In Chinese mythology, the white tiger was
appointed the guardian of the country’s west. Legend had it that if a tiger
ever survived to its 500th birthday, its tail would turn white. Consequently,
white tigers would only appear to emperors who ruled virtuously: they were the
symbols of a peaceful reign.
But while tigers might be revered creatures in
Chinese lore, the king of beasts now faces a tipping point in its existence.
According to the Chinese zodiac, this is the Year of the Tiger. Scientists and
wildlife advocates are hoping the year’s iconic importance will help in saving
the world’s last remaining wild tigers.
The great cats have historically inspired
everyone from poets to warriors. They now also symbolize vanishing environments
that support both animals and humans. In India, there’s a saying that when the
tiger disappears, the forests will fall.
According to the Save the Tiger Fund, wild
tiger numbers have slid from 100,000 as recently as a century ago to as low as
3200 last year. The threat of extinction looms for the Siberian tiger, the
world’s largest cat. A 2009 report by the Siberian Tiger Monitoring Programme,
co-ordinate by the Wildlife Conservation Society in association with Russian
government organizations among others, revealed that recent Siberian tiger
numbers have plummeted by 41% from their 12-year average.
“That came as a big shock,” says Judy Mills,
the co-coordinator for the International Tiger Coalition. She describes 2010 as
“the most important year in the history of tigers”, and believes it will be
absolutely critical for the tiger’s future.
“Tyger Tyger, burning
bright”
National and international leaders agree with Mills.
Late last year, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin unveiled a last ditch
effort to save the Siberian tiger. He plans to host an international summit
with the World Bank in Vladivostok this September, and has set the goal of
doubling wild tiger numbers worldwide to 6500 by the year 2022.
Conservation organizations have planned a
series of workshops leading up to Putin’s tiger summit in Vladivostok. But
China’s decisions carry special weight that could either save or doom tigers.
Wildlife experts point back to 1993, which was
when the Chinese government banned the trade in tiger parts used for
traditional Chinese medicine. The move helped to curb consumer demand, which
has consistently driven poachers to hunt down wild tigers.
By
Asha
7th Semester(I.T.)
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