Find the Tiger within you

Tyger, tyger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

- Extract from The Tyger, William Blake





In the February 2008 edition of Natural History Magazine (article not available online), you can learn where tigers still live in the wild. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were 100,000 tigers living in the wild. Today, there are only 5000 in the wild. Tigers now inhabit only 7% of their original territory, which has shrunk by 41% in the past 10 years. Those relatively few tigers that remain in the wild hunt wild cattle, deer and pigs in isolated pockets of forested land in India, Sumatra, Eastern Russia in southern China. Tigers are hunted illegally for pelts and for tiger parts that are used in medicines (such as tiger penis soups).

Bengal Tiger - Panthera tigris, tigris

Bengal tigers measure three metres, on average, from head to tail, with the males bigger than the females. A male Bengal tiger can weight 220kg, or 34 stone, and have a territory of up to 100 square km.

Bengal tigers are the subspecies that produce the famous white tigers (brown stripes on a white background) beloved of zoos everywhere. It is important to note that these are not albino tigers, but actually a version of the Bengal tiger with different colour genes - just as some humans have blue eyes, so some Bengal tigers have white coats. They are rare in nature, since their coat not only provides poor camouflage, but also makes them a more sought-after prize for poachers.

The majority of Bengal tigers are found in India, although some prefer neighbouring countries such as Nepal. They are extremely adaptable as to their habitats, which range from the hot jungles of North India to the icy forests of the Himalayas, which is probably the main reason for their status as the commonest type of tiger. Sadly, this is a relative measurement, as even their numbers are low - estimates vary from 3000 to 4500 (at the time of writing) with around 300 in captivity - and they are still on the decline.

Giant Panda

In China, it is a national treasure, and for WWF these animals have a special significance since it has been the organization's symbol since it was formed in 1961.The giant panda's future remains uncertain. This peaceful, bamboo-eating member of the bear family faces a number of threats. Its forest habitat, in the mountainous areas of southwest China, is fragmented and giant panda populations are small and isolated from each other. Meanwhile, poaching remains an ever-present threat.

Why is this species important?

Saving the panda is not just about saving a cute animal. The panda is an amazing species, but above all it is the symbol of one of the most important regions in China: the Yangtze Basin. 

The survival of the panda and the protection of its habitat will ensure the quality of life of millions of people living in the area. Panda habitat is found at the top of the Yangtze Basin, an ecoregion shared by both pandas and communities who have utilized the region's natural resources for millenia. 
The Basin is the geographic and economic heart of China, and is one of the critical places for biodiversity conservation in the world. Its diverse habitats contain many rare, endemic and endangered animal and plant species, the best known being the giant panda. 

Over 50 reserves created

By mid-2005, the Chinese government had established over 50 panda reserves, protecting more than 10,400km² and over 45% of remaining giant panda habitat.However, habitat destruction continues to pose a threat to the many pandas living outside these areas, and poaching is a further problem. 

What are the main threats to giant pandas?

The major factors disturbing panda habitat today are:

• conversion of forests to agricultural areas,
• medicinal herb collection,
• bamboo harvesting,
• habitat fragmentation,
• poaching,
• and large-scale development activities such as road construction, hydropower development, and mining.

Scientists in China may use a police dog to teach pandas to fight. This after the first artificially-bred panda (pic below), released into the wild was apparently killed after a battle with other animals, reports Reuters. The Wolong Giant Panda Breeding Centre plans to have four pandas live with a specially trained police dog or other animals. The pandas would learn how to protect themselves by observing the dog. Five-year-old Xiang Xiang, the world's first artificially bred panda released into the wild, was found dead in the snow early this year after less than 12 months of freedom… Hmm, can we train them to attack bad people too?

Listen Up, Pandas, You Need to Fight

So cute: Feeding and play time for the 16 baby giant pandas born at Wolong Research Centre in south-west China this year. Photo: China Daily

Blue Whale

Blue whale is the largest & loudest animal that ever lived on planet Earth. These enormous mammals eat tiny organisms, like plankton and krill, which they sieve through baleen, the filters that are in place of their teeth. They live in small groups called 'pods.' Blue whales are found throughout the world's oceans.The blue whale's skin is usually blue-gray with white-gray spots. The underbelly has brown, yellow, or gray specks.

Diet

Blue whales are carnivores, although they only eat very tiny things, no bigger than your pinky finger. Their favorite food is krill, or shrimp-like euphausiids, that are up to three inches long. Blue whales must eat two to four tons of krill a day during the feeding season to survive the rest of the year.

Behaviour

They are usually seen solitary or in pairs (mother-calf pairs or two adults), although they may gather in loose groups to feed.Blue whales breathe air at the surface of the water through 2 blowholes located near the top of the head. Its called SPOUTING. They spout (breathe) about 1-4 times per minute at rest, and 5-12 times per minutes after a deep dive. Their blow is a single stream that rises 40-50 feet (12-15 m) above the surface of the water.

How do they die ?? Click here