Panthera Tigris: A Tiger Fanclub

[Hera Ledro]

This is a club dedicated to one the most feared, worshiped, misunderstood, charismatic and beautiful creatures ever to walk the earth – the tiger.

Whether you like tigers casually, love them obsessively or are mysteriously drawn to them in any way you are certainly in the right place.

As the creator and leader of this club, I hope to share some of the knowledge and experiences that I have gained while researching and working with the tiger. I will teach everyone who wants to learn anything about the tiger and raise awareness about some of the dangers facing this species.

While you are here, you can expect a wealth of information, images, stories and discussions about this animal. This club is not only about education and getting involved in the conservation of this animal, but it is also about having fun.

I look forward to meeting those who wish to join this club. Thank you for your interest.

I could not put it better myself. The founder of the original Panthera Tigris club in ACF stated this, and he is the one who brought the true turmoil of tigers to my attention. This is not just a Save the Tigers Club, but one for people who do honestly like tigers to come and join. As so rightly stated by Kuba, I look forward to meeting you who join this club.

 

[Hera Ledro]

What is the tiger?

The tiger is a species of cat that is part of the family of Big Cats known under the “panthera” genus (the tiger being panthera tigris). This is the same family as the Lion (panthera leo), Leopard (panthera pardus) and Jaguar (panthera onca). It is the largest cat in the world and lives in both topical jungles and icy coniferous regions.

Where does the tiger live?

The tiger lives exclusively in South-Eastern region of Asia. Its fragmented population occupies 13 Asian nations:

India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, North Korea and Russia.


How many kinds of tigers are there?

The basic model has seen tigers separated by geographic location, with slight variations in appearance with regards to adapting to climate deviation. There are a handful of different types of tigers divided into subspecies:

Amur (Siberian) - Panthera tigris altaica:
Location: Far East Russia, Far Northern China/North Korea
Population: +/- 400

Indo-Chinese - Panthera tigris Corbetti
Location: Myanmar, southern China, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam
Population: 1,200 – 1,500

Malay – Panthera tigris Jacksoni
Location: malay Peninsula
Population: Unknown

Sumatran - Panthera tigris Sumetrae
Location: Indonesia on the island of Sumatra
Population: +/- 300

Bengal - Panthera tigris tigris
Location: Primarily in India, but also found in Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar
Population: 1,900 - 3,500

South Chinese - Panthera tigris amoyensis
Location: China
Population: Less than 30​

Extinct Subspecies

Though the tiger is alive today there have been entire subspecies of tigers that have fallen to humanity. The three extinct subspecies are:

Balinese Tiger – Panthera tigris Balica

Location: Indonesia, on the small island of Bali.
Causes for Extinction: Their extinction began primarily with the lack of space. The island of Bali is a small island that was home to an increasing population of humans destroying tiger habitat. Tiger prey and territory quickly diminished. The last Balinese tiger was seen in the 1930’s and was the first to go extinct.

Caspian (West Asian) Tiger – Panthera tigris Virgata

Location: Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Central Russia
Causes for Extinction: Their extinction began in the early 20th century when the Russian government ordered their genocide for land cultivation. The tigers were forced into mountainous areas where it was difficult to survive. Periodic killing for hunting was also observed. The Caspian tiger was last seen in the 1950’s.

Javan tiger – Panthera tigris Sundaica

Location: Indonesia, on the island of Java
Causes for Extinction: The extinction of this subspecies occurred quite like that if the Balinese tiger. It all started with a growing human population destroying tiger habitat and limiting the number of prey items for farming. The last Javan tiger was seen in the 1970’s.

The Tiger's Current Range

http://img138.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tigerrange2oi.jpg​

What about the white tiger?

There is a lot of ignorance surrounding the white tiger. However, I will make a few things clear:

The white tiger is not a subspecies and is not in need of conservation. The public is being deceived.

The white tiger is not a separate subspecies, it is merely a genetic defect. The white tiger is not albino, but leucocystic (opposite of the melonistic Black Jaguar). This means it lacks dark pigment. These tigers are usually white, with brown stripes and blue eyes. They often grow very large, but it is not known why.

In 1951, a white tiger was captured in India by the Maharaja of Rewa and set to breeding in England. This tiger was named “Mohan” and all current white tigers are related to this individual.

A white tiger only occurs through inbreeding (father to daughter, brother to sister, mother to son etc.) Though, that does not always ensure a white tiger will be born. Most tigers born when trying to create a white tiger are normally coloured and are disfigured. These cubs are killed or abandoned.

White tigers exist because of human greed. Humans have made the white tiger popular, an entertainment spectacle. In most cases, zoos that have white tigers ignore ethics and delve into this controversial breeding endeavor to earn money.

