"Tigers Making a Comeback in Parts of Asia"

Photograph by Steve Winter, National Geographic

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Written By:

 Ker Than

for National Geographic News

Published December 28, 2012

"Tigers are making a comeback, thanks to strong government initiatives in India, Thailand, and Russia, scientists announced this week."

Joe Walston, executive director for Asia Programs at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), praised the three countries for taking action to protect their tiger populations. There are only six subspecies of tiger that live in 13 Asian countries left. "There are a number of factors that are necessary for tigers to come back, but without true government commitment, there will not be any success,"stated Walston .

Even with three success stories, the endangered species' numbers continue to hover at all-time lows worldwide due to the combined threats of poaching, loss of prey, and habitat destruction. Today, conservationists estimate that only 3,200 tigers exist in the wild. Even so, Walston claims that the successes in India, Thailand, and Russia prove that tigers are not doomed, and he hopes that other countries soon act in the same manner. "This is not a species that is on an inevitable decline ... They are coming back in some places," he said. Walston also pointed out that saving tigers has other benefits. "When we conserve tigers, we're actually conserving a whole host of species that are maybe not as charismatic or iconic but are equally valuable—and equally threatened."

Tigers are a fascinating species and it is concerning that they may be a generation to live without getting the chance to observe one alive. This is the same for other species that we have all known but may also be vulnerable, such as lions, elephants, etc.
- Andrew