Extinct Tiger Species: Part 3

The Caspian Tiger (Panthera tigris virgata)

The last of the three extinct species is the Caspian tiger. It was also referred to as the Hyrcanian or Turanian tiger. This species is believed to have gone extinct in the 1970s. It was last spotted in 1968 near the Aral River. Interestingly, it was believed to have been a subspecies of the Siberian tiger. And actually, recent genetic research conducted in Oxford University suggests that the Caspian tiger may be the same subspecies as the Siberian tiger. The Caspian tiger inhabited west and south of the Caspian Sea in Turkey and Iran and Central Asia, including parts of the Takla Makan desert in Xinjiang, China.  

This tiger was the third largest tiger species and had a stocky build with wide paws and unusually long claws. It had thick fur around its face and closely resembled the Bengal tiger in colour. It had a short ear, furry cheeks and long hair all over its body. Male tigers were believed to weigh between 169-240 kgs while females weighed between 85-135 kgs. The extinction of this species is believed to have been due to direct hunting, habitat loss and conversion to agriculture, increased vulnerability of small populations and loss of wild prey. The loss of this species was a huge loss to the people of Asia due to the huge connection that their culture has to the Caspian tiger and this can still be found in their literature and artwork. Today, no Caspian tiger lives in captivity. It was thus declared extinct by IUCN in 2003.

In order to understand how this beautiful creature came to be completely terminated, we'll need to show a few disturbing facts. Now, in the early 20th century, the Russian government began an effort to eradicate the Caspian tiger in conjunction with an extensive land reclamation project. The Russian army was instructed to kill all tigers found in Caspian Sea and sure enough, this extermination effort was effective. Luckily, in 1947, before they were completely wiped out, tigers were declared a protected species in the USSR. In Iran, these tigers have been protected since 1957 but biologists having surveyed the Caspian remote forests found no trace of the tigers. 

A ray of hope for us though is that Kazakhstan is now working on a plan to reintroduce the Siberian tiger into their former range. We may not be able to bring back this creature to life, but we, like Kazakhstan can ensure that the remaining tiger species have a place they can call home once again, don't you think?

Extinct Tiger Species: Part 2

The Balinese (Bali) Tiger (Panthera tigris balica)

The Balinese (Bali) Tiger was the smallest among all subspecies of the tiger weighing between 140-220 pounds. Like the Javan tiger, this species resided in the Island of Bali in Indonesia. It is said to have been a darker orange color with fewer stripes and occasional small black spots. It is also known to have had a curious dark band on its head that is not seen in today's species.It was the top predator in this region hence played a huge role in maintaining the balance of other species in the island. It's primary food source was the wild boar, deer, monkeys, fowl and monitor lizards. Since these species were few, hence rare, this presented a severe threat to them. On the right is an artist's attempt at drawing the Bali tiger. Isn't it sad that the only available photo ( i opted not to display it here) of this animal is one where it has been captured and killed?

This tiger was considered extinct way back in the 1940s! And this was attributed to the fact that there weren't any types of protection against hunting them then. So, these tigers were hunted for sport, to protect livestock, as museum collection and as sick as this sounds now, for food. Their habitats were also cleared for developmental activities. None of the Balinese tigers are known to have ever been in captivity. Sad, isn't it?

Bali tigers were last recorded form the western part of Indonesia in 1937 where the last remaining one was said to have been shot in Western Bali. The Bali National Park was established in 1941. While there were claims of surviving Bali species by the end of World War II, no recorded sightings have been made. The island is small in size hence once humans-tiger interactions began to increase, the fate of this creature was sealed! The Balinese tiger was officially declared extinct by the IUCN in 2003.

The Javan and Balinese tigers are said to have been of the same species and two theories are often told of how they came to be apart. Despite these theories, these tigers both have different and touching stories that should never happen to any of the 6 remaining species. Tiger education and awareness coupled with heavy funding are the only hope that the tiger has.We need only to take a look at those tiger species no longer with us to realize that the low numbers of existing tiger species is a wake up call! Will you heed to the call and help save them?

Extinct Tiger Species: Part 1

In the following series, i will be discussing about the 3 tiger species that have gone extinct. And by the way,when a species goes extinct,it means that the last individual of this species has died and any efforts to recover this species has been lost by this point. Ouch, right? And just so you know, of the 44,838 species in the world now, an estimated 905 species have gone extinct and 16,928 are currently endangered. Shocking, right?

