Tiger Promise

International Tiger Day is here! To celebrate, we’re recapping our top 5 tiger blogs of the year! Learn more below about the exciting ways Panthera is helping these majestic big cats, as well as some stories from our scientists! 

In this blog, Dr. John Goodrich, our Chief Scientist and Tiger Program Director, expresses his optimism about the latest IUCN update on wild tiger numbers, which revealed a positive trend. Read about tiger conservation's past, present and future and why we must be cautiously optimistic. 

In this blog, Panthera Tiger Program Director Dr. John Goodrich transports us to the snowy regions of northeast Asia — the home of wolves, bears, leopards and Siberian tigers. After stumbling upon a shocking tiger kill, he recounts how he began to understand the complex relationship between tigers and bears in this challenging environment. Navigate the snowy oak forests with Dr. Goodrich as he brings to light the important conservation implications of these interactions. 

Each year on Endangered Species Day, we are reminded of a sorrowing reality. It is an unfortunate truth — many of the world’s most iconic species are endangered and face extinction. From Sumatran rhinoceroses to blue whales, species everywhere are in danger of dying out. Every year, we are reminded that we must commit ourselves to their protection. 

Iconic species roam our planet, bringing harmony to our lives. Human beings live alongside elephants, gorillas, bears, wolves...the list goes on. And, of course, wild cats are among the most iconic animals which call Earth their home.  Forty species of cats fill the human imagination with wonder, especially the big cats — including the lion, jaguar and leopard. 

Lunar New Year celebrations may be drawing to a close with, but 2022 still remains the Year of the Tiger. Despite the global observance of these majestic creatures as a zodiac icon, tigers are critically endangered throughout parts of the Eastern Hemisphere. There are only around 4,500 tigers remaining in the wild, and their numbers are dwindling due to illegal hunting and the destruction of their natural habitats.

July 29, 2021

Tigers are on the razor’s edge of extinction in Malaysia, but Panthera’s multifaceted project in Taman Negara National Park is bringing back hope for these big cats. By exploring and integrating the many different elements of conservation, we are proving that protecting a catscape like this can have a wide range of benefits for wildlife and the communities they live alongside.

The Malayan tiger is the most threatened tiger subspecies, with probably less than 200 left in the wild. Some predict it could go extinct within as little as three years if we do not act immediately. Poaching gangs on the hunt for tiger body parts are emptying forests of these magnificent cats in Malaysia to feed a demand in Vietnam and China that shows no signs of slowing. Despite this dire situation, with 44 percent of the peninsula still covered in forest, Malaysia has the potential to pull off one of the greatest recoveries in tiger range.

Editor’s Note: Eric’s role in Panthera’s Tigers Forever program specializes in working with anti-poaching law enforcement stakeholders in the field to understand and tailor responses to wild cats’ threats.  

Last year, the world rejoiced over reports that wild tiger numbers had increased for the first time in more than 100 years. This was certainly feel-good news — and something we’ve always hoped to hear — but was it true?