Siberian Tiger by Joel Sartore

1903 Words4 Pages

For years tigers have been a symbol of grace, power, and majesty (“Tigers Threatened,” 2006), exhibiting mesmerizing beauty and limitless strength that has been recognized throughout the world. Because of this, tigers are highly valued, as their body parts are prized and worth an enormous fortune, consequently resulting in 3 of the 8 subspecies of tigers into extinction (“Tigers Threatened,” 2006). The remaining five tiger species went from hundreds of thousands, to only 3,000 – 5,000 combined, and one subspecies has been targeted tremendously for their prestigious status. In particular, Amur commonly referred to as the Siberian tiger, now face a great deal of danger, as poaching increases and destruction of their homes persist, leaving Amur on the brink of extinction as well. With approximately 500 left in the wild (Sartore, 2014, p. 1), the imperiled mammals status signifies severe endangerment, where recognition and assistance are in desperate need to put an end to prohibited hunting, and mindless deforestation. The following paper will incorporate aspects of both hunting and destruction of the ecosystem, as they are the two driving forces causing rapid tiger demise. Introduction The National Geographic article “Siberian Tiger” by Joel Sartore highlights the escalating endangerment of Siberian tigers due to two main factors: destruction of the forests, and most prominently poaching (2014). Amur tigers primarily reside in eastern Russia, China, and North Korea, where they experience bitter climates, resulting in low human density and vast woodlands to roam (Sartore, 2014, p. 1). Yet, what seemingly appear to be advantages in reality are downsides, since timber industries expand and demolish these vast ecosystems (S... ... middle of paper ... ... March 24, 2014, from http://www.savetigersnow.org/problem Smith, P.A. (2014). Animal Fact Guide: Siberian Tiger. Retrieved March 23, 2014, from http://www.animalfactguide.com/animal-facts/siberian-tiger/ Suraiya, Jug. (2011). Crying tiger: The tiger, living fire of the Indian forest, might soon be snuffed out forever. Retrieved March 23, 2014, from http://search.proquest.com/docview/871531069/abstract?accountid=15115 The Amur Tiger: Conservation Threats. (2014). Retrieved March 23, 2014, from http://www.wcsrussia.org/en-us/wildlife/amurtigers/conservationthreats.aspx Tigers Threatened by Human Poaching and Development. (2006). Retrieved March 22, 2014, from http://search.proquest.com/docview/190450349 TRADE IN TIGER PARTS: Traditional Chinese Medicine. (2014). Retrieved March 23, 2014, from http://www.singlevisioninc.org/tiger_body_parts_sold.html

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