Only 3500 Tigers Left: Animal Conservation Week

Friday was the 1st International Global Tiger Day initiated by Vietnam to raise awareness of protecting Tigers.

There’s less than 3500 tigers in the wild – making them one of the most critically endangered animals. One of the main problems is the black market for tiger skin and parts – for Chinese medicine or hunted as trophies on top of forest destruction.  This billion-dollar underground industry caused tiger numbers to rapidly drop from 100,000 over the past century. Treehugger posted about Current TV’s Vanguard series, with a host going to Myanmar’s open tiger store selling tiger skin and being offered tiger as lunch.

These beautiful creatures do have a hope.  WWF has initiated a goal to double the tiger population by 2022.  Conservation officials in India have  said there’s been a 20% increase of tigers since 2006 as a result of improved protection efforts & reduced poaching campaigns.

How can you help?

• Adopt a Tiger from WWF – where they’ll use your donation for animal conservation efforts
• Save Tigers Now.org is another site by WWF & Leonardo DiCaprio to conserve the tigers – focusing on saving habitats, anti-poaching efforts and  support political efforts in tiger range countries
• Like The Tiger Conservation for WWF on Facebook to get updates
• or Facebooks “End Tiger Trade” to stay informed
• If you have the opportunity to travel to India or Nepal, visit a tiger sanctuary or national park. When supporting the tourism revenue to see tigers in the wild is critical to building support among local communities for protection.  Make sure to check for tour operators that focus on nature travel, take travelers in small groups AND are authorized by the park service of the country.

Posted by Julie

*Stay tuned to GPB this week for Shark Week updates & more about animal conservation efforts

Photo courtesy of WWF