World's Last Remaining Tigers Clustered in 6% of Available Habitat

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100914171323.htm

ScienceDaily (Sep. 14, 2010) — A new peer-reviewed paper by the Wildlife Conservation Society and other groups reveals an ominous finding: most of the world's last remaining tigers -- long decimated by overhunting, logging, and wildlife trade -- are now clustered in just six percent of their available habitat. The paper identifies 42 'source sites' scattered across Asia that are now the last hope and greatest priority for the conservation and recovery of the world's largest cat.

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According to the paper, fewer than 3,500 tigers remain in the wild, of which only about 1,000 are breeding females.

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The authors say that in spite of decades of effort by conservationists, tigers continue to be threatened by overhunting of both tigers and their prey, and by loss and fragmentation of habitat. Much of the decline is being driven by the demand for tiger body parts used in traditional medicines.

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