Siberian tiger. (Credit: iStockphoto / Dirk Freder)ScienceDaily (Nov. 18, 2009) — A shocking decline in the Russian Federation’s wild tiger population highlights the importance of eliminating trade in and demand for tiger parts, the International Tiger Coalition (ITC) recently said. The alliance of 40 organizations worldwide issued the statement upon news that Siberian tigers may have suffered a serious drop in numbers over the past four years.

New census figures indicate that tiger populations in the Russian Far East, which in 2005 numbered nearly 500, have declined significantly due to poaching of tigers for their skins, bones and meat as well as poaching of tiger prey and habitat degradation. The seriousness of the news was underscored the day before, when a young male tiger was found dead in the region with two bullets in its head. “Russia’s tigers have been a stand-out success story,” said Judy Mills, the ITC’s moderator. “This apparent sudden, marked decline should act as a reminder of why regional efforts must be strengthened in response to increasingly sophisticated criminal networks.” … Without urgent action, the ITC warns, there may not be wild tigers when the Year of the Tiger comes around again in 12 years.

Decline in Russian tigers renews calls to end all trade in tiger parts