in the Russian Far East are the largest sub-species Pantheris tigris altaica or Amur tigers - frequently but incorrectly referred to as Siberian tigers.

Within the domain of the Russian Federation’s nature preserves, the Far East which provides nature preserves (zapovedniki/protected area) for the Amur Tiger. The world’s largest living tiger (male weight up to 800 lbs/female weight up to 500 lbs), the Amur’s range is predominantly in the Russian Far East in the Primorsky and Khabarovsky Krays (regions) – a few members of the sub-species live across the borders of China and North Korea. Much of the terrain is mountainous and rugged but is now crossed by roads, human settlements and more recently logging roads. Competition with the human population for prey (boar, red deer) and forest cover, poaching and habitat loss due to fires have challenged the sub-species’ survival. Considered a keystone species, adult members of the sub-species need huge habitats to successfully survive — adult females require 155 square miles to raise their cubs. Conservation groups are working to create protected areas in the Russian Far East and to find ways that humans and tigers can live side by side.

[HuckleB]

6. K & R, again and again!!!!

[pinboy3niner]

7. Grrrrreat!