A South China Tiger, believed to be the "stem" species from which all other tigers have evolved.
In a move reminiscent of a James Bond film plot point, government officials in Indonesia have arrested an unusually prolific tiger poacher. While this kind of arrest is not an entirely uncommon occurrence, this time the forest rangers have netted themselves a prize catch: the unnamed man, 57, is a legendary figure among law enforcement because he has personally killed over 100 Sumatran Tigers, an extremely rare and endangered species. It was a carefully-orchestrated sting operation in Kerinci Seblat National Park that finally nabbed the poacher, a man “very well-known in the underworld” who has racked up his triple-digit count over the last thirty years. The arrest is seen as a major positive development for the Sumatran Tiger, of which there are an estimated 500 left in the wild, as the poacher was single-handedly inhibiting the broad effort to bring the Sumatran Tiger back from the brink of extinction.
More than that, however, the poacher’s arrest signals a sort of turning point in conservation mentality when it comes to protecting wildlife, endangered or not. The softer tactics of the past have often proved inconsistent in their efficacy, so conservation advocates and officials around the world are stepping up their efforts and using more strategic and aggressive approaches to help stem the tide of species extinction and aid the cause of other environmental issues. Utilizing law enforcement to make sure protective laws are actually observed is part of this, and the aggression can even be found in the language of those working to help endangered species. “After ten hard years, I’m not saying we are winning the battle, but we are holding our own,” remarked tiger advocate Debbie Martyr (yes, that’s her real name), suggesting with her terminology that a combative mentality may be necessary to achieve serious progress.
Fortunately, similar (if less exciting) developments are also occurring here in China, where the even rarer South China Tiger makes its home. It is estimated that there may be as few as twenty South China Tigers remaining in the wild, putting the species at critical risk of extinction. The Chinese government banned all tiger hunting in 1977, but for decades this law was only loosely enforced; indeed, as recently as the 1960′s, tigers were considered “pests” and “enemies of the people,” and were widely hunted and killed. Today, however, many in China recognize the value of this exceedingly rare, beautiful creature, and are making a push to help preserve the South China Tiger; in the 1990’s, China’s State Forestry Administration created several special reserves to give the tigers adequate feeding and breeding space, and has also helped zoos in China organize the breeding of captive South China Tigers (who outnumber their wild brethren two-to-one). What’s important here is that not only are the laws and policies being introduced, but they are being strictly enforced, welcome moves in a field where hard-nosed enforcement is often lacking. On an individual level, people are also responding by avoiding the use of tiger bones or other parts in traditional medicine, a topic we discussed earlier.
Ultimately, stories like these in China and Indonesia are most encouraging because they represent an understanding of the importance of wildlife beyond their role in human-centred food chains and ecosystems. Neither the South China Tiger nor the Sumatran Tiger are especially critical for local eco-systems (though they could be if their numbers increased, as is hoped), but strong conservation efforts are being made anyways, based on the idea that humans have no right to simply kill wild animals, particularly endangered ones, if doing so serves no essential purpose for humans. Recognition of this principle is an important part of moving species and environmental conservation forward.
To see what you can do to help tigers in China, check out the Save China’s Tigers organization.
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