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ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris)
ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris)
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ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris)
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 (04-02-2017, 10:06 AM)GuateGojira Wrote: That is correct. That is why I support the conclusions of Dr Kitchener and others regarding the situation of the Mainland tigers as a single subspecies. In the past, very few "natural" barriers more or less separated the populations of tigers and new studies and sub-fossils showed that tigers do lived in areas regarded as poor tiger habitats by previous authors. Another good example is that the construction of the Great Wall had artificially isolated the Amur tiger and South China tiger from each other for over 2000 years. There is other alternative theory suggests that the huge diversity of the Bengal tiger was the result of the intermingling of the different tiger population. Prior the migration of the Bengal tiger, there was a group of South China tiger had made a unsuccessful attempt to colonize India. During that period, India was still made of hot dry desert, so this particular tiger population didn't last very long, and their remaining population could get absorbed into the gene pool of the later arrived Bengal tiger. The Bengal tiger from Northeast India was already proven to have a high degree of Indochinese tiger ancestry. So it wouldn't be out of question that the modern Bengal tiger also contains a bit ancestry of the paleo-South China tiger. 
I don't know if it's been already shared (if it's, please delete it).
Results from A Camera Trapping Exercise for Estimating Tiger Population Size in the Lower Foothills of Royal Manas National Park Tempa, Norbu, Dhendup & Nidup, 2011 
PANTHERA TIGRIS AMOYENSIS - F - TIGER SIEGE 1
F1 - Introduction Post 1,140 of Betty has a number of links to newspaper articles and online articles. If you want to read them, you have no option but to use the translator. Thye reason is that all articles are in Chinese. The problem is that the translator is far from perfect. How get to the core of articles when the translation produced something very difficult to understand? Here's how I solved most problems. I printed all articles and read each of them one or two times. I read the most interesting again. After reading, I made notes. Lot of them. The notes enabled me to get to the core of the story. When I was done, I read what I had. Not everything was clear, but the bits and pieces of information were enough to understand what happened. When I had prepared a number of posts, I tried to find some kind of confirmation of the stories described in the articles. The internet produced in that I found much more than expected. F2 - Some points to remember when reading the stories In the late forties of the last century, a land reform program was started in China. Small farmers got a piece of land and were instructed to cultivate it. The aim of the program was to lift the production of food. In order to assist the would-be farmers, it was decided to limit the number of wild animals. Animals able to destroy crops, that is. Thousands upon thousands were killed in some way or another. The government-sponsored program soon resulted in empty forests. Later, forests had all but gone. One result was barren hills, land slides and polluted rivers. Another result was hungry tigers. Tigers hunt animals that destroy crops, like wild boars and many species of deer. When they disappeared, tigers suffered. Desperate tigers started killing domesticated animals first. Desperate farmers trying to protect them were next. There are no official statistics about the number of people killed by tigers, but in Hunan Province only tigers killed nearly 2 000 people in the period 1952-1963. The war on wild animals started in the late forties and lasted until the early seventies. The period 1949-1965 in particular was grim. Most stories happened in that period.
PANTHERA TIGRIS AMOYENSIS - F - TIGER SIEGE 2
F3 - Source The story discussed in this post (and the next posts) is an article that was published on March 28, 2008 in 'French-law Weekly' (http://news.QQ.com). The title of the story is: 'Secret history of Hunan Province of South China tigers disaster: people 50 years ago - Tigress'. What it, I think, says, is there was a disaster about 50 years ago in Hunan Province. The last word, 'Tigress', most probably means the disaster had to do with tigers. This is just one example of a translation difficult to understand. Anyhow. Something happened about half a century ago in Hunan Province. It had to do with tigers. F4 - Land reform and consequences The land reform program mentioned before started in the late forties and early fifties of the last century in Hunan Province. The aim wasn't land reform only. In order to solve the food problem, it was decided to cultivate wild country as well. In Hunan Province, wild country was elevated and forested hills. For wildlife, most of these hills more or less compared to sanctuaries. In the first years, animals that could destroy crops, like wild boars and all kinds of deer, were hunted. The hunt met with success. So much so, that predators had to walk for many miles in what turned out to be empty forests. The largest predator, the tiger, soon had to change his way of life in order to solve the food problem. It turned out to be a structural problem. In the end, tigers had no option but to turn to domesticated animals. And man. F5 - Tiger madness Between 1952-1963, a war between humans and tigers was fought. During that period, nearly 2 000 people were killed by tigers. Was it a war, or was it just a way of describing a number of isolated problems in Hunan Province? The answer is in 'The Journal of Hunan' of February 2, 1956. In a long report, it was stated that a real war had erupted in 1952 in Hunan Province. Five counties that heavily suffered featured in the report. In another journal, 'The Journal of Hunan Forestry', there was an article in which it was stated that dozens of cities and counties had reported severe problems which were a result of a collective 'tiger madness'. Based on what I read, the conclusion is that tigers, unable to find food, had no option but to move out of their territory. Not in just one part of Hunan, but nearly everywhere. They were desperate. The only places where they could find food were villages and even cities. In 1955, two tigers were shot very close to Shangsha, which already was a large city back then. Tigers killed thousands of domestic animals and many hundreds of humans. In one day only, 32 people were killed by tigers! F6 - Tiger hunting teams In order to solve the tiger problem, it was decided to set up 'tiger teams' in every county. