It is well known that there is endangered bengal tiger. A real pity, because it is a creature without equal and for that reason it is the most investigated tiger. In this post we will see the causes of its possible extension and other information of interest.
Habitat and characteristics of the Bengal Tiger
The Bengal tiger (panthera tigris tigris) is a unique creature, of incomparable beauty and attributes. This great feline represents a subspecies of tiger original from certain areas of India, also extended to Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma and remote Tibet.
Over time it has become the most famous and researched subspecies of Indian tiger. A condition that is increasing because it is one of the animals most threatened with extinction.
Interestingly, in this type of tiger, an extremely striking genetic mutation stands out. It turns out that the same condition causes the tiger's usual orange fur color to become leucistic. Such a mutation gives rise to an amazing and spectacular White Tigeralthough not albino. The sad thing is that even being one of the sacred animals of the Indian subcontinent, this big cat has not been adequately protected.
Bengal tiger conservation status
The largest populations of Bengal tigers are located in India. However, there is not much linkage between them, as a result of severe habitat disintegration. So there are completely isolated tiger populations. Recently, some censuses of these populations have been carried out with a high level of accuracy. For which a more scientific method than those used until then has been used.
These censuses help to know how many of these tigers are left. In such a way that in the last of these censuses, it was observed that the population was 1.706 individuals. Of these, the highest density was located in areas of Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
But due to alarm bells ringing all over the world, governments have created the Global Tiger Recovery Program. This is a program dedicated to the rescue of all types of tigers.
The governments that give life to such a hopeful initiative are those of India, China, Bangladesh, the Kingdom of Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Lao Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Burma, Nepal, Russia, the Kingdom of Thailand and Vietnam. The results of the censuses carried out by these governments, set the world population of the big cat at less than two thousand five hundred individuals. Furthermore, none of the sub-populations exceed 250 tigers. But the worst thing is that the world's population propensity for Bengal tiger it is downward.
Such censuses only confirm that the Bengal tiger is in danger of extinction.
Causes of the threat of extinction
The conditions surrounding the increasing decline of the Bengal tiger population are quite complex. But prioritizing, we could establish that the most serious threats to tigers are the following:
Habitat degradation and loss
One of the greatest threats to this great feline is the deterioration caused to its natural environment. But both the degradation of their habitat and its fragmentation and consequent loss are the product of human action.
Entire forests have been destroyed for the purpose of raising agricultural production. A terrible practice that is driven by the constant growth of human settlements. Similarly, the legal and illegal timber business has contributed to the destruction of the Bengal tiger's habitat. In such a way that in just a decade, the area occupied by the colossal cat was reduced by 41%.
But the worst thing is that it is expected that in the next two or three decades, an equal decrease if the will to conserve this species does not improve.
Poaching and illegal trade
Poaching driven by a growing illegal market threatens this big cat. Unfortunately, very good money is paid for both live specimens and their body parts, despite being an illegal business and condemned by international opinion.
This represents one of the most direct dangers facing Bengal tigers in their natural environment. The situation has reached the point where certain areas that served as habitats for tigers have been destroyed by illegal hunting without leaving any living specimen. Unfortunately these criminals have not been prosecuted and punished as they should.
local communities
In general, the people who live in the surroundings or in the territories of these colossal cats, integrate very low social strata. These neighbors of the tiger have almost no economic resources, so they depend almost entirely on local agriculture and livestock.
Unfortunately, the conservation programs for this feline do not take these people into consideration, as they have no other resource to survive than the forest itself, or the land they gain from deforestation. So if their beef is eaten by one of these big cats, these humble people lose valuable capital that the governments do not return to them. In such a way that it becomes obvious that they do not want to be near any tiger.
It is in this way that the solution they see is to poison these creatures, otherwise they persecute and hunt them. There is an example of why is the endangered tiger. This suggests that future conservation plans should take these people into account. Ideally, they would work with them to defend their heritage, thus minimizing the tension between people and tigers.
On the other hand, poaching, fueled by the recent wave of "wild foods" eaten in larger cities, is also wiping out the tiger's natural prey. In such a way that they are then forced to hunt the cattle of their irritable neighbors.
Solutions to the extinction of the bengal tiger
As it is logical to think, there is no single solution for the Bengal tiger to stop being in danger of extinction. The ideal is a set of measures aimed at the conservation of its natural environment. It is something that can achieve a positive outcome for the big cat. But let's see what the Global Tiger Recovery Program recommends to governments:
- Effectively manage, preserve, protect and enhance tiger habitats.
- End poaching, smuggling and illegal trade in tigers and their body parts.
- Cooperate in the management and control of borders.
- Engage, educate and protect local communities.
- Increase tiger prey populations.
- Search for foreign economic support.
We hope that these brief lines have clarified your doubts, about why the tiger is in danger of extinction.