Quote:
Originally posted by Timber Loftis:
Nactrafe:
Tigers are endangered. Their population has been thinned to the point that the gene pool is too small for the species to evolve. Left alone, with no predators or interference, it will still fall subject to the genetic drift that affects small populations sooner or later. Same with the Leopard.
Except for zoos and other managed areas where the species is cared for, Tigers will be gone from the face of the planet in 25 years. But, just the other day I saw a nightly news show where they found a dozen tigers hacked up and lying about in various shops on one street in Vietnam. Teeth were sold in one place, oils in a few others, etc etc.
So, the living trophies may live on as some perverse life-under-glass form that allows us to at least view the animal, but for all intents and purposes, it *is* extinct. Poor example, my friend.
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Actually, if you look at pure numbers, Tigers are *not* endangered. Yes, in the wild, there are very few of them left alive. But purely on a 'number of animals alive' basis, Tigers are doing just fine.
The same gentleman that started the tiger farm is also cross-breeding his tigers to reduce their genetic viability. It does his bottom line no good if his species dies out. He even plans to re-introduce a select percentage back into the wild eventually. So I say again...Tigers are in NO DANGER of becoming extinct.
Oh, and lest you think I'm heartless...I saw a blurb about the Tigers and it thoroughly pissed me off. I happen to think Tigers are beautiful animals and I'm glad that this tiger farm guy is doing what he's doing. I CANT STAND trophy hunters. It pisses me off to no end! Every animal I've ever hunted, I ATE! That's not to say that I didn't keep the rack of the 5 point buck I shot, since I did, but I used as many of the various bits of the animal as I could. I even tanned the hide and gave it to my Dad as a present. But hunting simply for the thrill or the trophy really is a despicable practice.