Ever since I learned that tigers are going extinct, I genuinely could not believe that saving the tigers is not being widely talked about and so many people are unaware about this issue. Tigers have always been one of my favorite animals, and they are one of the most revered animals on the planet. Through doing this project, I learned many people believe that tigers should be the real “King of the Jungle” because they have greater size and strength compared to that of a lion. Tigers have been admired, feared, and revered through Indian, Japanese, Chinese, and many other country’s folklore and culture for centuries. In modern day, tigers are found in hundreds of cultures throughout the world, especially in the United States. The U.S. is home to about 5,000 captive tigers, while the number of tigers still in the wild is estimated to be around 3,900. Tigers have somehow been incorporated and exploited in American culture in such a deeply integrated way that we forget that this isn’t their home. Tigers belong in their habitat, but unfortunately, 95% of their historic habitat has been destroyed.
Habitat destruction and poaching are the two biggest factors that contribute to the endangered status of the tiger. Deforestation and the expansion of human activity and civilization have taken away much of tiger’s habitats, which left tigers to be killed by their new neighbors and have no place to hunt. Tiger poaching has become a large problem because of the enormous illegal tiger trade in Asia. Though there are strict laws against poaching in Asia, the demand for these animals has only increased.
I recently watched the documentary “Our Planet” on Netflix, and there was a gorgeous shot of a tiger captured in the Siberian forest. The behind-the-scenes episode explained that the videographer of that tiger had to live alone in the winter forest for more than 3 months just to see one tiger. He had hundreds of cameras that he would check every morning, and it was extremely emotional when he finally got the shot he was looking for. It is extremely depressing that the tiger population is so scarce that we have to cherish this footage he received because there isn’t much like it anymore.
I feel passionately that Americans should know about this issue, and not only be aware of it, but care about it. In order to try and get Americans to care about the issue, I thought it was compelling to include popular tigers found in entertainment, sports, and pop culture. Celebrities love to use tigers as a photo opportunity and/or an accessory, yet they are not advocating for the tigers in their natural habitat. I wanted people to remember their favorite tigers and how integral tigers have become to our culture and feel the urge to advocate for the Big Cat Public Safety Act or possibly make a donation to worldwidlife.org, an organization that is working hard to save the tigers. The Big Cat Act will stop private tiger ownership in the U.S and roadside zoos. This will hopefully discourage the continued illegal tiger trade all the way from Asia.
Sources:
Since I wanted the explanation for why tiger’s were going endangered to have cohesive graphics, I cut clips from this youtube video to explain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrYWN1aqxmM
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/tiger
https://bigcatrescue.org/big-cat-act/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/if-a-tiger-fought-a-lion_b_3348978
Marissa Zayed 