South China tiger Facts | Why South China tigers matter?

SOUTH CHINA TIGER FACTS :

Class                          :Mammalia

Genus                        :Panthera

Scientific Name         : Panthera Tigris Amoyensis

Diet                            :Carnivore

Size                            :2.3m - 2.8m (7.5ft - 9ft)

Weight                        :100kg - 195kg (221lbs - 430lbs)

Top Speed                   :96km/h (60mph)

Life Span                    :18 - 25 years

Lifestyle                     :Solitary

Conservation Status   :Endangered

Colour                        :Orange, Black, White

Skin Type                   :Fur

Favourite Food           :Deer

Habitat                        :Dense tropical forest

Average Litter Size     :3

Main Prey                   :Deer, Cattle, Wild Boar

Predators                     :Human

Special Features          :Striped fur and powerful body

The South China tiger are also known as the Amoy, Chinese or Xiamen tiger. They are smaller-sized subspecies of tiger. The South China Tiger is native to the forest of southern China. They are most critically endangered tiger species. The South China tiger was once distributed across China, from Zhejiang Province in the east to Sichuan in the west, and from the Yellow River in the north to Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan provinces in the south.

The South China tiger population was estimated to number 4,000 individuals in the early 1950s. Thousands were killed as the subspecies was hunted as a pest in the next few decades. The Chinese government banned hunting of tiger in 1979. By 1996 the population was estimated to be just 30-80 individuals only.

Today the South China tiger is considered by scientists to be “functionally extinct,” as it hasn’t been sighted in the wild for more than 25 years.

Physical Characteristics:

The South China Tiger is small in size comparison to other Panthera tigris subspecies. Males reach about 8 feet or 2.6 meters in length, while females are only about 7.5 feet or 2.3 meters in length. Males weigh approximately 150 kilograms (330 pounds) and tigresses weigh in at about 110 kilograms (240 pounds). 

Why they matter?

South China tigers are a reminder that the threat against the world’s tiger is very urgent one. Today, South China tigers are found in zoos and in South Africa, where there are plans to reintroduce captive-bred tigers back into the wild.

Conservation:

The South China tiger is the most endangered of all the tigers. In fact, it is one of the most critically endangered species overall in the world. Hunted and killed as a common pest in the mid-20th century, this is now one of the most valuable living resources that are to be sustained and protected. In addition to having been hunted in near-ridiculous proportions, the availability of natural habitat and prey are also major factors that threaten the existence of the few animals that are still alive.

There are a number of program and initiatives around the world that focus on helping this tiger subspecies to live in an environment that promotes population growth, so that its numbers are increased steadily. The aim is to reintroduce these tigers into the wild and to establish healthy populations of them in various suitable areas around the world.

There are total of 11 reserves in China today where the remainder of the South China tigers resides. A few of them are now in zoos in other parts of the world. However, that practice isn’t one that has been widely proposed as the people of China want to keep them in their native area. They are also doing their best to profile genetic materials so that they can be sure to breed the right South China tigers.

"SAVE TIGER  SAVE EARTH"