Rare Panna tiger sitting on a rock in Panna National Park. This tiger was subsequently KILLED by poachers!
A young male tiger curiously looks at the camera, then yawns, looks bored, stretches and decides to amble off. A lovely private view from deep inside central India's forests!
The bad news is that this tiger grew up, bred and then its entire family and ALL the tigers of Panna National Park in Madhya Pradesh, India, were then subsequently killed off by poachers and their pelts and bones sold to Chinese buyers. In 2009, Panna National Park's hundreds of square kilometers of forests were bereft and totally devoid of tigers!
The good news is that four tigresses and a male tiger were then introduced here from Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh and these have now bred. Today, in July 2012, there are now over 20 tigers in Panna as EACH of the four tigresses gave birth to four tiger cubs and now not only as there 16 cubs but the 5 older tigers as well...
How long will this good news last? Spread the word - save the valuable Panna tigers! The Indian government plans to interlink the Ken River in Panna with other rivers, mining is a huge threat, the Congress government pet project the Tribal act is an ever larger threat. Numerous threats loom large... Will the Panna tigers survive? Maybe not...
The tiger also known as Panthera tigris is one of the largest cat species in the world reaching up to a total body length of 3.3 metres and weighing up to 306 kg. The common feature of a tiger is the pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter under parts. They have particularly stout teeth, and long canines. Tigers can live up to 20-26 years. They are territorial, protective and generally social animals. They often require large end-to-end areas of habitat that can sustain their prey requirements. This, coupled with the fact that they are indigenous to some of the more densely populated places on Earth, has caused significant conflicts with humans.
Tigers once ranged widely across Asia, from Turkey in the west to the eastern coast of Russia. Over the past 100 years, they have lost 93% of their historic range, and have been extirpated from southwest and central Asia, from the islands of Java and Bali, and from large areas of Southeast and Eastern Asia. Today, they range from the Siberian taiga to open grasslands and tropical mangrove swamps. The remaining six tiger subspecies have been classified as endangered by IUCN. The global population in the wild is estimated to number between 3,062 to 3,948 individuals, with most remaining populations occurring in small pockets that are isolated from each other. Major reasons for population decline include habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation and poaching. The extent of area occupied by tigers is estimated at less than 1,184,911 km2 (457,497 sq mi), a 41% decline from the area estimated in the mid-1990s.Tigers are among the most recognizable and popular of the world's charismatic mega fauna. They have featured prominently in ancient mythology and folklore, and continue to be depicted in modern films and literature. Tigers appear on many flags, coats of arms, and as mascots for sporting teams. The Bengal tiger is the national animal of Bangladesh and India.
Source: Wikipedia & http://www.kanhanationalpark.com/
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