‘Tigers are perhaps the most loved of all the big cats’

TIGERS IN TROUBLE

NUMBERS have dropped more than 95 per cent since the beginning of the 20th century, but for the first time in conservation history they’re rising. In 2010, there were as few as 3,200 tigers in the wild compared with around 3,900 today. These are their main threats...

POACHING: Poaching for skins and body parts used in traditional Asian medicines and as status symbols is one of the main threats to tigers.

HABITAT LOSS: Tigers are being gradually forced into small, scattered islands of remaining habitat. They occupy around 5 per cent of their historic range. A male tiger requires a far larger territory than a female. Males in Nepal have a range of 60-100 sq km, but in Russia they have territories around 20 times that size.

HUMAN/TIGER CONFLICT: As tiger habitats decline, and people live closer to wild tigers, this can lead to conflict.

LOSS OF PREY: Poaching of deer and wild boar can reduce tiger prey populations and have a knock-on effect on tiger populations.