Why is tigers in danger

Too many herbivores would lead to overgrazing and degradation of the ecosystem. Tigers also drive economies. Where tigers exist, tourists go. And where tourists go, money can be made by communities with few alternatives for income. Tiger conservation projects help provide alternative livelihoods for rural communities. To safeguard tigers, we need to protect large swaths of forest across Asia where they live. By protecting these biologically diverse places, we can also preserve many other endangered species that live there.

And, forests protected for tigers are known to store more carbon than other habitat types, helping to mitigate climate change. The most immediate threat to wild tigers is poaching. Their body parts are in relentless demand for traditional medicine and are status symbols within some Asian cultures. Resources for guarding protected areas where tigers live are usually limited. People and tigers increasingly compete for space. Tigers have lost 93 per cent of their historical range due to human activity and development.

As forests shrink and prey becomes scarce, tigers are forced to hunt domestic livestock, which many local communities depend on for their livelihoods. In retaliation, tigers are killed or captured. Your support makes a big difference towards our work to help recover tiger populations. Donate adopt. This results in small pockets of tiger habitat surrounded by human populations. This website was designed and created free of charge by the Clinton Partnership.

Skip to main content. Threats Unfortunately, the threats that are driving tigers closer to extinction all stem from us, man. Poaching and the Illegal Trade Poaching and the illegal trade is, without a doubt, the biggest and most concerning threat that the world's remaining wild tigers face. Loss of habitat An increase in human populations throughout tiger range countries has resulted in tiger habitats being reduced. The tiger is protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora CITES , an agreement among nations to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

The U. Fish and Wildlife Service Service is the federal agency responsible for the U. In addition, all tiger species are listed as Endangered species under the U. Endangered Species Act ESA , prohibiting the import of tiger parts and products into the United States except under certain conditions.