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TIGERS
Tigers make their homes in mostly fragmented forests stretching from India to northeast China and from the Russian far east to Sumatra, but years of habitat loss and poaching have made one in the wild increasingly rare.
As the largest cat species, tigers are apex predators and can hunt prey more than twice their size! They play a critical role in maintaining ecosystem balance.
With less than 5,600 left in the wild, every big cat counts.
In 2010, the wild tiger population hit an all-time low with just 3,200 animals remaining worldwide, but international tiger conservation efforts (such as, Tx2), have helped numbers rise.
But we still have a long way to go, as tigers are still an endangered species, and their landscapes are under threat. WWF cannot stop its crucial conservation work on this species until wild tigers everywhere are protected.
Illegal wildlife trade and poaching
The illegal wildlife trade thrives across international borders, exploiting weak governance and inadequate surveillance. Its impact can be exacerbated by habitat loss and other pressure.
Tree-clearing
Tigers are very territorial and require wide swathes of habitat for their survival. The increased clearing of forests for agriculture and urban development has destroyed an estimated 95% of tigers historical range. Fragmented habitats make tigers more vulnerable to poaching as they venture beyond protected areas to establish new territories.
Human-tiger conflict
As habitats shrink, tigers are often forced to hunt livestock as prey becomes scarce, leading to conflict with local communities. This can result in human injuries and deaths, and tigers are sometimes culled or captured in retaliation. Dependance on forests for human needed resources also heightens the risk of tiger attacks.
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why it matters
Saving tigers means preserving the biologically rich and diverse landscapes in which they still roam. These forests are home to thousands of other species, people and the food, fresh water and flood protection local communities need to survive. Tigers also hold cultural significance for many people globally.
Helping Paws
What WWF is doing to support tigers
PROTECTING TIGER HABITATS
Fewer tigers now survive in the fragmented and shrinking habitats they have left.
WWF is working to reconnect remaining tiger habitats through replanting and by protecting what habitat still remains.
Through community engagement, WWF is supporting local landholders and Indigenous Peoples to prevent deforestation of important tiger habitat and increase tiger ranges in their areas.
CREATING A SAFER WORLD FOR TIGERS - AND HUMANS TOO
As tiger habitat reduces, wild tigers are being forced closer and closer to people, their homes and communities. In fact, over 47 million people worldwide were found living within the boundaries of a tiger range.
WWF is working with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in these areas to reduce contact with tigers and protect their livestock. Simple changes such as installing predator-proof enclosures and streetlights to deter tigers from entering villages at night can help keep human-tiger encounters to a minimum.
WWF has also supported the training of hundreds of locals as rapid response team members who harmlessly deter tigers and other animals from entering villages and damaging crop fields.
ENDING TIGER POACHING
Sadly, every part of the tiger is still traded in illegal wildlife markets - skin, teeth, flesh and bones are all used for traditional remedies and as status symbols.
By working with local communities, WWF is supporting tiger protection by funding Indigenous anti-poaching patrol teams who remove snares and traps from the forest and report any findings to local authorities.
Helping Paws
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?
Join Challenge 60 and fundraise to help protect and restore nature.
Tigers are losing their homes and their lives. But together, we can help these majestic big cats thrive. There are many ways you can support our tiger conservation work.
By signing up and fundraising for Challenge 60 you can help make a difference to protect the animals you love. Receiving a donation of $80 could help increase community education so humans and tigers can better coexist.
Species bio 🐯
Common name: Tiger
Scientific name: Panthera tigris
Stats: Tiger subspecies vary in their size and colour. Males of the largest subspecies, the Amur (Siberian) tiger, can weigh up to 300 kilograms. Males of the smallest subspecies – the Sumatran tiger – are lucky to reach half that size.
Status: Listed as Endangered (IUCN Red List).
