Distribution and
population:
·
In the early 1900s, The
Siberian tiger was plentiful in northeastern China, on the Korean
Peninsula, in northeastern Mongolia and also in southeastern Russia.
·
Today, this mighty
tiger has virtually disappeared from South Korea
·
Today in Russia the
Siberian tiger has swindled to a very small part of Russia's southern Far
East called the Amur-Ussuri region of Primorye and Khabarovsk where both
it and the Amur Leopard are protected.
·
There are very few of
these left in northeastern China and fewer still in North Korea.
·
Captive breeding and
conservation programs are currently active.
·
In the 1930 there were
probably less than 50 Siberian tigers in the wild.
·
In 1982 the number of
Siberian tigers in the wild had increased to about 200.
·
In 1996 the reported
umber of Siberian tigers I the wild had climbed to about 430 tigers.
·
In 2005 the estimated
numbers of Siberian tigers in the Siberian Forests range between 430
tigers and MAYBE up to 520 tigers. However the more agreed upon numbers
of Siberian tigers left in the wild are 400 to 430 wild tigers.
·
95% of the wild
Siberian tigers are in the Russian Far East.
It
took FIFTY-TWO (52) years to increase the number of Siberian tigers by a
mere 150 animals. It took another 14 years to increase that number by
another 230 animals.
Russian Conservation efforts toward saving the Siberian tiger are to be
applauded but it is not over yet. This wonderful large tiger could still
easily be gone forever. Frequent road inspections aimed at catching
poachers have tremendously helped but it is not enough.
The Siberian Tiger
In Captivity:
·
Several hundred of
these big cats are found in captivity in North America and Europe.
·
Only a few Siberian
tigers are in Asian zoos.
·
In 1982 a Species
Survival plan was started for the Siberian Tiger, making it the longest
running SSP for any of the subspecies of tigers.
·
The Species Survival
Plan (SSP) of the Siberian tiger is based on 83 wild caught Siberian
tigers.
·
Scientists who are
called experts in the field say that is enough to keep the gene pool
stable and healthy.
·
To date it is recorded
that about 160 animals participate in the Species Survival Plan.
·
The Siberian tiger
seems to have a stronger Species Survival Plan that other tiger subspecies
do.
·
In three of the other
subspecies of tigers there are a combined number of about 250 tigers in
Species Survival Plans.
It is sad to save a species only for
captive purposes. While the captive breeding of the Siberian tiger has
been easy the fact remains it is highly unlikely that captive bred and
raised Siberian tigers will never roam, live hunt and survive in their
natural habitats. Saving the specie in its natural habitat is far better
than only captive breeding for life in cages. That is why it is important
to participate in programs and projects to save this species in its
natural habitats.
Captive bred
tigers cannot be released into the wild for several reasons:
·
It would starve to
death because it never learned the hunting skills that wild tiger cubs
learn from their mothers.
·
Siberian tiger is a
skilled and patient hunters but it is an acquired skill, a learned skill
during the 1 ½ year to 2 years that cubs live with their mothers in the
wild. Without these skills captive raised tigers cannot survive in the
wild. Thus when hunger strikes they would go looking for humans to feed
them.
·
Tigers born and raised
in captivity are used to being in close proximity to humans. Therefore
they would have no fear or inhibitions of going close to humans such as
entering villages or going in areas where humans have their domestic
herds.
·
Tigers who come to
close to villagers are shot at, get rocks thrown at them etc… These
starving tigers can become man-eaters.
A
program to raise Siberian Tiger cubs in a way that they could hunt and
fend for themselves in the wild while staying as far away from humans as
they can would be a very difficult program. I don’t know of one that is
currently under way.
Reproduction:
·
Tigers are solitary
animals.
·
Exceptions to this are
during brief times for mating and for mothers raising cubs.
·
In the wild mating
season is usually December and January. This means cubs are born in
Spring, giving them a better chance at survival.
·
A female is only
receptive for a few days and mating is frequent during that time period
·
Wandering male tigers
will sometimes kill cubs to make the female receptive.
