Reasons for Endangerment
Habitat Destruction
Habitat destruction is another leading cause of the Amur Tiger’s decline. The Russian government sold sections of old growth forests in the Russian Far East to timber companies to raise national revenues. These pristine forests are home to many animals, including the Siberian Tiger. Without them, these magnificent animals will be run out of their own homes and into extinction.
Poaching
The poaching of the Amur Tigers dates back to the early 1800’s with their role in traditional medicine in China. The downfall of the Soviet Union in 1991 caused an explosion of economic hardship throughout most of the country. As money and other resources became scarcer, Siberian Tigers became a target for their valuable skins and body parts which hold great value on the Chinese black market. It is estimated that in this year alone, one third of the Siberian Tiger population was killed to meet the growing demand in this market (Tigers in Crisis, 2015). A full grown tiger skin can bring in close to 200,000 rubles, which is four years worth of income for the average person in Russia and more than $50k on the International Market (Tigers in Crisis, 2015). The high incentive for poaching these great animals stemmed from weak protective regulations and a poor economy.
FAST FACTS
Illegal Logging
Illegal logging poses the biggest threat. According to the World Wildlife Foundation, over 30% of all Russian forest exports are corrupted by illegal logging (Logging of Russian Far East Damaging Tiger Habitat, 2014). In 2012 the World Bank Report estimated that the losses in assets and revenue due to illegal logging cost was nearly $10 billion annually and was responsible for the destruction of around 91 million acres of forest in the last decade (Logging of Russian Far East Damaging Tiger Habitat, 2014). This number does not even include the logging of legal timber companies that cut down trees as well. In addition, the U.S. is the top importer of wood harvested from the Russian Far East and manufactured as furniture and other products in China. The United States and most countries in the European Union have banned the import of wood that cannot be verified as being “legally logged,” yet other countries like Japan have not yet taken steps to to do the same (Logging of Russian Far East Damaging Tiger Habitat, 2014).
Today’s advanced technology poses a new threat to the species as poachers become more coordinated, modernized, and efficient in their tactics. Decades ago, poachers made up only a small fraction of the population and existed only to make money to support themselves and maybe a family. Today however, much has changed. Now poachers are made up of thugs and ruthless gangsters. Some are in it for the money, however many are in it for the rush of the kill. They view the hunting of these animals as a game, a natural high. Their tactics are cold-blooded and unrelenting. They release rabid dogs on tiger cubs to wear them down. They use poisonous gas, illegal traps and high power guns to slaughter them, and often it is a torturous death. The invention of cellphones and satellite imaging allows these illegal poachers to easily track down the tigers (Modern Poachers and the Wildlife Police Who are Trying to Rein them in, 2015). These new advancement puts a new strain on the survival of the species.
Yes, poaching has increased in the last decades, but conservation efforts have been greatly expanded upon as well. Though it can seem that there is little hope for saving the Siberian Tigers, hope is not yet lost. Humans have been responsible for decreasing the species's population, but we are also the ones who are bringing them back. Since the 1930’s, their population have been brought up from just 20 individuals, to nearly 500 (Amur Tiger, 2015). We are on the slow road to their recovery.
In 1930 it was estimated that there were only 20-30 wild Amur Tigers left in the wild (Amur Tiger Ecology, 2015)
Today it is estimated that between 300-450 individuals are left in the wild. (The Amur Tiger Ecology, 2015) & (Amur Tiger, 2015)
It is estimated that in 1991 alone, one-third of the Siberian tiger population was killed to meet the demand for their bones and other parts used in traditional Chinese medicines and practices. (Tigers in Crisis, 201
If you been motivated or inspired by what you have read so far, please visit our page What You Can Do to learn how you can help save the Siberian Tigers and make a difference.
Even though the practice is now illegal in China, since it is such a lucrative trade - a single tiger can bring in $50k on the International black market - the practice is still flourishing. (Tigers in Crisis, 2015)
At least 30% of all Russian forest exports are tainted by illegal logging, the only habitat left for Amur Tigers. (Amur Tiger, 2015)
The Siberian Tiger is threatened both by its value on the Chinese black market and by a rapidly receding habitat. Illegal poaching and logging is endangering the population both directly and indirectly. Human desire for individual capital and economic expansion are the Siberian Tiger’s greatest threats, yet there are solutions in progress that are already making a difference. Protection of these animals through acts, regulations, and conventions, is an example of how the species is now being protected. Steps are also being taken to protect the tiger’s habitat in the Russian Far East Forests. These progressive changes are pointing us in the right direction, yet much still needs to be done in order for us to ultimately save the Siberian Tiger.