A Strategy for Tripling Tiger Numbers

The number of wild tigers protected in the nature reserves of Asia could be increased threefold simply by connecting existing reserves with corridors of habitat. Such corridors would allow tigers to move between isolated reserves and would encourage the mixing of individuals within the various sub populations and enable the influx of tigers into areas that suffer declines. This new strategy of tiger management was suggested in a paper published recently in the journal Conservation Letters.

There are currently about 3,200 wild tigers in Asia. This number represents a small fraction of the tiger population that was present in the region a century ago. In the early 1900s, wild tiger numbers were close to 100,000. But since that time, the species has suffered drastic declines due to poaching, habitat destruction and loss of prey populations. To complicate the population decline, today's remaining tigers are isolated in small populations scattered across 13 countries.