The white tiger is ultimately destructive. The white tiger, as beautiful as it is, is drawing much needed attention from wild tigers. People who promote its “conservation” are only trying to further their own ambitions. Moreover, breeding white tigers dilutes the population of healthy captive tigers (inbreeding produces genetic defects and creates a slew of problems, including reduced immunity to diseases).

Please do not support this practice of breeding white tigers.


Ligers and Tigons:

I have been asked the question “Do you know about ligers?” too many times since that movie was released and put ligers into the limelight. However, their story is very similar to the white tigers’.

A liger is created when a male lion breeds with a female tiger and a tigon results from a male lion breeding with a female lion. This is ultimately interspecies mating which (like the white tiger) has no conservation value. This animal is bred for the purpose of entertainment.

Ligers and Tigons have no purpose in conservation and their existence is only due to humans – lions and tigers would not mate in the wild. Consequently, the skewed genetics creates many problems include behavioral problems and increases susceptibility to diseases. Again, this animal is simply a man-made creation used to please the masses, taking away much needed attention from the real issues.

A popular Florida big cat sanctuary is quoted as saying, “Anyone who cares about animals knows that this is a despicable thing to do because the cats have to spend their lives in deprivation and confinement and are genetically so unhealthy that they usually die young. The ONLY reason anyone breeds ligers is to create a freak that simple minded people will pay to see.”

You can blame Napoleon Dynamite for that.

Why are tigers in trouble?

Every so often we hear about the plight of endangered species. Many already know that the tiger is part of a long list of animals that are at risk of extinction. This has become so commonly known that few ever really take the time to think about it. What the people are failing to see are the reasons why this animal is at risk. To first understand where tigers are now, we must understand crucial events in their past.

For a very long time, man and tiger co-existed. Periodically, there was conflict which shaped the tiger’s mysterious and frightening aura. However, with the advent of new technology and the widespread distribution of the gun, the tiger became was sought as a hunting trophy. Between 1800 and 1950 over 160,000 tigers were killed, decimating entire populations. In the 1970’s, hunting of tigers was banned in India with the help of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. However, considerable damage had been dealt to the tiger and distribution of this animal became fragmented. Thus, the tiger is limited to “islands in a sea of humanity” which restricts procreation.

Now that you can visually understand the tiger’s situation, you can better understand the two largest problems facing the tiger today…

Traditional Chinese Medicine:

Traditional Chinese medicine has been a part of the culture for at least 3,000 years with some historians pinpointing its origins even further into the past. Used as a medical system for thousands of years it makes use of various plants and animals. One of the more popular animals used is the tiger. This is based on the belief that by ingesting part of the tiger, you would be able to gain its strengths to heal a part of the body. Almost every part of the tiger has value in the TCM market.

The uses of tigers in TCM:

• Tiger claws: used as a sedative for insomnia
• Teeth: used to treat fever
• Fat: used to treat leprosy and rheumatism
• Nose leather: used to treat superficial wounds such as bites
• Tiger bone: used as an anti-inflammatory drug to treat rheumatism and arthritis, general weakness, headaches, stiffness or paralysis in lower back and legs and dysentery
• Eyeballs: used to treat epilepsy and malaria
• Tail: used to treat skin diseases
• Bile: used to treat convulsions in children associated with meningitis
• Whiskers: used to treat toothaches
• Brain: used to treat laziness and pimples
• Penis: used in love potions such as tiger soup, as an aphrodisiac
• Dung or feces: used to treat boils, hemorrhoids and cure alcoholism

What is the problem?

Recently, the uses for tiger parts in traditional Chinese medicine have become very diverse and very popular. Herein lays a problem, because the increasing population of China puts great pressure on the medical industry to kill enough tigers to sustain the demand. Many nations have made effort to put in place many laws that prohibit the slaughter, import or export of tigers and their parts, but as the medical industry in China is so large people are finding ways to get their kill, even if it means acting outside of the law. Consequently, the demand for tiger products coupled with increasingly cunning hunters puts the Asian tiger in direct risk of extinction. Currently there are between 3,800 to 5,300 tigers left in the wild in fragmented populations, indicating that there are simply not enough tigers in the world today to satiate the demand of traditional Chinese medicine.

You may ask, "Why can't they just farm tigers to save the wild population?". Well, there are such things as tiger farms currently operational today under legal loopholes. Accepting this practice will only perpetuate the destruction that surrounds it. People who use TCM believe that the only good tiger medicine is that which comes from wild tigers. Accepting tiger farming will only increase the threat. We must push for a change in the mindset of those who believe in this practice.

Non government organizations (NGOs) as influential as they are at raising awareness of this issue cannot save the tiger alone. They need your help.

