There are now just 3,200 tigers left in the wild. Three of the nine subspecies (the Bali, Javan and Caspian tigers) are extinct; a fourth, the South China, is also lost to the wild, with a few dozen specimens surviving in captivity. Tigers' survival is not guaranteed even in the most protected places: four died in a north Indian reserve named after Corbett earlier this year. The national animal of India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Malaysia and North and South Korea; the majestic creature at the heart of eastern and western culture from traditional Chinese myths to evil Shere Khan in the Jungle Book and cuddly Tigger in Winnie the Pooh; the big cat that sells us beer, petrol and other human essentials such as sugar-frosted breakfast cereal, is teetering on the very brink of extinction.
On November 21, various heads of state and assorted other diplomats are going to convene in St Petersburg at the snappily titled Tiger Summit, which has been widely billed as the last chance to save the big cat from extinction. Some conservationists feel the participants are remote bureaucrats with no experience of the on-the-ground realities. Others are refusing to go at all. Tiger experts are agreed on the prime, simple cause of its disappearance: it is being massacred for a lucrative illegal trade in traditional Chinese medicine. So, as we know why it's disappearing, surely the answer to this problem is a simple one? I'm going to answer my own question here. The answer is money, as it is to everything like this. In this case, money for more game wardens to patrol areas where the poachers operate.
Simple, I've saved the tiger. All we have to do now is wait and see if anyone else wants to do it.
"They're grrrrrrreat"
Public Enemy No1
And in a move which headline writers everywhere would love, cash strapped Manchester City are after Porto's man mountain striker Hulk. Hulk's not so keen though, maybe he's been to Manchester before, eh?
He's probably pressing a car full of attractive but badly acting teenagers effortlessly above his head right now.
"Raaaaaaargh! Hulk no go City"
10 comments:
I hope that you start feeling better! Damn Ebola!
Save the Tigers...simple...if they are being killed for the Chinese slave trade, what we must do is find a large quarry of quartz. Ground said quartz into dust. Take it to these Chines medicine dealers and tell them it's ground unicorn horn....and that it has the same medicinal properties of the Tiger...only it's far more potent.
Problem solved.
by slave trade, I meant medicinal trade...I apparently need more coffee.
Has he got his right hand in his pocket too? That's just not on. Where are the effigy-burning masses when you need them...
They just need to find an pristine, untouched Island with the perfect environment for Tigers and put them all there to repopulate and grow. I even thought of a cool name for it: Tiger Island!
Miis M. I've heard far worse ideas than that.
Tom, I know, someone call the police.
Nate, it's a good idea, butit'd have to be a pretty big island. Got anywhere in mind?
We have this little known conservation place in Tampa, Florida called "Big Cat Rescue" which is billed as the biggest collection of big cats in one place in the whole world. They have contracts with many companies (Sigfried and Roy and Exxon just to name two) that take the tigers when these companies are "done" with them.
They rehabilitate big cats, rehabilitate them and release them back into the wild (if possible). They travel the whole country busted roadside zoos and carnivals and advocate against canned hunts (which make my stomach turn).
They are a wonderful organization, I am donate to the every year religiously.
I don't know what a canned hunt is, but I'm guessing it's not something nice.
It is legal in most states here, and until I toured Big Cat Rescue, I was unaware it even happened.
People pay big money to go into a penned area with a lion, tiger, bear, moose, whatever else and shoot them point blank. Then the place with truss the animal up and make a trophy of its head.
They do a lot of canned hunting in Africa too. Elephants are big business for canned hhunting there.
Even now, just the thought of it makes me want to vomit.
Great Tiger picture, I love Tigers and think it is terrible that money even comes in to it. Could we move them all to the Scottish highlands? There's a polar bear up there anyway!
Amber. Urgh a canned hunt sounds about as pleasant as I thought it would.
Mrs M. Nice thought! I won't be going out often then. A polar bear you say? :(
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