• About BCR
  • News
  • News @ BCR
  • Rescues
  • Issues
  • Cat Laws
Thursday, January 21, 2021
  • Login
  • Register
Big Cat Rescue
  • Get Involved
  • Cub Facts
  • The Sanctuary Cats
  • FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Videos
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
Big Cat Rescue
  • Get Involved
  • Cub Facts
  • The Sanctuary Cats
  • FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Videos
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
Big Cat Rescue
No Result
View All Result
Home News World

It’s Hard Out Here for a Tiger, World Bank Says

BCR by BCR
July 5, 2008
in News World
0
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via Email

It’s Hard Out Here for a Tiger, World Bank Says

The tiger life used to be relatively simple: They stalked around dining on deer or boar or fish or whatever else took their fancy, and took swims when they wanted to cool off. The solitary cats were the masters of their own fates, and when they encountered a stray human they could choose between mauling him and impressing the hell out of him with their majestic, haughty ways.

You might also like

Cub Petting Shame

Rules

GoFree

It’s not so simple anymore. The number of tigers in the wild has declined from more than 100,000 a century ago to about 4,000 left in scattered pockets around Asia today. Developing towns with bursting populations have encroached on tigers’ habitats, reducing both their territory and their prey. The reverence that humans can’t help feeling for the animals has also turned sour, as tigers are hunted by poachers who fuel the black market trade in tiger skins and body parts, many of which end up in traditional Chinese pharmacies.

In response, the World Bank announced yesterday the launch of a Tiger Conservation Initiative that will try to bring wild tigers back from the brink of extinction. Many see it as a last ditch effort to save the big cat.

“Just as with many of the other challenges of sustainability — such as climate change, pandemic disease or poverty — the crisis facing tigers overwhelms local capabilities and transcends national boundaries,” World Bank President Robert Zoellick said at the launching at the National Zoo in Washington.

“The decline in the numbers of tigers is shocking,” Zoellick said, adding that because of poaching, tigers in many supposedly “secure” reserves across Asia had simply been wiped out. “Tigers are disappearing from Central Asia, and from East and South Asia,” he said [AFP].

An Indian conservation group called the International Tiger Coalition questioned the World Bank’s moral right to conduct such a crusade, noting that the bank has funded road building and plantation projects in India that have decreased tiger habitats. But overall, the tiger-loving group sounded happy for the help.

The International Tiger Coalition (ITC), an alliance of 39 organisations fighting for the long-term survival of tigers in the wild, said it was ready to help the Bank on its initiative. “Nothing short of global action will ensure the recovery of tigers in the wild,” said Grace Ge Gabriel, spokesperson for the ITC and Asia Regional Director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare [News Post India].

As with any environmental cause, it can’t hurt to have some Hollywood folks attached to the conservation project: Harrison Ford and Bo Derek both showed up at the zoo to promise their star-powered support.

Meanwhile, the black market trade in tiger products continues to boom, as traditional Chinese medicine uses some tiger body parts as pain killers or aphrodisiacs. In one of the more disturbing developments, a British environmental group just announced that tigers may not be safe even in Chinese animal parks. The group’s investigators say that park staff members offered to sell them “tiger bone wine,” which is made from carcasses soaked in rice wine, and is believed to treat arthritis and rheumatism.

Staff said the wine was made from tigers that had died after fighting with other big cats at the venues. One park produced what they said was a government permit that allowed the sale of the tiger-derived wine on the premises, but the […] researchers said it was not possible to verify whether the permit was genuine [BBC News].

China is party to the ban on international trade of endangered species (and their body parts), but Chinese authorities have raised the idea of lifting a parallel domestic ban in order to take tiger products from “tiger farms” where the animals are raised in captivity. They argued that this would prove to be the most sustainable option because it would satisfy the demand from traditional medicine practitioners without threatening the wild tiger population.

Although this approach was supported by some conservation groups, others warned that it would undermine efforts by the Chinese government to curb poaching. They said that it would be cheaper to kill a wild tiger than to rear a captive one, and it would be very difficult to tell the difference between the two [BBC News].