It is now believed that the illegal wildlife trade in poached tigers is being fueled by resurgence in popularity of traditional Chinese medicine. Fewer people are buying skins and in many cases, tigers are poached with their skins left behind. This is occurring in India, Russia and in south East Asia where tiger numbers are much higher than in China.
This is beginning to become a very large problem indeed with China's emergence as an influential exporter and participant in the world economy. Even while laws are put in place, the trade: import and export still occurs.

As you read this text it is hard to comprehend what is actually happening. True, the tiger is known as a killer, but I have known from experience that the tiger can be one of the most loving animals you will ever meet. Tigers feel love, hate, happiness and pain. When the tiger dies for this medicine humans are extinguishing a unique form of life, not from a broad species point of view, but from an individual point of view. The tiger needs our help, we must stop this pain.

Habitat Loss

Although not as bold as the situation regarding poaching, this is arguably the greatest threat to tiger conservation. East Asia now has the fastest growing population and tiger populations are being forced to compete with a species that can and will get its way, even if it means destroying other species in the process. India will soon become the most populated nation on the planet next to China and that means cities will expand and the “islands” that tigers are currently living on will begin to shrink. If you read the subspecies FAQ then you will understand how serious this problem is; all extinct subspecies of tiger were destroyed primarily because of human expansion.

Not too many solutions to this problem have arisen, but if we spotlight this threat to tigers and focus on educating the public about the issues then we can certainly help save the tiger.

Prey Depletion

There are many people who live within tiger territories and santuaries and hunt for various types of deer. These deer, like the Chital (spotted Deer) and the Sambar are the foundation of the tiger's diet. If too many deer are killed then that reduces the amount of tigers that the land can sustain.

Efforts are currently being made to stop excessive hunting, but in unregulated areas the tiger and its prey are certainly at the whim of man and the gun.

Common Misconceptions About Tigers (provided by 5tigers.org):

White tigers are not from Siberia!

Although some people think that white tigers come from Siberia where there white color helps camouflage them in the snow, this is not true - they come from India! The only wild white tigers ever reported are white-colored Bengal tigers found in India. In captivity, however there are some white tigers that are hybrids - a mix of different subspecies. White Bengal tigers are sometimes mated with tigers from other subspecies, producing white hybrid tigers.

Tigers don't live in Africa!

Tigers are not found in Africa because they never evolved there. Modern day tigers are all descended from tigers that originally lived in south central China. As tigers moved outward from Southern China, they reached Turkey and Iran, but there is no evidence the got any closer to the African continent.

Tasmanian tigers aren't really tigers!

The animal that is sometimes referred to as the Tasmanian tiger is actually not a tiger at all - it's a marsupial. Also known as the Tasmanian wolf or Thylacine, the animal had rounded cat-like ears, brown coloring and stripes on the back half of its body. The species reportedly went extinct in the 1930's, however in recent years there have been unconfirmed sightings of the animal. For more information about Tasmanian tigers, visit the following web site.

Tigers do like water!

Unlike most cat species, tigers like water and are good swimmers. In tropical climates, tigers frequently spend time lying in water to cool off.

Tigers do not hunt humans regularly

People often think the tiger enjoys hunting humans; however, for the most part, tigers would rather stay very far away from humans. Tigers rarely hunt humans and only in the Sundarbans in India and Bangladesh will you fins substantial cases of human death caused by a wild tiger.

Once again, originally stated by Bagh Sevak (Kuba), and put into words I could never muster. These are questions frequently asked, and will be updated accordingly if people have any FAQs.

 

[Hera Ledro]

These are links to websites that anyone interested in tigers would benefit in visiting.

http://5tigers.org/http://5tigers.org/

This site got me started on my way. It is filled with loads of information.

http://www.wildaid.org/

This is a cutting-edge organization that wields exceptional conservation strategies and the support of popular celebrities.

http://www.wwf.org/http://www.wwf.org/

The World Wildlife Fund helped to save the tiger in 1969 and has been working tirelessly to preserve tiger populations since.

http://www.care2.com/c2chttp://www.care2.com/c2c

This is another community I frequent and is home to a number of groups dedicated to the tiger. If you join be sure to search for and message the member Kuba A.

http://www.kidsfortigers.org/tigersdenhttp://www.kidsfortigers.org/tigersden

This site is for teaching children about tigers, but I have found it to be an exceptional resource nevertheless. I would take a good look at this site – you find you will learn a lot.

http://www.geocities.com/amba_darla/index.html

This site is an unprofessional, but very well made site. It is certainly worth checking out.

http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/mammals/Panthera_tigris/more_moving_images.html

This website hosts a slew of videos about tigers. It is really worth a look to see these animals in action.

Places you can check out if you wanna save the tigers, or if you just feel like perusing. More sites will be added as they come up, so please, feel free to give us a few sites to put on here for the cause.