Editor's Den

Raghul Patteri

Editor

Wish you all a happy New Year, 2020!

The tiger is the largest of all cats and an iconic species which has captured the imagination of people since time immemorial. This charismatic animal is revered as the national animal of India, Bangladesh, Malaysia and South Korea, and is depicted popularly in ancient mythology and folklore. Even modern literature and films have featured the tiger prominently. When William Blake wrote his famous poem “Tyger Tyger, burning bright” the fiery imagery used throughout seems to conjure the aura of danger around the tiger. The Poet seemed to be telling us not to mess with the tiger, otherwise risk getting burned!

Metaphorically, perhaps that is what has happened. Modern humans not only messed with the tiger but also set in motion a drastic series of conservation issues that we are still reeling from. We not only decimated the tiger populations (from about 100,000 tigers in the 1900s to just 1400 in 2008 – a fall of 98.5%) but also the habitats and many other species which inhabited these places and causing impacts on ecosystems and climate.

In this edition of PT Aware, join Dr. Peter Hudson and explore the different facets of tiger conservation. Learn why the tiger is both a charismatic and a flagship species and why it is a testbed for conservation activities. Today, there are primarily three issues that plague the tiger – habitat destruction, poaching of their prey and poaching for body parts. Among these, the third is the greatest immediate threat and if this can be curtailed, there would be an upswing in tiger populations. Unfortunately, there is a huge demand for tiger body parts, making the animal worth more dead than alive.

PT Aware brings you interesting facts about different species and conservation issues from around the world. We associate with brilliant scientific minds and gifted photographers to bring you the best of both worlds, the latest scientific perspective, and spectacular photographs. Thanks to all the wonderful photographers who shared their giraffe images for this edition. Our next edition will focus on the Wildebeest, so prepare to upload your photographs of these intriguing animals. Selected photographs will be published to portray the story of these African ungulates.

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