south china Tiger

The South China tiger, Panthera tigris amoyensis, is one of the smallest subspecies of Tiger. Other names for this creature are Amor Tiger and Xiamen Tiger.

Size

A fully grown male South China tiger will weigh around 150 kg (330 lb). this is slightly more than half the size of the Siberian tiger, which is the largest tiger subspecies. Females are smaller.

An enemy of the people

In 1959, as part of the Great Leap Forward, President Mao Zedong declared that this animal was the enemy of the people. Before this, there were over 4,000 of these Tigers in the wild. Most of them died.

In 1982, the Chinese government reversed its policy of killing tigers and they are now protected.

Critically endangered

The wild population of the South China tiger is estimated to be about 20, but the accuracy of this estimate is highly doubtful. The captive status of this rare subspecies is more hopeful. There are probably enough tigers in zoos and similar places to save the subspecies.

Rewilding

There is a joint project that involves both China and South Africa. Captive South China tigers are being bred in South Africa and their cubs are being trained to hunt and survive in the wild. Fortunately, tigers are relatively easy to breed in captivity, and the project’s semi-wild animals are breeding. They will be used to repopulate part of their former range in China.

Problems

Although it seems possible to save this subspecies, there are many problems.

Destruction of habitat

Much of their habitat has been destroyed and their prey animals have been greatly reduced in number.

Poaching

Tiger parts are used in traditional Chinese medicine. The Chinese government is trying to stop the trade in Tiger parts, but it is difficult. The potential returns from tiger poachers are very high, and even the harsh punishments given to those caught committing crimes in China have not kept their tigers safe.

Lack of genetic diversity

The current population of this subspecies is very small and is descended from a very small number of animals. This means that the gene pool is terribly small.

Man eating

When there were more of these animals in the wild, they had a reputation for being more prone to becoming man-eaters than any other type of tiger. This behavior, if resumed, will not tend to please this creature among the local human population.