For centuries, mankind has been fascinated by the grace, strength and beauty of the tiger. But years of hunting have dramatically reduced the worldwide tiger population.
Here are the facts:
Hunter hunted to the edge of extinction
- Severe hunting and destruction of the tiger's natural habitat have left its future hanging in the balance
- At the turn of the century there were 100,000 tigers in the wild - now there are just 6,000
- Some species of tiger are already extinct - others will follow unless action is taken
China crisis
- The main threat to tigers comes from man
- Tigers were treated as pests in China in the 1960s and 70s and hunted to the verge of extinction
- Today there are only around 30 tigers left in the whole country
- Today tiger parts are used in a range of traditional oriental remedies - though there is no evidence they have any medical effect
- By the 1980s, the supply of dead Chinese tigers was exhausted - poachers then turned to hunting the remaining tiger populations of India and Nepal
- Massive profits can be made from this worldwide illegal trade in wildlife
- In 1986 the Chinese Government set up a tiger farm to try and profit from this huge market
- Conservationists said captive farming would only make things worse by increasing demand for tiger parts
The disappearing habitat
- The tiger is losing its home as the human population continues to grow
- The tiger's natural habitat is under threat in countries including India and Vietnam
- Deforestation occurs on a massive scale as local people expand into new areas to support their families
- If tigers are to survive, the justifiable needs of local communities need to be balanced against the basic requirements for the life of the tiger
Hope for the future
- Only quick and incisive action can save the tiger
- Tighter security at national parks and anti-poaching initiatives will help restrict trade in tiger parts
- Practitioners of oriental medicine must be persuaded to use substitutes for tiger bone
- Countries must be more diligent in enforcing their wildlife legislation
- Village communities must be helped so they do not impact on the tiger's natural habitat
- More education is needed to highlight the plight of the tiger
(Source: World Wildlife Fund)
Haw Par Healthcare Ltd, manufacturer of Tiger Balm, has associated itself with the conservation of tigers. As part of this process, Tiger Balm has supported Woburn Safari Park for a number of years in it's efforts to maintain these animals in conditions as close to the wild as possible.
Tiger Balm is associated with similar programmes through the Night Safari in Singapore, Melbourne Zoo in Australia, and the Global Tiger Campaign of the Endangered Species Project in the USA.
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