·
Gestation is about
three to three and half months.
·
Normally there are
three to four cubs in a litter.
·
Once in a while there
are more cubs in a litter, however, raising that many cubs to adulthood is
not likely.
·
Cubs are born blind and
helpless.
·
Tiger cubs begin
opening their eyes at about two weeks of age.
·
Also at about two weeks
of age tiger cubs begin getting theirsharp little teeth.
·
Mother tigers rarely
leave their cubs alone when they are completely helpless.
·
Tiger cubs stay in
their den until they are about three months old at which time they begin
venturing outside a little.
·
Mother tigers bring
meat back to the den for the cubs to eat.
·
Cubs drink mother’s
milk until they are about six months old.
·
When tiger cubs are
about six months old they begin following their mother on hunts.
·
When tiger cubs are
around one year old they start trying to hunt.
·
Cubs stay with their
mothers for eighteen months to two years (some stay with their mothers for
3 to 4 years). During this time they learn what to eat and what not to
eat. They learn hunting skills and other survival skills.
·
When cubs finally
mature and leave their mothers, the females will often take up a territory
near their mother’s territory. While male cubs usually will travel far off
to find their own territory.
·
Only about 50% of tiger
cubs born will live to adulthood. Many of those do not survive long into
adulthood.
Other Facts &
Thoughts:
·
Three tiger subspecies
are already extinct: The Caspian tiger, The Javan tiger & the
Bali tiger.
·
Tigers are one of the
big cats that can roar.
·
The roar of tiger can
be heard over a mile away.
·
Tigers have great night
vision and prefer to hunt at night.
·
One radio collared
Siberian tiger was tracked traveling over 600 miles in search of food.
·
Siberian tigers are threatened
due to hunting and loss of habitat, but the numbers of wild
·
Tigers are most commonly poached
for their fur and for their body parts used in Traditional Chinese
Medicine.
·
It is estimated that in 1991
alone, one-third of the Siberian tiger population was killed to meet the
demand for their bones and other parts used in this practice. This even
though the practice is now unlawful in China.
·
In 1993 the State Council of the
People's Republic of China issued a notice declaring the use of tiger bone
for medicinal purposes to be illegal.
·
The Chinese government encouraged
the Ministry of Public Health and the pharmaceutical companies to seek
substitute medicines for tiger parts. However, because it is such a
lucrative trade –a single tiger can bring up to $50,000 on the
International market- the practice is still flourishing.
·
To identify his
territory the male marks trees by spraying urine and anal gland secretions
on trees as well as by marking trails with scat.
·
Tigers are territorial and will
defend their territories.
·
A male tiger’s territory will
overlap the territories of multiple females.
·
In the wild Siberian population
about 85-95% of tiger deaths are human related.
·
Siberian tigers can easily drag
prey that would take twelve men to move.
·
The forests the Siberian tiger
lives in are really interesting to study. In the summers they are dense
and normal jungle like. However, when winter hits and the snow falls that
once jungle like forest is snow bound for months.
Russian
Conservation:
·
Since the natural
habitats of the Siberian tiger cross borders out of Russia many
conservation efforts are stopped at the Russian borders.
·
Siberian tigers have actually
increased dramatically in Russia during the last two decades.
Conservational efforts in Russia have been considered successful. There
is still more work to be done though.
·
Russian logging controls have
helped in more ways then one. In Russia logging is done very
selectively. Selective logging in the tiger habitats is instead of clear
cutting leave trees that are important for wild boar and other animals
that the Siberian tigers need as prey. This selective method of logging
opens up the forest and produces plenty of sustainable habitats for deer,
wild boar and similar animals which provides a self-sustainable prey base
for the Siberian Tiger.
·
While selective logging has some
major plusses it also has some huge draw back. Selective logging means
more roads for transporting the logs are built. This for makes access to
the tigers’ territories more easily accessible for poachers. It also
means more roads to patrol, requiring more manpower and more vehicles for
the officials trying to catch poachers. More officers and vehicles are
not always provided, making poaching easier to get away with.
