Poaching is one of the most
immediate threats to wild tigers.in relentless demand, their parts are used for
traditional medicine, folk remedies, and increasingly as a status symbol among
some Asian cultures. Tigers are also illegally killed or poached because their
pelts are valuable on the black market. Poaching is directed by increasingly sophisticated
and well-armed criminal gangs and is estimated to be worth around 11 billion
per year.
The demand for tiger skins and tiger bone wine is booming as wealthy
businessmen buy these goods to prove their wealth. These products are also used
as bribes for promotions within corporations. Poachers also use poisoned carcasses
of a tiger’s prey to kill them. In the hot season, they dig shallow pools and
fill them with poisoned water.
In order to catch a tiger, steel traps are laid
in known tiger trails. Once trapped the animal is left to struggle all night
until exhaustion sets in from attempts to escape. After this simple blow to the
head will kill the tired animal.
To put an end to the illegal
poaching of wild tigers, work needs to be done towards reducing demand for
tiger skins, bones, parts and derivatives. Demand reduction is about the wider
public awareness, consumer behavior change, reform in policies, and
strengthened law enforcement.
While there have been great strides in diverse
demand reduction campaigns for elephant ivory and rhino horn, an equivalent emphasis , 
