Human Influence
Poaching And The Bengal Tiger
Although there are several factors responsible for the decline in population and endangerment of the Bengal tiger, the most prominent factor for the sudden and drastic decline in population is poaching. In the case of the Bengal tiger, poaching is the illegal hunting of these tiger in order to gain the tiger’s fur and other parts of the animal. Unlike other species of animals that are heavily poached for things such as ivory, Bengal tigers are poached for things such as fur, body parts used in traditional Asian medicine and hunted as trophies (“Bengal Tiger”, 2016). Also, it is believed that the skin and several other body parts have religious and health benefits to humans (“The Bengal Tiger”, n.d.). Despite strict laws implemented in most of the countries that are a habitat to the Bengal tiger, poaching is still alive and well despite the Bengal tiger being an endangered species. It is believed that poachers use loop-holes in the legal system such as poisoning the animal, that way when they find the animal it is already dead and the poachers cannot be held accountable (“Bengal Tiger – Panthera Tigris Tigris” , 2014).
Hunting and Deforestation Impacting The Bengal Tiger
Despite poaching being the main cause for the drastic change in tiger population, humans have greatly affected tiger population through hunting. As many countries that are home to Bengal tigers go through industrialization, livable land decreases for the tigers creating a direct increase for the amount of interactions between humans and tigers (“Bengal Tiger”, 2016). Since the Bengal tigers tend to live in wooden habitats, with dense forests, deforestation is the most common way in which livable land is decreased. Due to diminished natural habitat and an increase in areas occupied by humans, many tigers are killed by farmers trying to protect both themselves, and their livestock (“The Bengal Tiger”, n.d.). Deforestation also reduces the amount of prey in which the Bengal tigers can capture. Prey is reduced due to the migration of the smaller animals to areas where there are more resources avaiable. To learn more about population growth and some of the limiting factors that restrict the Bengal tiger from expanding its population size, press the button below.