Talking About Tigers!
By: Jake Van Wyk & Tammel Norals
Tigers have some good news for the first time in a very long time. For the first time in 100 years the number of tigers living in the wild is growing!
Tough Time for Tigers
Tigers have had a pretty tough time for the past 100 years. People have hunted them illegally and more than they should, which is known as poaching. Some countries like China actually still use parts from a tiger to make medicines, using recipes that have been around for hundreds or even thousands of years! The jungles where they live have also been destroyed in order to get wood for buildings and paper, which is known as deforestation.
The Good News
But now scientists are excited to see that for the first time in many, many years their numbers are going up, and not down. Six years ago, scientists believed there were about 3,200 tigers living in the wild across the world. Now, they believe there are around 3,890!
The news has made scientists very happy, and hopeful that they are able to save animal species by having everyone work together to save them.
Habitats
Tigers, like most animals, cannot live just anywhere, but have special kinds of places where they like to live. These places are known as their habitat. One of the reasons that the numbers of tigers in the wild is higher is probably because more countries are saving more and more places for their habitat.
Scientists also have better tools and technology to find and see these tigers, like hidden cameras.
Some Super Stripes!
How do the scientists know that they are seeing more tigers, and not just the same tigers again and again? The stripes on tigers are like human fingerprints, no two are exactly the same. Scientists can actually tell one tiger from another just by their stripes!
Even so, tigers don’t like to be seen. They usually only come out at night and are very secretive. So scientists are excited that they have been able to discover so many and that their technology has improved.
Teamwork
People have also come together to protect tigers from poachers.
Hopefully we will continue to see more and more tigers in the world every year. These beautiful and amazing animals are just one part of this fantastic planet that would be terribly missed if we no longer had them. If we are lucky, we can continue to work together to save the tigers, and the numerous other animals that are in danger. We share this world, so we might as well work together to keep it a wonderful place for everyone and everything to live.