Year of the tiger: WWF reveals what progress is needed for the big cat | Metro News

It’s the year of the tiger in the lunar new year calendar.

Representing a strong, playful and action-driven character in the Chinese zodiac, tigers are alluring and majestic creatures.

As people gather to celebrate, a new report by WWF highlights areas where progress has been made in tiger conservation over the past twelve years – but also where threats remain for the big cat. 

Wild tiger numbers have dropped by around 95% since the beginning of the 20th century.

However, for the first time, their numbers are on the rise.  

It’s estimated that a century ago there were 100,000 tigers. In 2010 – the last lunar year of the tiger – there were as few as 3,200 left.

That year, the governments of 13 countries which had or used to have wild tigers came together for the first time at a summit in St Petersburg.

There they committed to double the number of wild tigers by 2022. 

Bhutan, Nepal, India, China, and Russia are all seeing progress with wild tiger populations.

One reason for this is due to the work of the Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CA|TS), which launched in 2013 to help better tiger conservation areas.

It was reported in India there were around 2,967 wild tigers in 2018, which is up from 1,411 tigers in 2006.

Becci May, Senior Programme Advisor for Asia at WWF-UK, says: ‘Tigers require the space to roam, and their prey need the resources to flourish, in ways that benefit the people who share the landscapes with them.’

In the Land of the Leopard National Park in eastern Russia, Amur tigers were threatened by forest fires and the poaching of tigers’ prey, like deer and wild boar.

Over the last decade, tiger numbers have tripled in the park due to the work of the WWF and partners.

But this doesn’t mean the work is done – there are declining numbers in Malaysia and tigers are thought to be extinct in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

While the global estimate for wild tigers may be on the rise, their range has continued to diminish.

Tigers today are restricted to less than 5% of their historic range.  

Their population is affected by habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change, human-wildlife conflict and the illegal wildlife trade.

In September, tiger range countries will meet at the second Global Tiger Summit in Vladivostok to assess progress.

They will identify tiger conservation priorities for the next 12 years. 

WWF’s Becci May says that protecting tigers is not just about saving a single species.

‘Wild tigers are indicators of a healthy ecosystem, keeping herbivores in check, which helps to maintain healthy habitats,’ she says.

‘Globally, tiger landscapes also play a significant role in storing carbon in their forests, grasslands, and soils. Protecting tigers has a much wider impact on nature and people. We can all benefit.’

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