Did you know? Fewer than 4,000 tigers remain in the wild. Of the nine tiger subspecies, three are now extinct (Javan, Caspian, and Bali) and the South China tiger is considered functionally extinct (not found in the wild) with around 100 individuals living in captivity around the world. Habitat loss/fragmentation, poaching, and human-tiger conflict have diminished wild populations, and while ongoing efforts are attempting to slow the decline, more work needs to be done to ensure tiger populations do not disappear altogether. On this Endangered Species Day, we challenge you to do what you can to help protect these and other endangered species around the world!
What can I do to help tigers?
Don’t purchase products containing palm oil. Tigers have lost over 90 percent of their historical range in the past 100 years to population growth and agricultural activities, reducing tiger populations to below 4,000 individuals. Palm oil plantations are a huge culprit – every hour, an area the size of 300 football fields is lost to make way for cheap and profitable palm fields. For more information on palm oil and what you can do to help prevent its production and use, click here.
Never purchase illegal wildlife products, either at home or abroad. Many people view dead tigers as extremely valuable, using every part of their bodies in some way. There is no science to back claims that tiger or other animal parts have medicinal value, and tigers suffer needlessly at the hands of poachers or in illegal tiger farms where they are bred for their parts.
Reduce your paper consumption. Deforestation in Asia and South America for the production of paper products is a significant contributor to the loss of wild cat populations, including tigers. By reducing demand, you reduce the need to cut down vital habitat for these animals. It also contributes to the protection of other important species that rely on these forests to survive.
Why do red wolves need protection? After being virtually wiped out during the early to mid 20th century, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began efforts in the 1970s to trap remaining red wolves to begin a breeding program and ensure the survival of the species. Fast forward to today – a small population (about 20 individuals) of wild red wolves lives in the eastern part of North Carolina in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. They continue to face a number of threats to their survival and need continued protection and support in order to thrive in their native environment.
What can I do to help red wolves?
If allowed, visit facilities that are a part of the red wolf species survival program. Many facilities that house red wolves allow visitors. Some locally include the NC Zoo, and the Durham Museum of Life and Science. While you may not catch a glimpse of these wolves, know you’re helping support their survival by supporting these facilities.
Ask your representatives to support policies that help red wolves. Policy is an important way that critically endangered species can be protected. Be sure to ask your representatives to support any policy that will further protect red wolves!
What is Carolina Tiger Rescue doing to help endangered tigers and red wolves?
While our main mission is to rescue captive wild cats from inappropriate or abusive situations, we also make it a priority to educate the public on the plight of wild cats, and now red wolves, both in captivity and in the wild. Education is an important first step in effecting change of any kind, so be sure to talk to your family and friends about how they can help protect these two endangered species!
We also support the passing of the Big Cat Public Safety Act, which increases protections for both the public and captive wild cats, and makes it more difficult for individuals to exploit and profit off of them.
Additionally, we do not breed. Breeding only contributes to the rampant problem of captive big cats in the United States. We let Species Survival Plans dictate breeding programs in accredited zoos around the world.
We also work with Wild Track, an organization dedicated to the creation of non-invasive research methods to monitor wildlife populations. Wild Tracks has collected the pug marks (paw prints) of tigers at Carolina Tiger Rescue to create the foundation for the Bengal tiger database which has helped create an algorithm to identify tigers by individuals, age-class, and sex using pug marks.
Lastly, joining the Red Wolf Species Survival Program as the fiftieth facility to house and care for red wolves means we’re now a small part of what is being done to help save this critically endangered canid species. We will act as a holding facility for red wolves either before they join the breeding program or after they have aged out, freeing up space at other facilities for more red wolves.
Do what you can to prevent the continued loss of wild cat populations around the globe, and think twice about patronizing attractions that exploit and profit off of captive wild cats. These facilities are often abusive, and while many claim to support conservation efforts, the vast majority of captive wild tigers in the U.S. do not have the genetic ability to assist in the conservation of remaining wild populations, and most organizations are only after your money. For more information on how to make sure you’re choosing the right facility to visit, click here.
