How To Responsibly See Tigers within the Wild

As the most important member of the cat household, tigers are compellingly highly effective, stealthy and have been one in all nature’s most feared predators for roughly two million years. However in simply the previous 150 years, the tiger’s vary has shrunk by practically 95%, and in response to World Wildlife Fund, the inhabitants within the wild is now solely round 3,890 tigers. Learn how conservationists intention to double that quantity by means of safety efforts fueled partially by eco-tourism. 

Tigers: Dealing with Extinction

Tigers are native to Asia, however their vary right now is far smaller than prior to now. It doesn’t assist that they’re native to many locations with large human populations which might be rising exponentially. Their vary consists of Southeast Asia, India (roughly 3,000 of the world’s wild tigers are present in India), western China and a few elements of Russia, with small breeding populations in Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Russia and Nepal.

There’s a persistent delusion that wild tigers might be present in Africa, however that’s not primarily based on scientific truth. Tigers, lions, leopards and jaguars are all a part of the Felidae household of cats, which did originate in Africa a few million years in the past. However since then, an offshoot of Felidae migrated east towards Asia, the place these cats advanced into the orange-, black-, and white-striped creatures we all know and love right now. As soon as they established populations all through Asia, tigers by no means returned to Africa. They will solely be discovered there in zoos, particular reserves and in personal residences the place they’re generally sadly stored as pets. 

© Conan Dumenil

Sadly, three subspecies of tiger are already extinct: the Bali tiger (Panthera tigris balica), the Caspian tiger (Panthera tigris virgata) and the Javan tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica). One species, the South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis), is assumed solely to outlive in captivity.

The opposite 5 species of tigers (Sumatran, Amur/Siberian, Bengal, Indochinese and Malayan tigers) are endangered. A number of the largest threats to their survival embrace unlawful poaching, lack of habitat resulting from agriculture and urbanization, and discount in prey availability. It’s the usage of their physique elements for amulets and conventional ‘medication’ that’s driving the poaching commerce, in addition to the astronomical worth their beautiful pelts fetch on the black market.

However there’s hope on the horizon. International Tiger Day is well known yearly on July 29 as a option to elevate consciousness about this magnificent-but-endangered large cat. The day was based in 2010—a 12 months of the Tiger within the Chinese language zodiac calendar—on the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit. The world’s 13 tiger-range nations (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Viet Nam) got here collectively to create Tx2: a worldwide initiative with the purpose to double the variety of wild tigers by the yr 2022—the subsequent 12 months of the Tiger. Many well-known animal organizations similar to WWF, IFAW and the Smithsonian Institute are concerned with TX2 and International Tiger Day.

4 Locations to Journey for Tigers

1. India

India holds the most important inhabitants of tigers on the planet for a cause. Venture Tiger, a conservation program initiated by Indira Gandhi, has been energetic there since 1973, and it’s credited with the formation of greater than 25 extremely monitored tiger reserves on reclaimed lands the place human growth is banned. The hassle has helped to triple the variety of wild Bengal tigers for the reason that early 70s.

Bengal tigers are unbelievable beasts that may attain as much as 13 ft in size and weigh as much as 660 kilos. Regardless of their large measurement, they will attain speeds of about 35 to 40 miles per hour. Like most different cats, Bengal tigers are solitary hunters, sneaking up on their prey because of their stripy camouflage and overpowering them, utilizing their formidable energy and weight to knock bigger animals off steadiness. A bunch of tigers, and even only a momma along with her cubs, is named an ambush. 

By way of pure habitat, tigers like areas with dense cowl, similar to forests with entry to water and loads of prey. On our Nat Hab Grand India Wildlife Journey, we journey by 4×4 by means of native territory of the Bengal tiger. A vital cease is Bandhavgarh Nationwide Park, which is famend for having one of many nation’s highest concentrations of Bengal tigers. Initially established as a nationwide park in 1968, Bandhavgarh was declared a protected tiger reserve in 1993. At solely 444 sq. miles, it’s a comparatively small park and provides vacationers a reasonably strong probability of encountering Bengal tigers.