Recovered yet?

You never really do...So, here's the story of one of these 'fallen' creatures.

The Javan Tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica)
The Javan Tiger is the most recent subspecies of the tiger to become extinct. And by recent, i mean by the 80s this creature was no more...Unbelievable, right? This tiger was eradicated from the Island of Java by the 1940s and was last reported to have been spotted in the Meru Betiri National Park in Indonesia in 1976. Their extinction has been attributed to direct hunting, habitat loss and depletion of prey.It is thus listed by the IUCN Red List as Extinct.

These tigers had long and narrow stripes with an equally long and narrow nose; they were similar to the Sumatran tiger in appearance. The male species weighed between 100-140 kgs and females weighed between 75-115 kgs.

These species were only found in the island of Java. FYI, this island is the most populous in the world with a population of 141 million as of 2012. No wonder they did not stand a chance! These species were so common in this area that they were considered as 'pests' and thus hunted mercilessly and even poisoned. Talk about rubbing off badly...

In  the 40s, efforts to preserve these species were futile as the small reserves that were set up were not large enough and prey species too few. Since their extinction, some people have made sightings of this tiger...wouldn't it be awesome though if we could find even one! However, no direct proof shows that this species exists at all and in 2003, it was officially announced by IUCN that they were undoubtedly extinct!

So, since humanity watched as this species was totally wiped out, the remaining 6 species are all in jeopardy to suffer the same fate. Considering all the 6 species are endangered, this may not be too far from reality unless we do something! Anyone feel me?

Tiger Species: Part 7

Hey Readers!
I hope you have enjoyed reading these articles as i have enjoyed writing them. So, today i thought i would be talking about the extinct species of the tiger, however, i thought it necessary to first talk about the White Tiger. Am sure you have seen one on documentaries and wondered, are they albino tigers? Well, here's your answer. It might surprise you.

The White (Bengal) Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris)
First of all, this is not a species of the tiger but rather, a rare form of the Bengal tiger that possesses a double recessive gene which gives it a lighter appearance. So, no, they are not albino tigers! Though you must admit, they are undeniably mysterious creatures and yes, they stand out!

The white tiger has blue eyes, rose-pink noses and light-brown or grey stripes that make it distinctive from its rust-colored peers. This rare form of genetic make-up occurs naturally once in 10,000 births. There have however been no sightings of white tigers in the wild for the past 50 years! They are now found in zoos and sanctuaries. Sadly, these creatures are being bred by exhibitioners who perform in-breeding between father and daughter, mother and son or brother and sister. This causes mutations that lead to deformations such as club feet, cleft palates, defective organs and spinal deformities. Furthermore, this gene causes the optic nerve to be wired to the wrong side of the brain, hence making them cross-eyed. It is listed by the IUCN Red List as Endangered with less than 200 worldwide.

White tigers are solitary animals who hunt at night and feed on wild deer, boars and livestock. They are incredibly fast, powerful and are good swimmers. The White tiger weighs up to 300 kgs and can grow to be 3 meters long. It is found mostly in the Indian subcontinent and roam the forest and grasslands. They however are not well camouflaged in these areas and are usually hunted down for their white coats and as exotic pets. As they are quite popular and bring in more money, in-breeders and exhibitors have continued to unethically breed these tigers for tourism. You may call this the white tiger fraud. Luckily, a programme called Species Survival Plan run by Dr. Ron Tilson was launched to help these innocent creatures by banning zoos from in-breeding as it played no role in their conservation.

There may not be much to say about this majestic tiger, but there is much to do to protect it from unethical acts of breeding and poaching that causes it to be endangered. Let's remember, we are their only voice!

Great Weekend! Cheers. :)

Tiger Species: Part 6

The Indochinese Tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti)
So, the final of all surviving 6 species of the tiger is the Indochinese Tiger. And as we learnt yesterday, the Malayan tiger was once thought to be the same as the Indochinese tiger. As much as they are similar, they both have different stories.

This species of the tiger also known as Corbett's tiger was named after the British hunter-turned conservationist, Jim Corbett. Now this here is an interesting twist of events! In the early 1900s, Corbett, a Colonel in the British Army, and a great hunter, was summoned to India on many occasions to assist in hunting down tigers and leopards that were attacking villagers. Though he was initially involved in hunting these ''problematic'' cats down, he dedicated most of his life and career in raising support for environmental and animal conservation movements. Thus, it was in honor of his work, that this tiger was named after him. Now, isn't that just awesome.

