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NG and Panthera Team Up

National Geographic’s Big Cats Initiative (BCI) has formed an important collaboration with Panthera, the world’s leading organization devoted exclusively to the conservation of the world’s 37 wild cat species. Together, their aim is to further the global fight to save big cats in the wild.

Officials from the two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding designating Panthera as a scientific and strategic collaborator on the BCI. The collaboration will facilitate the development and implementation of global conservation strategies for the most imperiled cats around the world, including tigers, lions, leopards and cheetahs. (Read “Politics Is Killing the Big Cats” by legendary biologist and Panthera Vice President George B. Schaller, from the December 2011 National Geographic Magazine.)

To help guide strategy, an advisory group composed of representatives from each organization has been established. The advisory group members are Panthera CEO Alan Rabinowitz, BCI Grants Committee Chair Thomas Lovejoy and National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence Dereck and Beverly Joubert, who with National Geographic founded the Big Cats Initiative. As part of this effort, the BCI also will utilize the expertise of Panthera’s premier cat biologists, who will provide scientific and strategic advice on conservation projects supported by the BCI.

“Panthera’s relationship with the National Geographic Society’s Big Cats Initiative presents a great opportunity for us to collaborate on new projects that conserve the world’s big cats and their ecosystems and ensure their survival for years to come,” said Rabinowitz. “National Geographic serves as a unique and unmatched mechanism for media outreach, broadcasting conservation stories about wild cats around the globe.”

“Panthera represents the most comprehensive effort of its kind in wild cat conservation,” said Terry Garcia, National Geographic’s executive vice president for Mission Programs. “The big cats of the world need our help, and a scientific collaboration between the Big Cats Initiative and Panthera is a significant step forward in our efforts to save endangered cats species around the world."

taken from :http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com

Bengal Tiger

Fast Facts :
Type:Mammal
Diet:Carnivore
Average life span in the wild:8 to 10 years
Size:Head and body, 5 to 6 ft (1.5 to 1.8 m); tail, 2 to 3 ft (0.6 to 0.9 m)
Weight:240 to 500 lbs (109 to 227 kg)
Protection status:Endangered
Did you know?
A tiger's roar can be heard as far as 2 mi (3 km) away.
Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man

Tigers are the largest members of the cat family and are renowned for their power and strength.

There were eight tiger subspecies at one time, but three became extinct during the 20th century. Over the last 100 years, hunting and forest destruction have reduced tiger populations from hundreds of thousands of animals to perhaps fewer than 2,500. Tigers are hunted as trophies, and also for body parts that are used in traditional Chinese medicine. All five remaining tiger subspecies are endangered, and many protection programs are in place.

Bengal tigers live in India and are sometimes called Indian tigers. They are the most common tiger and number about half of all wild tigers. Over many centuries they have become an important part of Indian tradition and lore.

Tigers live alone and aggressively scent-mark large territories to keep their rivals away. They are powerful nocturnal hunters that travel many miles to find buffalo, deer, wild pigs, and other large mammals. Tigers use their distinctive coats as camouflage (no two have exactly the same stripes). They lie in wait and creep close enough to attack their victims with a quick spring and a fatal pounce. A hungry tiger can eat as much as 60 pounds (27 kilograms) in one night, though they usually eat less.

Despite their fearsome reputation, most tigers avoid humans; however, a few do become dangerous maneaters. These animals are often sick and unable to hunt normally, or live in an area where their traditional prey has vanished.

Females give birth to litters of two to six cubs, which they raise with little or no help from the male. Cubs cannot hunt until they are 18 months old and remain with their mothers for two to three years, when they disperse to find their own territory.

taken from :http://animals.nationalgeographic.com