Category : Wildlife | Location : International | Posted on 2022-07-21 23:15:44
There are 40% more tigers in the wild than previously thought, with as many as 5,578 around, though they remain an endangered species, according to a leading conservationist group.
The jump in numbers was due to improved monitoring, with the population thought to be stable or increasing, said the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Habitat protection projects showed that “recovery is possible”.
There are thought to be between 3,726 and 5,578 wild tigers – 40% more than at the last assessment in 2015.
Major threats included poaching of tigers themselves, poaching and hunting of their prey, and habitat destruction due to agriculture and human settlement.
“Expanding and connecting protected areas, ensuring they are effectively managed, and working with local communities living in and around tiger habitats, are critical to protect the species,” the IUCN said.
The World Wildlife Fund also says that wild tiger numbers have started to recover after a century of decline in the main habitats of India, Nepal, Bhutan, Russia and China.
The reassessment of tiger numbers came as the IUCN updated its “red list” of threatened species – the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of plants, animals and fungi, assessing their risk of extinction.
The migratory monarch butterfly is now classified as an endangered species on the red list due to climate change and habitat destruction.
And all surviving sturgeon species are now at risk of extinction due to dams and poaching.
“Today’s red list update highlights the fragility of nature’s wonders, such as the unique spectacle of monarch butterflies migrating across thousands of kilometres,” said the IUCN director general, Bruno Oberle.
“To preserve the rich diversity of nature we need effective, fairly governed, protected and conserved areas, alongside decisive action to tackle climate change and restore ecosystems.”
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jul/22/wild-tiger-numbers-40-higher-than-thought-says-conservation-group
