It's About Animals

A tiger's life span in the wild is estimated at 10 years. Tigers in zoos can live almost twice as long. Tigers' claws retract, their scratches on trees serve as territorial markings. Cubs are born blind and weigh 2 to 3 pounds. At 18 months, they begin to make their own kills. Unlike lions, adult tigers prefer to live alone. A tiger's territory size ranges from 10 to 30 square miles to as large as 120 square miles, for a Siberian tiger. A wild tiger may consume up to 60 pounds of meat at once, afterwards refraining from food for several days. Tail lengths vary from 3 to 4 feet long, about half the length of the body. The tail helps to maintain balance when the tiger runs through fast turns.

Of eight known subspecies, only five remain and they are nearing extinction themselves. Over the past century, man has managed to destroy three entire sub-species of tiger. The Bali Tiger once lived in Brazil. It was killed off around 1937. The Caspian Tiger, once found in Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Mongolia, and parts of Russia has been extinct since around the 1950's. The Javan Tiger once roamed the Indonesian Island of Java. None have been seen there since 1972. The five remaining subspecies include the Bengal Tiger, holding the highest number at 3,000 - 4,000, the Indo-Chinese Tiger, ranging from 900 - 1,800, the Sumatran Tiger, down to fewer than 500, the Siberian Tiger, of which 200 or less remain in Northern China and Russia and the Amoy Tiger with less than 80 remaining.

While there are programs working to save the tiger, they do not seem to be widespread enough since tigers are being poached at the rate of one per day. Rather than enjoying the tigers natural power and beauty, man somehow sees fit to destroy it, and sell it off for his own personal gain. On the Trail of Illegal Tiger Traders, also known as the TRAFFIC Network, is one of the world's largest wildlife trade monitoring organizations and is a global expert on wildlife trade issues. Since its founding in 1976, TRAFFIC has played a key role in convincing the world of one of the few undeniable truths: over-exploitative trade of wild animals and plants can threaten the very survival of those species.

Today, the annual trade in wildlife is estimated at $20 billion, and up to one-quarter of the trade is illegal. As a result, the Network is ever expanding its monitoring, investigating and reporting of wildlife trade to ensure that threatened species are identified and protected. The eyes of the tiger are the brightest on earth. At dusk, or in the beam of a flashlight, they reflect back the ambient light with awe-inspiring intensity. It would be a tragedy if we allowed the flame to burn out.

Bob DeFranco is an animal behavior therapist, executive director of the Animal Behavior Center of New York and president of the American Foundation for Animal Rescue, Inc. in Queens. Watch him on Pet Talk Live, Wednesdays at 8:30 PM on Channel 34 in Queens and listen to him on the new radio talk show It's About Animals on NewsTalk 1050 WEVD AM on Saturdays at 5:00 PM beginning February 12, 2000. Questions or comments? Write P.O. Box 7623, Rego Park, NY 11374 or e-mail him at: bob@canines.com

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