The fragile five
With numbers at an all-time low, we look at the five subspecies that WWF is fighting to save: Amur (or Siberian) tiger, Bengal tiger, Indochinese tiger, Malayan tiger, Sumatran tiger.
These remaining subspecies live only in Asia, and all are threatened by poaching and habitat loss.
Sadly, we’ve already lost at least three of the world’s tiger subspecies (the Bali, Javan, and Caspian) – and possibly four, as the South China Tiger is considered to be probably extinct in the wild.
Amur (Siberian) tiger
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Common name
Amur (Siberian) Tiger
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Scientific name
Panthera tigris altaica
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Habitat
Coniferous, scrub oak and birch woodlands. Primarily eastern Russia, with a few in northeastern China
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Status
IUCN: Endangered
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Did you know?
In the 1940s the Amur tiger was on the brink of extinction, with no more than 40 tigers remaining in the wild. Thanks to vigorous anti-poaching and other conservation efforts by the Russians with support from many partners, including WWF, the Amur tiger population recovered and has remained stable throughout the last decade.
Bengal (Indian) tiger
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Common name
Bengal (Indian) Tiger
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Scientific name
Panthera tigris tigris
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Habitat
Dry and wet deciduous forests, grassland and temperate forests, mangrove forests. Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar and Nepal. India is home to the largest population.
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Status
IUCN: Endangered
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Did you know?
Some Bengal tigers are cream or white in colour instead of orange, due to a recessive gene for this colouration. These ‘white’ tigers are rarely found in the wild.
South China tiger
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Common name
South China tiger
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Scientific name
Panthera tigris amoyensis
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Habitat
Montane sub-tropical evergreen forest. Central and eastern China.
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Status
IUCN: Critically Endangered
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Did you know?
It is estimated that the South China tiger is functionally extinct. Currently 47 South China tigers live in 18 zoos, all in China. If there are any South China tigers in the wild, these few individuals would be found in southeast China, close to provincial borders.
Indochinese tiger
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Common name
Indochinese tiger
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Scientific name
Panthera tigris corbetti
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Habitat
Remote forests in hilly to mountainous terrain, much of which lies along the borders between countries. Widely dispersed throughout six countries: Thailand, Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
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Status
IUCN: Endangered
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Did you know?
Access to the areas where Indochinese tigers live is often restricted, and biologists have only recently been granted limited permits for field surveys. As a result, relatively little is known about the status of these tigers in the wild.
Malayan tiger
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Common name
Malayan tiger
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Scientific name
Panthera tigris jacksoni
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Habitat
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. Southern tip of Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia
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Status
IUCN: Endangered
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Did you know?
The Malayan tiger was only identified as being a separate subspecies from the Indochinese tiger in 2004. It is very similar to the Indochinese tiger, but is smaller in size.
Sumatran tiger
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Common name
Sumatran tiger
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Scientific name
Panthera tigris sumatrae
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Habitat
Montane forests, the remaining blocks of the island's lowland forest, peat swamps, and freshwater swamp forests. Exclusively on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
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Status
IUCN: Critically Endangered
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Did you know?
Sumatran tigers are protected by law in Indonesia, with tough provisions for jail time and steep fines. Despite increased efforts in tiger conservation, including law enforcement and anti-poaching capacity, a substantial market remains in Sumatra for tiger parts and products.