A full grown male weighs an average of 330-430 pounds while the females weigh about 290 pounds. They also grow to be 8-10 feet in length. The stripes on this tiger are much narrower compared to other species and their coats are a vibrant orange.

This tiger is found in Myanmar, Laos, Southern China, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. Sadly, these tigers have retreated to isolated mountainous areas due to habitat loss caused by humans invading their habitats. Unfortunately, not much research has been able to be done on this creature and little is known about them overall as they are known to live along borderlines making reaching them quite difficult.As a result, much is still yet to be learned about their status in the wild.

There are roughly 350 of these tigers in the wild and are currently categorized as Endangered by the IUCN Red List. These tigers face threats from humans as they continue to venture into their habitats. They are also constantly under threat as their body parts are used to make Chinese traditional medicine that they believe has kept their people alive for centuries...there is no changing their mind is there? Still, how sad is it that no Indochinese tiger has been seen in the wild in China since 2007?

In fact, WWF sounded the alarm for this tiger in 2010 as their population had fallen by more than 70% in slightly more than a decade. Still, many efforts to protect these tigers in their natural habitats are underway. Other programs are in the forefront of ensuring their genetic pool is made stronger for breeding purposes. All these efforts, by so many people the world over, gives me hope that the next generation will get to see and not read about the great tiger in story books!

Tiger Species: Part 5

The Malayan Tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni)
Now, this tiger, believe it or not, had no identity until 2004! Talk about identity crisis...In fact, it was labelled as the Indochinese tiger until DNA testing showed it a separate subspecies. It was then named Panthera tigris jacksoni in honor of the famous tiger conservationist, Peter Jackson.

The Malayan and Indochinese tigers resemble one another except the Malayan is smaller in size. The male tiger weighs about 120 kgs while the female weighs about 100 and grows to an average length of between 6-7ft.

The Malayan tigers number around 500 and are found in the southern part of the Malay Peninsula and Thailand. The Malayan tiger feeds on deer and livestock. Hence, the biggest threat to their existence is human-tiger conflict as they are killed by farmers using live wire snares. Other threats are habitat loss and fragmentation, agricultural logging and other human developments. It is classified as Endangered in the IUCN Red List.

Efforts to increase their numbers in Malaysia has led to setting up of a breeding facility where they have been successfully bred and the cubs sent out to zoos around the world. This is a great achievement in steps to help increase this tiger population. However, one concern is that the wild tigers reside in unprotected areas. Effective mapping of these areas and tightening laws on illegal killing should be considered by governments around the world. This way, we can help restore this species and help it roam freely, once again.

Tiger Species: Part 4

The South China Tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis)
This species of the tiger is by far, the most endangered species, making it among the top ten most endangered animals in the world today. In fact, it is classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List. There are claims that there remains only a handful of these tigers in the wild. However, scientists have now termed this creature as 'functionally extinct' as none has been spotted in the wild in the past 25 years! Existing tigers numbering about 50 are now found in 18 reserves and zoos around China! Truly sad, isn't it?

This tiger, once found in Central and Eastern China was severely hunted. There were over 4000 of them in the 1940s and by the 70s, their numbers had reduced to a mere 100! While this tiger was given nominal protection in the 70s, poaching continued where most of their body parts were used to make traditional Chinese medicine. Increased human populations and agriculture have continued to alter these creatures habitats. Most of these tigers were hunted as they had come to live too near to the human population and were considered a nuisance as they preyed on the farmers livestock as food.

The South China tiger is the second smallest species of the tiger with a bright orange coat and black stripes on its body. It also spots a few white areas on its face, belly and legs. A full grown male is said to weigh about 330-390 pounds at about 8 feet. The females are smaller weighing about 250 pounds at about 7.5 feet. One distinctive feature of this tiger is that its stripes are spaced further apart than any other species! These tigers feed mostly on livestock and wild pigs and was often able to catch its prey only when in water. Of course, this hunting strategy would only work if the tiger is faster than the animal its hunting!

In the year 2000, a trust fund called Save China's Tiger charity was founded in London in an effort to bring this creature from the brink of extinction. This and several other agencies work effortlessly to revive this creature and with thanks to several reserves and zoos in China, this creature, despite its minimal numbers can yet survive another day. Let's salute these real heroes of the South China tiger!