The World Bank has already published a report on the plight of tigers, and plans to hold a Year of the Tiger summit in 2010 to review its conservation efforts.

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/06/10/its-hard-out-here-for-a-tiger-world-bank-says/
http://bigcatrescue.org/


Tags: News World
Previous Post

We need to try everything

Next Post

Tiger keeper quits over zoo ‘blame game’

BCR

BCR

Big Cat Rescue is Caring for Cats and Ending the Trade

Related Posts

Cub Petting Shame
Cat Laws

Cub Petting Shame

January 17, 2021
234
Be Safe Out There!
How To Start A Sanctuary

Rules

March 31, 2020
23
Big Cat Rescue does bobcat rehab and release of native, Florida bobcats.
Articles by BCR

GoFree

March 29, 2020
83
Nik Tiger being Xrayed
How To Start A Sanctuary

What is a day like at Big Cat Rescue?

June 30, 2020
14
Cougars at Big Cat Rescue
Memorials

Artemis

January 28, 2020
33
Next Post

Tiger keeper quits over zoo 'blame game'

Leave a Reply

  • Default Comments (0)
  • Facebook Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Help Feed Big Cats

One of the best ways to help is through general donations that can be used however it is most needed at the time.To make a general donation just click the Donate Now button below.  This is the best way to give as it has the lowest credit card processing fees and is immediate help for the cats.

Give to Big Cat Rescue

If you prefer to donate via Pay Pal, please use this link: Pay Pal

Take Action Against Abuse

Shop To Save Big Cats

More From BigCatRescue

  • Rescue Missions
  • About Big Cat Rescue
  • Big Cat Rescue News
  • Reviews
  • Our Recent Work
  • Sanctuary FAQs
  • Big Cat TV

Sanctuary Cats

  • Jaguars
  • Leopards
  • Lions
  • Tigers
  • Bobcats
  • Canada Lynx
  • Cougars
  • Ocelots
  • Savannah Cats
  • Servals

Big Cat Information

  • Jaguars
  • Leopards
  • Lions
  • Tigers
  • Bobcats
  • Canada Lynx
  • Cougars
  • Ocelots
  • Savannah Cats
  • Servals

Ways to Help

  • Newsletter SignUp
  • Donate Now
  • Volunteer
  • Contact Us
  • View AMP Versioin
No Result
View All Result
  • 2018 Appeal
  • About BCR
  • About our Cookies
  • BCR in the Media
  • Big Cat Rescue Caring for Cats and Ending the Trade
  • Big Cat Times
  • Blog
  • Board of Directors
  • Contact Us
  • Contact Us
  • Cookie Policy
  • Credentials
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Embed Link
  • GET THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT CUB PETTING
  • Global Big Cat News
  • Intern Program
  • Kids
  • Latest from Big Cat Rescue
  • Licensing
  • Map
  • Map of Big Cat Owners
  • Netflix
  • News about Big Cats
  • News Gallery
  • News@BCR
  • Our Video Series
  • PressRoom
  • Privacy Policy
  • Rescues
  • Search result
  • Series Archive – Default header
  • Shop
  • SnowLeopard
  • Social Stream
  • Staff
  • Teachers
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Terms of Use
  • Test Gravity
  • USFWS
  • Vets
  • Videos archive
  • Get Involved
    • Automatic
    • Sponsorships
    • Volunteer
      • AdvoCats
      • Click to Feed
      • Intern
    • Legacy
    • Roar! Speak Out for Big Cats
    • Ink
  • Finances
  • How We Started
  • Abuse Issues
    • Issues
      • Exhibitions
      • Private Ownership of Big Cats
      • Zoos
      • White Tigers
      • Circus
      • Fur
      • Trophy Hunting
      • Canned Hunting
      • Why Regulations Don’t Work
  • Our Evolution
  • Photos & Facts
  • Videos
  • Our Volunteers
  • Your Privacy
  • Donate
  • Site Map
  • Field Trips

© Copyright 2021 BigCatRescue.Org. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptReject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Add New Playlist