With their striking orange and dark striped coats, tigers are among the most recognizable and beloved animals on the planet.
They are also among the most at-risk. Tiger numbers have been on the decline for the past century. In 1900, an estimated 1000,000 wild tigers roamed the globe. Now only an estimated 3,200 exist around the wild.
Scientists say that tigers are at an existential “tipping point”—a critical time when, unless significant protections are put in place, these big cats could soon face extinction in the wild.
Tigers were found throughout Asia, but now they are restricted to only few parts around the continent .
Tigers are being poached to meet demands on the black market which is not just for the fur but also for the bones and whiskers which are used in traditional Chinese medicine. This illegal trade accounts for over 6 billion dollars annually.
Most of these big cats come into contact with the human population with increased deforestation in a bid for survival, on the cattle and other small animals.
