Tiger numbers have dropped by more than 95%
Tigers are unmistakable, glorious creatures of sheer power, stealth and splendour. It’s easy to see why they are so renowned across the world.
But in the next few decades there’s a very real chance they’ll go extinct.
Tigers numbers have dropped by more than 95% since the start of the 20th century. These fierce, beautiful beasts are being transformed into nothing more than skin, bones and memories. And – if we don’t act now – that’s all we’ll be left with.
Please, donate today and help us get rangers out in the field to protect these majestic big cats. We must help as soon as possible, before it is too late.
Why are tigers endangered?
The biggest threats to tigers are habitat loss, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict.
Over recent years their forest homes have been rapidly destroyed and fragmented by human activities. An estimated 95% of their historical range has been lost, leaving many tigers with nowhere to roam, starving on limited prey and forced to venture closer to villages to seek out food.
Poaching is also a significant threat – tigers have been targeted for years for their skins, which are turned into rugs and luxury home décor, and their bones, which are often soaked in wine and used to make “health tonics” that have no scientifically proven medicinal benefit. Today this practice is threatening their very existence.
How many tigers are left in the wild?
There are around 4,500 wild tigers left on the entire planet – some estimates even suggest the number may be as low as 3,000. Shockingly, there are more tigers in captivity in the USA then there are left in the wild.
Three tiger subspecies have gone extinct in the last 70 years: Caspian, Javan and Bali tigers. The remaining tigers, Sumatran, Bengal, Malayan, Indochinese and Amur tigers, are all classified as endangered or critically endangered.
The global tiger population has declined severely since the 1900s.
How is Fauna & Flora helping to save tigers?
Fauna & Flora is saving tigers through three main tactics:
- Anti-poaching forest patrols: We have trained hundreds of rangers to remove snares and deter would-be poachers. We also work closely with local information networks to support undercover investigations and the prosecution of tiger poachers and traders.
- Human-tiger conflict mitigation: Due to habitat loss, many tigers now find themselves competing for space with humans and sometimes wander out of the forest towards farmland. In rare instances, this can result in a tiger preying on livestock or pets and – very rarely – a person. To help address local concerns Fauna & Flora has put together rapid response units to react quickly to any human-tiger conflict, supporting local people and preventing the unnecessary killing of wild tigers.
- Population monitoring: To assess the impact of the conservation work we carry out with our partners, we set remotely activated camera traps in the forest to monitor tiger population trends – this monitoring supports and informs tiger protection and conservation strategies.
Rare camera trap image of a tiger.
£72
could help to buy motorbikes parts to help the rangers rapidly travel around the tricky forest terrain.
Credit © Edy Susanto / Fauna & Flora
£46
could help to buy crucial camera traps for monitoring the tiger population.
£27
could buy first-aid kits to treat injured rangers while they are out on patrol.
© Edy Susanto / Fauna & Flora International
£10
could help to support a ranger on patrol for a week.
Fauna & Flora has been working in tiger conservation for decades. When black market prices rocketed in the early 2000s, the tiger protection units that we helped to establish were able to hold the line against a huge surge in poaching. Most of the conservation world didn’t think that would be possible.
The heroic teams of local people responsible for that feat are still working in tiger conservation today, and they have the expertise to address the crisis. We just need to get them the right resources to scale up what they’re doing.
If we’re going to save tigers, the experience and connections built up from our extensive work so far will be indispensable. But we cannot do it without your support. Please donate now, and together we could save tigers.