·
These roads can also make it
easier for other human encroachments into wilderness habitats. Not only
that, these roads cut through the natural habitats themselves making it
more difficult for tigers to move around freely finding mates and prey.
·
While selective logging is far
better than clear cutting it resents problems of its own that needs to be
dealt with. More funds for more officers and more vehicles are needed.
Safe corridors for the animals to move back and forth are needed and is an
urgent issue.
·
In other words, these logging
roads are fragmenting of the natural habitats of the Siberian tiger. Safe
corridors need to be mapped out and established very son to prevent this
from being the final downfall of the Siberia tiger.
What can be done
to save the Siberian Tiger?
·
Saving its natural
habitats.
·
Saving the animals it
needs as a sustainable prey base.
·
Since it is estimated
that 85% of an Siberian Tiger's diet is composed of red deer and wild
boar, protecting these and other prey animals from illegal hunting
·
Protection laws and
enforcement of those laws such as preventing and punishing poachers is a
must.
·
Educating people that
the use of tiger parts in Asian folk medicines must stop.
·
Supporting programs
that place remote cameras around the natural habitats so that the life of
the wild Siberian tigers can be studied and learn what needs to be done to
further protect them, their habitats and their prey.
·
The closing of roads no
longer needed for logging. Thus cutting off easy access for poachers.
·
Working with
communities to develop plans for them to participate and take pride in
saving tigers in their areas.
Poaching still
poses a huge treat to the Siberian tiger population. Among the radio
collared Siberian tigers, poaching is the most common cause of death.
The three main threats to
survival of the wild Siberian tiger:
1.
Habitat loss due to logging and development.
2.
Depletion of prey base
3.
Poaching
Traditional Asian Medicine
Practicing:
Tigers
are poached mainly for their fur and body parts which are used in
traditional Chinese medicines. Many people in China and other parts of
Asia believe that tiger parts have medicinal properties. There is no
scientific corroboration to these beliefs, which include:
·
Bones from the tip of
the tiger’s tail is used as an item to protect against evil spirits. Again
this makes no sense.
·
The eyeballs of tigers
crushed up and made into pills is believed to stop convulsions and thus is
used to treat epilepsy type problems.
·
Tigers whiskers are
supposed to be charms that will stop bullets and give the carrier
heightened courage.
·
If you carry a tiger’s
claw you cannot be scared.
·
In Taiwan people add
crushed tiger bones to common wine and say it is a cure all tonic.
·
People in uneducated
societies dip the feet of tigers in mixtures of palm oil and say that
hanging them over a front door will drive away evil spirits.
·
People who believe that
fevers are caused by ghosts say fevers can be cured by setting under a
tiger’s skin.
·
Those same people
believe that if you set under the tiger’s skin too long you will turn into
a tiger.
·
It is further believed
that if you mix common honey with the gallstones of a tiger and rub the
mixture on your hands and feet it will get rid of abscesses.
·
Burning tiger hair is
supposed to drive away centipedes.
·
Mixing oil with the
crushed brain of tiger and rubbing the mixture on the human body is
supposed to cure pimples and laziness.
·
Eating a tigers heart
is believed to give untouchable courage, strength and cunning.
·
If you float rib bones
of tiger you will forever have good luck.
·
The tiger's penis is
promoted an aphrodisiac.
·
The tail of the tiger
is ground up and mixed with soap. The resulting ointment is used for skin
treatments and cancer treatments. It does not work, but people of lesser
education believe it does.
·
The smaller bones from
a tiger’s foot is used to treat seizures in children.
While
these Chinese and Asian medicine made from tiger parts is obviously not
effective and has no foundation in science or medicine as long as those
practices are believed poaching will continue.
Re-education of people who believe those things is vital. For as long as
people will buy those types of “cures” the black market flourishes and the
poaching of tigers continues.
The following
countries us a tiger as a national symbol:
