06 December 2007

Tigers, North and South

Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris ssp. altaica), Critically Endangered
South China Tiger (Panthera tigris ssp. amoyensis), Critically Endangered

Good news for tiger fans, from South Africa and Russia. Two critically endangered subspecies of tigers have provided new hope, in the form of young, captive-born cubs.

In Russia, Iris, an Amur (or Siberian) Tiger, has given birth to two cubs this year. With less than 500 Amur Tigers in the wild, every birth is a reason for hope, especially since these Tigers are not well-known for breeding in captivity.

In South Africa, Cathay and Tiger Woods, two South China Tigers, have given birth to a young male cub, the first of his kind to be born outside of China. This young cub will be an important part of South Africa's Save China's Tigers program, which aims to build up a stock of Tigers which can be reintroduced to the wild in China. With only 30 South China Tigers in the wild and 60 in captivity, this program has potential to bring these majestic cats back from the brink.

Watch some extraordinary footage of the pre-birth, birth, and post-birth of the South China Cub.



Donate to help save the South China Tiger.
Donate to help save the Amur Tiger

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

OMG that tiger is soooo cute. that would be awesome having one as a pet. But i wouldnt want to tack it out of the wild. when im older i want to work with tigers. Bengal tigers (they're my favorite)