Lions, and ?, and Bears, Oh My!

"Right now, there are more tigers in captivity than there are left in the wild."
                                         -National Geographic

My fellow bionerds,
 
     For some reason my titles keep pertaining to popular movies, but I promise that it once again holds relevance to what I will be talking about.
     Awhile back I received a letter in the mail from the National Wildlife Federation, and in this letter was a story that really stuck with me. I will do my best to re-tell this story.
      Imagine yourself in the future sitting down with your grandchildren on a porch talking about nature. Somehow you get on the topic of wild animals, and you happen to mention polar bears; however, polar bears became extinct before your grandchildren were born. "Grandma (or Grandpa), what's a polar bear?," your grandchildren ask. You then have to explain to them how this incredible creature no longer exists because of humans.
     I had never thought about endangered species this way until I read that story. I mean, in no way do I want to see magnificent animals disappear forever, but imagine having to explain an animal to someone that who has never heard of it because it went extinct.
     Perhaps the title of this blog makes a little more sense now? No? Okay, allow me to explain. I took a new twist on the story I just told and used the Wizard of Oz to get my point across. We all know the famous line, "Lions, and Tigers, and Bears, oh my!" But what if tigers, which are currently critically endangered, became extinct? Would this line have any relevance to those who grew up without tigers existing? 
     Raising awareness about the rapid decline in wild tigers has been "my project," if you will, for roughly the past two years. I was scanning through a National Geographic web link one day, when I discovered that only about 2,500 tigers remain in the wild. Hold up. Only 2,500 tigers left in the wild? This shocked me. I knew it was time to act. I went about telling people what I knew about tigers and informing them of their endangered status. Let's just say I became known as "the girl who wants to save the tigers." I have made a point to keep that title going into college. Most days I can be seen wearing my "Cause an Uproar for Big Cats" bracelet, and if the situation presents itself, I willingly share information about the tigers. It's all about awareness, remember?
     So you may be wondering why the tiger populations are declining. After all, they practically reside at the top of the food chain. Well, one species reigns above the tiger on the food chain: humans. Yes. We are the reason tigers are endangered; poaching, deforestation, and human population are literally driving the tigers out of existence. I can't sugar coat that message. But if we can lower the number of tigers in the wild, then surely we can bring those numbers back up again.
     Fortunately, several organizations (some of which I have already mentioned) and zoos are already working on increasing the tiger populations. Take for example, the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. This Zoo has countless conservation programs going, including a tiger initiative that strives to maintain genetic diversity of the species, fund programs that protect wild tigers, and introduce tigers back into the wild. Of course, the World Wildlife Fund also plays a huge role in protecting wild tigers. They actually recently succeeded in convincing several stores to stop selling a type of toilet paper that was made from trees in rainforests where tigers live. It's comforting to know that people who have the ability to directly protect tigers and increase their population numbers are taking the steps to do so. 
     I hope by now you are wondering, "How can I help??" Well, as I mentioned before, awareness is key. Use some of the links I have provided above to brush up on your knowledge of tigers, then spread the word. Trust me, people will listen- they may laugh at you, but that's ok, because the facts will stick with them whether they initially care or not. Another thing you can do is donate. The World Wildlife Fund actually enables you to symbolically adopt just about any animal you can imagine (you even get a stuffed animal out of it!). A visit to the zoo also provides you with the opportunity to show your support for all wild animals. If you are interested in the bracelet that I have, check out the Cause an Uproar link above- they have several cool products you can buy that directly help our beloved tigers (and other big cats to boot!). All of the sources I have mentioned are extremely reliable, and the bulk of their proceeds go directly towards the cause. 
     So there you have it! Everything you need to know to get started on protecting the tigers. Don't be afraid to speak out for these powerful and amazing creatures; after all, they don't have a voice of their own to speak out with. Together we can ensure that the famous Wizard of Oz line never has to be altered, that our children and grandchildren will be able to see and know what a tiger is, and that we never have to say goodbye to one remaining tiger. Go cause an uproar!

         Peace. Love. Save the Tigers.