Having spent 27 years as a wild cat scientist, I have been fortunate to run my fingers through the coarse fur of a 170 kg tiger while wrapping a GPS collar around its neck. Even better luck, I’ve lived to tell the tale of a tiger mauling after an unsuccessful collaring expedition. Suffice it to […]
Tag: tigers
3 Ways You Can Help Tigers On International Tiger Day
Friday, July 29, is International Tiger Day, a full day devoted to celebrating one of nature’s most iconic animals. But this global day of celebration–-founded in 2010 to raise awareness about the big cat’s growing plight–is also bittersweet. Tigers may rule out in the jungle, but they’re no match for man-made evils like poaching, habitat […]
As Nepal’s tigers thrive, Indigenous knowledge may be key in preventing attacks
KATHMANDU — On June 6, a 41-year-old woman was attacked by a tiger while she was collecting firewood in a forest in Nepal’s Bardiya district, a key habitat for endangered Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris). Following the incident, villagers from Bardiya took to the streets demanding that the government act immediately to address the problem […]
Patrols of elephants hunt for tigers after five people killed in grisly attacks
Authorities have sent out a team of elephants to hunt for a killer tiger after five people died in a string of gruesome attacks. Locals in Khairatiya, India vented their fury at forest rangers after Nagendra Singh, 33, became the village’s latest victim of violent big cats last Thursday (June 23). He had gone to […]
Nepal’s key habitat could lose 39% of its tigers in 20 years, study says
KATHMANDU — Roads that run close to an important national park in Nepal’s southern plains could result in an increased rate of roadkill that would cut the park’s population of adult tigers by nearly two-fifths over two decades, a new study shows. The study forecasts that 46 Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) could be killed […]
Tiger-centric conservation efforts push other predators to the fringes
KATHMANDU — The monsoon season in Nepal is expected to begin in the second week of June, which means officials in the country’s prime habitats for Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) are busy with their seasonal work. They’re setting fire to the tall grasses that grew throughout the year, and uprooting trees that may have […]
As tiger numbers in Nepal and India grow, their freedom to roam shrinks
KATHMANDU/NEW DELHI — Media outlets in Nepal were abuzz recently with reports that the country’s iconic Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris), on whose protection the government and various NGOs lavish huge sums of money every year, were moving to India in search of better habitats. The story resonated with the public, in a country where […]
Three critically endangered Sumatran tigers found dead in traps on Indonesia’s Sumatra island
Authorities announced Monday that three critically endangered Sumatran tigers were found dead after being trapped in traps on Indonesia’s Sumatra island, the latest setback for a species whose numbers are estimated to be about 400. A female and a male tiger were discovered dead Sunday at a palm oil plantation in East Aceh district of […]