The tiger is the largest of all the big cats and the only striped large feline. Once widespread across Asia, it now survives in scattered populations across 13 countries from Sumatra in Indonesia to the Far East of Russia. Tiger populations are under severe threat, due to habitat loss, declining prey species, pressure from increased human population, and poaching for their bones and body parts, still extensively used in oriental medicine, in spite of a worldwide ban. Of nine tiger subspecies, 3 are extinct, 1 extinct in the wild, and the other 5 endangered.
According to recent surveys, there may be fewer than 3500 wild tigers alive today - a decline of more than 97% since 1900.
July 29th has been designated World Tiger Day since the St Petersburg conference in 2010, in order to boost awareness of the plight of the tiger and the need for a co-ordinated conservation effort.

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