Why are South China Tigers Endangered?
Due to attacks on humans and consumption of livestock, South China tigers were hunted and nearly wiped out as a form of pest control. Per the WWF, approximately 3,000 South China tigers were killed in the 30 years preceding China’s hunting ban in 1979. Despite the ban, the population was estimated at less than 100 individuals by 1996. All tiger sub-species have been hunted since ancient times. Says the WWF, “tigers are poisoned, shot, trapped and snared, and the majority of these animals are sought to meet the demands of a continuing illegal wildlife trade – which includes traditional Chinese medicine.” Although China set up reserves to protect a sub-species that may no longer be present within them, they likely cannot sustain tigers and certainly will not lead to their recovery. The WWF claims that “even if a few individuals or small populations remain, no existing protected areas or habitat are sufficiently large, healthy or undisturbed enough to sustain viable tiger populations.
