WWF publish map of tiger trouble spots

WWF publish map of tiger trouble spots

By Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent
Published: 6:30AM GMT 11 Feb 2010

Areas of the world where tigers are threatened with extinction have been highlighted in a new interactive map.

The World Wildlife Fund list hotspots in India and Malayasia where tigers are under threat as well as Europe and US where demand for tiger parts is fuelling illegal trade.

The interactive map has been released in advance of WWF’s Year of the Tiger campaign, which launches to coincide with the start of Chinese year of the tiger.

The global wild tiger population is believed to be as low as 3,200 at present, down from 100,000 at the start of the 20th century.

Diane Walkington, Head of Species at WWF-UK, said if the problem is left unchecked there is a chance that numbers will drop beyond a point of no return within many areas of Asia by 2022.

“Since the last year of the tiger in 1998, tigers have lost 40 per cent of their habitat. They now occupy only 7 per cent of their historic range,” she said. “Already, three tiger sub-species have gone extinct since the 1940s and a fourth one, the South China tiger, has not been seen in the wild in 25 years. WWF is committed to ensuring the remaining populations receive the protection they so desperately need,” she said.

To look at the map go to: http://www.worldwildlife.org/tigertroublespots

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/7207523/WWF-publish-map-of-tiger-trouble-spots.html

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