Extinction Is Forever!

The time is now to save these magnificent cats, before they vanish from the earth forever. There is little time left to preserve these animals, immediate action is required. The latest predictions state that tigers will be extinct in the wild by the year 2015. That is less than 12 short years from now. That’s less then 14 years to save a creature that has been around far longer then ourselves.

I cannot imagine, nor would I wish to live in a world without tigers ... without these magnificent creatures in our forests living free – without captive populations carrying on the gene pool. The power and beauty of these animals is indisputable.

Tigers are an integral part of the ecosystem, and a major link in the food chain. Tigers have been bestowed magical and supernatural properties by many societies, and have also been revered as gods. All living creatures of mother earth depend on one another for survival. We as human beings are brothers and sisters to every living being, from the plants to the animals to each other.

Crimes like these - the killing of tigers - must be stopped - PERIOD.  They are often killed in the most barbaric, the most unbelievably cruel ways. I ask you the reader - if learning of things like this moves you at all, then take that energy and do what you can to stop the killing of these magnificent animals. Write to your government, write to the governments of tiger countries and urge them to protect tigers.

Penalties for killing tigers, and other protected wildlife need to be strongly enforced - and strong enough as to be a complete deterrent to the poaching of tigers, and also deter those who profit from such killing - such greed.

Extremist groups would ban all exotic animals from captivity because of small numbers of individuals that mistreat their animals, and unfortunately the whole zoo "industry" and caring private owners get painted with the same brush. The vast majority of zoos, big and small, treat their animals well, feed them well and give them proper environmental enrichment. The numbers of bad homes are small, but they do exist.

"The Animal Rights Organizations should make sure they target only the bad homes and leave those providing a good, happy and healthy home for animals alone" ~ me

They don't realize that banning all exotics from captivity could spell the end for many species of animals. Species whose numbers in the wild are extremely low, such as the Clouded Leopard, Siberian tiger, South China tiger and so forth.

"I firmly believe zoos and private ownership by responsible caring individuals could well be the last foothold on survival for tigers. " ~ me

Zoos, sanctuaries and responsible, knowledgeable and caring private owners are rapidly becoming the last havens to preserve ever dwindling species of animals. These places may well, in the not so far future, hold the last remaining tigers – gems for the future who should be nurtured and protected.

Caring for a tiger is an immense responsibility.  Not just to the single tiger in your care, but to his or her species, and all tigers.  Simply to own a tiger and keep him or her in your backyard as a pet is not enough, nor is it acceptable to keep this animal to yourself.  You, the owner, owe it to all tigers - wild and held in captivity - and to the future generations of these animals to educate the public about tigers - and help to change people's opinions about wildlife preservation.

Education is key to developing sensitivity and awareness to our environment.  Our children hold the hope for the future of the tiger.  Heightened awareness of environmental issues will help assure our children grow up to respect and care for our global environment.

Think Globally - Act Locally!

As human populations continue to rise out of control and more space is taken for human habitation and occupation, wild animals of all types are pushed onto ever shrinking habitats. Logging, oil exploration and mining operations in natural areas are wiping out species of animals before we even know they exist. Species extinction is occurring at a rate more rapid then ever before in the history of this planet.

This is clearly the fault of the human race. We should be ashamed of ourselves for this immature and very unwise use of our planet ...we need to wise up quickly – there is little time left for many species, maybe even our own ...

Tigers may well become extinct in the wild due to poaching, habitat loss and other pressures, but we must act to preserve tigers as a species.The only way to do so is to have captive populations, proper breeding programs, stud book registrations and inbreeding prevention.

While there are many of us who consider the human race to be above every other living being on earth, this thinking is folly and may lead to our eventual destruction.

Humankind is not above all else in the world, but an intricate part of all in the world. Environmental stewardship and compassion for all beings should be our goal

Mankind must learn to respect all life and realize that all life on this earth is dependent on all other life on this earth. We must learn to take care of our home if we expect our home to survive, to flourish and to support our species.

If we cannot save the tiger, how do we expect to save ourselves?