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Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Wildlife Wednesday: Hold That Tiger

In a departure from posting cute baby animal videos (but it does get your attention, right?), I wanted to share an article that I read today about the current state of tigers in the wild:
Economic Times: India Named the Most Dedicated Country Towards Tiger Conservation
I'll sum up some of the more concerning facts brought up in this article:
~ There are only an estimated 3500 tigers left in the wild.
~ Only 1000 of those are breeding females.
~ Tiger numbers are decimated in large part due to use of their anatomy in traditional medicines.
2010 is the year of the tiger, and it is disconcerting (and entirely possible) that by the next year of the tiger, 2022, there may be almost no tigers left in the wild at all.
However, actor Leonardo Dicaprio has another plan. Teaming with the World Wildlife Fund, the goal is to double the current tiger population by the next year of the tiger through conservation efforts and expanding public knowledge, and, as always, you can help. Follow the links, spread the word, support conservation organizations. Heck, even supporting your local zoo is helping to improve the future of tigers and other endangered wildlife.
The Denver Zoo, for example has a number of tigers that you can see up close and in person, including . . . four tiger cubs!

Yeah, I couldn't resist.

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