Indian reserve emptied of tigers

[kskiska]

An entire population of tigers has vanished from a forest sanctuary in the Indian state of Rajasthan because of poaching, a police investigation has found.

After months of tiger hunting, an official inquiry launched by the country's prime minister has found no trace of the 26 big cats which were supposed to prowl the 350 square miles of dense jungle in the Sariska reserve.

The disappearance of tigers in Sariska came to light when reports surfaced that none had been sighted for six months. NGOs have questioned whether another tiger park in Rajasthan, the Ranthambore reserve, really contains the 40 tigers apparently counted by officials.

India's tiger population has shrunk from an estimated 40,000 a century ago to about 3,700 this year, a government census shows. Conservationists say even this number is artificially inflated by officials who do not want to expose the depth of the crisis for fear of losing their jobs. Many put India's tiger population at closer to 2,000.

more…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/india/story/0,12559,1448643,00.html

[brokensymmetry]

1. I suppose I'll live to see the extinction of the tiger...

it's a shame. A crying shame.

[CottonBear]

2. It is awful to live in such times as these...

:cry:

When will we come to our senses and take care of our mother earth?

[alphafemale]

3. How soon until we see the poaching of captive animals?

It's bound to happen.
The black market is too profitable

:mad:

[jdj]

6. it's already happening, called "canned hunts"

when zoos get too many males, or too many in general, they sell these animals. there aren't enough sanctuaries around, so the animals get sold and shot in their cages.

what a sport.

as well, states that allow breeding of exotic species need to stop this and all states need to strictly regulate breeding by zoos.

[Coventina]

4. And for fucking "Traditional Chinese Medicines"

:mad:

You know, why can't the oppressive government over there do something about those stupid traditional medicines?

[donheld]

5. I've dreaded the day

I'd hear this news. How much longer till they're all gone from the wild.

[Robeson]

7. And another loss to us all. Just another example of man's lack of...

...humanity, to everything.