Tigers are the largest and the best known of all wild cats in the world. They have been a symbol of beauty, courage, strength, speed and fierceness throughout history. They feature prominently in the cultures of many societies, particular in Asia and have been associated with Gods and saints throughout history. They have adorned the flags and coat of arms of many kings and kingdoms. People in many civilizations have believed that tigers have special powers. Tigers have been the top or apex predator in most forests and grasslands of Asia for over a million years. Till recently they ruled the food chain in their range but destruction of their habitat and hunting in the last century or more, have brought this majestic cat, “king of all cats”, to the verge of extinction. There is a very scary and real possibility that in a few decades, more or less, they may disappear from the face of the earth, forever.
Tigers are top predators in their range and are placed at the apex of the food chain. Presence of tigers indicates the health of a forest or grassland. If the tigers have to be saved then we have to save the prey species of the tiger, like the deer, antelopes, wild pigs, lesser mammals and so on. To save these species that are lower down in the food chain, we have to save the fauna or the plants that make up a habitat. In other words by saving the tigers can only be possible by saving their wild habitat, the forests and the grasslands that they live in. It is these habitats that provide us our water security by being the birthplace of rivers and by recharging the ground and surface water. Saving the tigers means saving our natural wealth, which in turn means saving us from a sure ecological disaster. This is why tigers have become the symbol for major conservation efforts around the planet.
