Bengal Tiger

What are they? …
The Bengal tigers are foun in India and other smaller populations in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Myanmar. There are only 2,500 left in the wild. They weigh around 550 lbs and are about 10 feet in length. They live in dry and wet forests, grasslands and temperate forests. They are becoming very threatened because of the rising sea level resulting in climate change.

What we should save them..
The tiger subspecies is at the top of the food chain in the wild. They also maintain the diversity of the population. With saving tigers, other things benefit in it. For example, according to WWF, “When one tiger was protected, we then protect 25,000 acres of the forest.” If we save the forest, we will then have more fresh water, food and beauty of nature. All because of the tigers.
Threats…
Habitat loss. The increase in human populations are hurting the tiger popluation. Habitats are becoming further fragmented because of agriculture and the construction of forests. People are developing roads and other industrial buildings that are causing the forest to decrease, leading the tigers to no home.
Illegal Wildlife Trade. The illegal demand for tigers is increasing, leading to poaching.
Prey loss. Deer and antelopes (the main food source of tigers) are decreasing as well. They are declining as well because of the poaching and trade. There is such competition with livestock over food because of the huge wood removal for fires.
Conflict with humans- As tigers loose their prey, interactions with humans become increasinly dangerous. Tiger attacks happen and people are being killed due to lack of boundaries, decrease of tiger habitat, and not enough surveillance.

What we need to do…
Secure populations, increase protected areas. Reforstation will lead to the come back of species. If governments team up and protect state parks and forests.
Stop poaching- In their natural habitat of India and Nepal, communities need to get together to support anti poaching. Increase surveillance and increase law enforcement.
Stop illegal wildlife trade. Support WWF and TRAFFIC ( the wildlife trade monitoring network) to fund patrols and support intelligence networks in locations to stop tiger parts from being exported and sold in black markets.
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