In the meantime, on our India Tiger Quest, we go to Ranthambore Nationwide Park in jap Rajasthan—legendary tiger nation. Throughout this strategically timed summer time journey, guests are fewer and tigers much less elusive, as they enterprise out of the dry underbrush a number of occasions every day to quench their thirst at waterholes.

2. Nepal

Conservation journey is integral to defending wildlife, and our Nat Hab journeys straight profit the continued existence of the magnificent tigers. On our Wild & Historical Himalaya Journey by means of Nepal and Bhutan, we once more have the chance to attempt to spot the Bengal tiger. Chitwan Nationwide Park in Nepal was established in 1973 as Nepal’s first nationwide park, and it was named a World Heritage Web site by UNESCO in 1984. It covers 360 sq. miles of subtropical lowlands the place, circumstances allowing, we are able to monitor tigers with our Expedition Chief and an area information. Whereas there’s a a lot smaller inhabitants of Bengal tigers right here than in India, the newest census suggests there are round 130 tigers who at present name the park dwelling.

And though we gained’t see tigers on the Bhutan portion of the journey, we do go to Taktsang Monastery, also called the “Tiger’s Nest,” a posh of Seventeenth-century temples that adheres to the facet of a sheer cliff that rises practically 3,000 ft above the valley flooring. The monastery’s identify comes from the story of Guru Rinpoche, the mystic who introduced Buddhism from India to Bhutan within the eighth century. He reportedly landed right here on the again of a flying tigress and stayed to meditate in a cave for 3 months.

Taktsang Monastery, also called the “Tiger’s Nest,” in Bhutan. © Maynard Davis

3. Indonesia

For these with their sights set on seeing a Sumatran tiger within the wild, Kerinci Seblat Nationwide Park is among the finest locations on the planet to take action. It spans the coastal plains of West Sumatra in Indonesia and covers an space twice the dimensions of Bali. The Sumatran tiger inhabitants right here numbers round 200 cats. 

4. Russia

If the Siberian or Amur tigers seize your curiosity, Zov Tigra Nationwide Park (which means “roar of the tiger”) within the Russian Far East was the primary nationwide park created with the categorical intention of defending this tiger species. Solely round 10 tigers reside within the protected house, which covers a complete of 200 hectares.

Tiger Tourism for Conservation—Not Exploitation

There are all the time various viewpoints concerning the ethics surrounding wildlife tourism. Relying on how it’s managed, it could actually both exploit wildlife or be a viable avenue for elevating consciousness, defending fragile populations and rehabilitating species. As Journey Operators for Tigers (TOFT) states very clearly, “Nicely-conceived, well-planned and well-managed tourism is a crucial device in wildlife conservation, rural and group growth and sustainable livelihoods.”

However how can a traveler who desires to see tigers within the wild know the best way to spot “well-managed” tourism?

© Harry Bosen

To start with, by no means take part in a tour that enables guests to work together with the tigers in a bodily manner. There are loads of disreputable locations across the globe that regularly breed captive tigers with a view to produce cubs which might be then snatched away from their moms at only a couple days previous and bottle fed to coach them to ‘socialize’ with folks. Then they’re exploited in what are known as ‘pay-to-play’ schemes, the place vacationers are charged a price to take their image with a tiger or feed a child cub. However, as a result of cubs shortly grow to be too giant and harmful for the general public to have direct contact with, what was as soon as a profitable money-making child shortly morphs into an enormous legal responsibility, and at round 12 weeks previous, the cats are normally both given away to unqualified folks or roadside zoos, euthanized and tossed, or killed to promote their elements.

For conservation tourism to work, it have to be achieved in a manner that minimizes harm to habitats, prevents pointless stress on the animals and generates concrete advantages to each conservation applications and close by communities. These are the ideas we rigorously adhere to for all of our Nat Hab wildlife journeys, so that you might be safe within the information that your tiger journey helps defend these phenomenal felines.