Panthera tigris altaica

December 29, 2007 2:49 PM

The Plight of the Amur Tiger (aka Siberian Tiger), the largest living cat in the world. Only 330-370 are left in the wild, but the situation is showing improvement, and they may even be repopulating previous strongholds in China. China is doing its part to repopulate the species - but for what purpose? The park's director admits the park made money from selling parts of dead tigers and wants China to lift the ban on the trade of tiger parts. They're considering it. Meanwhile, captive tigers are illegally skinned and beheaded, and 5000 tigers are kept in farms.
posted by desjardins (8 comments total)

Putting it here because it didn't fit with the theme of the OP, a gratuitously cute video of a captive adult tiger and her cubs.
posted by desjardins at 2:53 PM on December 29, 2007

Great post. It's hugely depressing to think that magnificent animals like these (and polar bears, mountain gorillas etc) could be extinct within the next generation.
posted by afx237vi at 3:50 PM on December 29, 2007

There is hope for a Tiger recovery in Cambodia where World Wildlife Fund and The Orvis Company are teaming up to help fund Anti-Poaching teams (called Tiger Guards). You can help by going here.
posted by james_cpi at 4:04 PM on December 29, 2007

I've always thought that Siberian tigers are the most awesomely beautiful animals on the planet. Not that beauty should carry any weight in their right to live.

It sucks to be a big animal on this planet. It really sucks to be a big predator. Man is not a big fan of competition, when it comes right down to it.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 5:06 PM on December 29, 2007

Thanks for this very interesting post. I'd never heard of tiger farming.

Here's a bit of followup on the San Francisco story, by the way. (It's an AP story, but unfortunately the delivery vehicle is Fox News, so my apologies if they flash Bill O'Reilley's ugly face along with the article...)
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:32 PM on December 29, 2007

From the flapjax at midnite link: "When the AZA came out and inspected our zoo three years ago, they never noted that as a deficiency," he said. "Obviously now that something's happened, we're going to be revisiting the actual height."

Fuck, people are incompetent.

I mean, it's their fucken job, right? They conducted the inspection because of a near fatality IIRC, so that makes it even worse. "Woops, did not notice" just doesn't cut it, I'm afraid.

Also from the flapjax at midnite link: Zoo officials said a "moat" separating the habitat from the public viewing area that measured 33 feet across contained no water, and has never had any. They did not address whether that affected the tiger's ability to get out.

I know tigers can swim but, duh. NO WATER IN THE MOAT? Does that even make it a moat, fer chrissakes?


I used to do shift work and ride my bicycle past the Perth Zoo at very odd hours. Occasionally I'd have a fit of paranoia about one of the GRATE cats escaping and making a bee line for my ass.

I'd quickly brush it off as thoughts of a mad man, but it did improve my velocity for a while, I can tell ya. But now I don't feel *quite* as stupid for having those wild thoughts.

/Had nothing at all to do with riding to work stoned on the odd occasion. Nothing at all.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 11:50 PM on December 29, 2007

At first I read it as 'The Plight of Arthur Tiger' and I thought 'oh dear, what's up with old Arthur, then?' because he and I used to be very good friends.
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 5:31 AM on December 30, 2007

Perth zoo, eh? So you're in Perth. So am I. And in need of weed. Help a brother out!
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 5:32 AM on December 30, 2007