Putting an end to tiger poaching
I’ve always thought that tigers are one of the world’s most majestic animals. That’s why it’s so sad that we’ve lost 97% of our wild tigers in just over 100 years. Did you know that there are as few as 3,200 wild tigers left in the world? Astounding, isn’t it?
Perhap most surprising is how much of a problem poaching remains today. Sadly, different tiger parts (claws, teeth and whiskers) are believed to provide good luck and protective powers, while trade in tiger skins are on the rise. WWF experts say that poaching is devastating the wild tiger population—and we need to act now to protect this species.
Zero Poaching is a new WWF initiative to stop tiger poachers in their tracks and help recover the world’s tiger population.
c. Klein & Hubert / WWF
WWF is working with the 13 countries that are home to the world’s last wild tigers, including Russia, India and China. Later this year, the tiger countries and partners will met at the Tiger Summit +1 gathering to talk about critical tiger breeding habitats that need to be made, free from poaching. The group plans to put resources in place to end poaching at these sites.
WWF also aims to increase the number of field staff working in core tiger habitats and protect the tiger’s heartland—the forests, savannahs and wetlands where wild tigers live and breed. The habitat for tigers has shrunken to just 7% of what was once available to this species, and protecting their breeding ground is crucial to protecting tigers—and to increasing the tiger population.
Here’s a shout out to everyone working on the front lines of our Zero Poaching campaign. Let’s make sure tigers are around for many generations to come.