No respite for tigers in new Chinese year

In Chinese mythology, the tiger represents bravery and everlasting courage in battle but these days the tiger seems to be losing the battle against men. Although the tiger has traditionally been worshipped in Chinese culture, it is Chinese civilization that is bringing the once free and wild cat species closer to extinction.

There are some 6,000 captive tigers in Chinese zoos and on tiger farms, but China’s State Forestry Administration estimates that only 50 tigers remain in the wilderness. The main threat to Chinese tigers is civilization, says Quan Li, the founder of the London-based NGO Save the Chinese Tiger.

“The destruction of their habitat is really the main cause of the tiger's demise in China – and probably elsewhere as well,” Quan says.

Natural habitat of the tiger is at risk

The jungle – the natural habitat of wild tigers -- in China is being reduced because of urbanization and deforestation. The natural habitat of a single tiger can stretch to 250 square kilometers. He uses this space to hunt for prey and search for other food.

Quan Li says it is thus not only the tigers that are at risk – “it’s about saving the habitat in which the tigers live. In order for the tiger to survive, they will need prey. The prey will need grass. Grass will need water. Water will need trees. So there is a whole ecological chain of reaction.”

There are currently three sub-species of tiger left in China – the Siberian tiger in the north-east, the Bengal tiger in the south and the Indo-Chinese tiger in the south-east. A fourth, the South China tiger, is thought already to be extinct as there has been no sign of it since the late 1970s.

Another important cause of the disappearance of tigers is poaching. Tiger parts are traded and sometimes used in traditional Chinese medicine despite the fact that Beijing banned this in 1993.

Goal to double number of wild tigers by 2022

However, there is some hope as China and its neighboring countries have decided to tackle the issue. The United Nations have declared 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity.

As part of this initiative, a conference was held in Thailand earlier this year to discuss measures for saving the world’s tigers. The ambitious goal to double the tiger population by 2022 to over 6,000 was set.

Quan Li, however, is skeptical. “There is a conference every year at very exotic locations,” he says. “But very little action is actually taken on the ground to help the tigers. I really hope to see some concrete action undertaken to reverse the trend of the China tigers and the other tigers. It is beautiful to say that we want to double the number of tigers but what action is being taken to double the number?”

Experts fear that if action is not taken fast, wild tigers could be extinct within 30 years.

Author: Chi Viet Giang
Editor: Anne Thomas