.....Endangered Tigers......

One of the most majestic animals of all time,
the tiger is on the brink of extinction. They
have been rampantly hunted for their
various body organs.Though the tiger is one of the most
powerful mammal, it also faces the worst
chances of being extinct.
Tigers have been hunted heavily by
humans over the past few years. The tiger
population in the Indian sub-continent has
declined seriously in the past fifty years.
Nepal has only two hundred tigers, while
India has about four thousand, a serious
decline from the past figures. China and
Korea are the biggest criminals as far as
tiger poaching is concerned. In the nineteen
hundreds, the entire tiger population was
more than one lakh. However, today the
global tiger population is less than ten
thousand animals.
While humans are the worst enemies of the
tiger, it also has enemies in the form of
elephants, bears and very large
buffaloes.The only defense tigers have
against their enemies are their razor sharp
claws and their strong teeth. Other than
that, sometimes the sheer weight of a tiger
can kill a average sized humans. Tigers are
known to weight as much as three hundred
to five hundred pounds.
The male tiger weighs five hundred pounds,
whereas the tigress weighs three hundred
pounds. The Siberian tiger is of the biggest
size in the tiger family, and therefore the cat
family. The tiger's average height is around
three feet.
Tigers are very good climbers and
swimmers. This adaptability saves them
from natural disasters and floods. However,
when it comes to fighting against their
biggest mortal enemy - the human - tigers
fall short of an arsenal in their weapon.
Tigers have been hunted by humans since
time incarnate. In ancient times, some tigers
were also tamed and kept as pets by
royalty. Indeed, a tamed cat would add
much color to the royal nature of people at
that time.Tiger hunting was a sport played
by royalty in ancient times. Also, in many
Asian countries, there many superstitions
regarding tigers. It doesn't matter whether
wearing a talisman made out of a tiger's
claw has any supernatural powers or not - a
tiger will lose his life so that someone
makes money out of it.
Other than that, tigers have been hunted for
their fur. Ironically, the biggest enemies of
tigers may be the connection they have
with masculinity and strength in the minds
of their largest predators, humans. Almost
everything related to the tiger has been
sold and held in high esteem and price, be it
their claws, their fur, their teeth and in some
cases, their eyes.
The tiger's body organs have also been
rumored to be a cure for many of human
ailments. This has also resulted in the
reckless poaching of tigers, making the
tigers an endangered species today.
Most of the tiger's body parts are said to be
aphrodisiacs, medicines or poisons -
possibly the most powerful in the world.
This false notion has therefore made
hunters hunt tigers for their whiskers, the
aforementioned whiskers, their eyes, the
aforementioned talismans and their penises,
liver and fat, the aforementioned
aphrodisiacs. The bones of a tiger are also
said to be prized medicines.
Other than simple hunting, humans have
also changed the natural habitat of the tiger.
Humans have encroached on tiger land,
which more often than not results in
hunting tigers in the end. They have also
destroyed their habitats by cutting down
trees and polluting the atmosphere. More
seriously, humans have hunted their prey,
forcing tigers to either starve or take more
risks. In reality, the tiger does not hunt any
animal larger than itself, for example the
elephant.
There are now serious actions taken for the
survival of this majestic beast at the brink
of extinction. All sub species of the tiger, like
the white tiger has been proclaimed to be
endangered.China has banned the sale of all
and any tiger related products since 1993.
Since then, illegal poaching of tigers for
their fur, bones and other organs is
rampant.