Endangerment of the Siberian tiger

Jennifer Sweeney  

The Siberian tiger (also known as “Amur tiger”) is one of the most endangered wild cat

species in the world. It is referred to as “Amba” in legend, which translates to “God” or “Devil”.

This species made the list of the “top ten most endangered species” based partially on data from

the IUCN’s red list of threatened species. They are the largest living feline species and measure

up to four meters long and weigh up to 300 kg (or about 650 pounds). In comparison to lions,

they are nearly twice the size of an average adult lion. They are so strong and powerful that they

have even been known to attack and kill brown bears. Other advantages the Siberian tiger have

for hunting prey is that they have massive paws and can run up to eighty kilometers an hour.

They are closely related to the extinct Caspian tiger. Siberian tigers have mostly been found in

the regions of south-eastern Russia and northern China. Many of them inhabit the Sikhote-Alin

mountain range in Russia, which extends for approximately 900 kilometers. These regions are

known to be extremely cold and snowy (particularly in the winter) but Siberian tigers can

generally withstand these conditions due to their thick and coarse fur. Reindeers coexist in these

mountainous regions as well as Amur leopards and several other endangered species. Some

wolves may live in the area, but the population is thought to be low due to the Siberian tiger as

its predator. In 2001, the Sikhote-Alin mountain was placed onto the UNESCO’s “World

Heritage List” for being an important area where several endangered species still exist. Some

humans may fear the Siberian tiger, but they are more likely to fear us because we are their only

natural predator and they are considered secretive animals.

Humans have hunted these tigers for over a thousand years and unfortunately that is

likely to continue until the tiger is completely eradicated, even though poaching endangered

species is illegal and conservation efforts continue to forge on. Humans cause up to 80% of the

deaths of these tigers and only about 400 to 450 of them are said to still be alive today. This

number is ten times the figure estimated in the 1940s, when only about 40 were believed to still

exist. In the late 19th century the Siberian tigers population declined due to Russian settlers

building the eastern Chinese railway and intentionally trying to wipe the tigers out. Although the

tiger population has increased within the past few decades, interest in them for medicine has

appeared to resurge and the population is still critically endangered, with some estimates

claiming that roughly 30 tigers are being killed each year in Russia.

Siberian tigers rarely kill humans and when they do kill people it is usually upon

provocation, like if the human intended to capture or kill the tiger but failed. One case of an

alleged “unprovoked tiger attack” was investigated and upon investigation it was discovered that

the attacked survivor was in fact poaching with raw venison. Several other cases have occurred,

some in zoos. A few zookeepers have been killed over the years in different territories. In 2007

one news story reported that a few boys at the San Francisco zoo were attacked, resulting in the

death of one. When they investigated that case it was discovered that the boys were taunting the

tiger. The zoo was also criticized for having a gate enclosure that was too low to the ground and

allowed the tigers to easily escape. For the most part Siberian tigers will avoid humans who

don’t provoke them, despite popular belief to the contrary that they are “man-eaters” and often

attack humans for meat. In actuality they have a tendency to keep to themselves, but an attack

would be more likely if the animal was starving, such as when they don’t have access to the

animals that they would traditionally prey on, like various species of deer as well as elk and wild

boars.

Many poachers use the skin and fur of the tiger, like for rugs or clothing. Another main

reason for poaching is that various parts of the tiger have been used in traditional Chinese

medicine because some believe that consuming body parts of the animal will help heal and

rejuvenate them due to the tigers strength and power. The whiskers are believed for example to

help soothe the pain of a toothache. Almost every part of the tiger is utilized in medicine in some

way, even the brain and penis. The brain is believed to help combat pimples and laziness and the

penis is sometimes incorporated into tiger soup as an aphrodisiac or “love potion”. Some

communities believe that tiger bone in powdered form can help with rheumatic pain and ulcers.

These derivatives can often go unrecognized as tiger parts and thus can circumvent the law.

Despite the fact that medical experts refute claims of any healing properties of tiger and urge

natural alternatives, there is still an underground trade and using tigers for medicine is

considered a sign of wealth and status in some cultures. Many poachers are poor and driven to

kill the tigers so that they can profit from them. Nearly half of imported Chinese tiger medicine

goes to Hong Kong but other countries are involved in the tiger trade too including Japan,

Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam and surprisingly even Europe and the United States, where they

are sometimes spotted in Chinashops. However, most Westerners would consider the use of

tigers in medicine to be strange and might refer to it as folklore or superstition. The easiest way

to poach such a ferocious predator is to set up a trap and this is the method used by most since

coming in close contact with the animal would be extremely dangerous. People who are caught

poaching may incur severe penalties and be fined or sent to jail. One penalty given to a man who

got caught poaching Siberian tigers was that he had to work to help find and clear tiger traps. I

personally think that the money coming from the fines that are given to poachers should go

directly to wildlife conservation, like WWF.

Many international organizations are deeply involved and dedicated to conservation of

endangered species like the Siberian tiger. The organization CITES (Convention on International

Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) works internationally to try to ensure that

international trading of wild animals isn’t posing a threat to their survival. They provide a treaty

that is meant to serve as a template for the laws that should be in place to protect animals and

keep the importation and exportation of species under control. The treaty doesn’t superimpose

national laws but it attempts to steer the domestic laws in the right direction. World Wild Life

Fund (WWF) also makes concerted efforts to help the Siberian tiger and other critically

endangered species. Two national parks now exist in Russia to protect the Amur tiger (the Zov

Tigra national park and the Udege Legende park). The parks were created as a direct effect of

“study and advocacy” to WWF. Donations to the organization must have had a direct impact on

the ability to erect these national parks. The primary goal of the parks is to increase anti-

poaching efforts and they also help to increase nature tourism. In one video I watched on the

WWF website, a brave man named Pavel Formenko helps catch many poachers and works to

find traps laid out by poachers for the tigers. It is incredible that people risk their lives to help

protect endangered species that they really care about. The man in the video goes out in the most

temperate of conditions and talks about how his dog helps warm him and keep him alive when

he has had to sleep outside in the cold.

The Siberian tiger is one of the most beautiful and majestic creatures on earth and I hope

to see the population increase in the future, but the prospects may be grim unless more people

come together to try to protect them. Hopefully the efforts to save this beautiful phantomlike

creature continue and grow. Perhaps penalties of poaching should be even stiffer, that might

serve as a deterrent for the crime of killing these creatures.

References:

http://www.tigersincrisis.com/traditional_medicine.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7835zCPbCQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcWyyyms07w

http://vimeo.com/10238712

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/siberian-tiger/

http://www.allaboutwildlife.com/ten-most-endangered-animals

http://www.cites.org

http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/teacher_resources/best_place_species/back_from_the_brink/amur_tigers.cfm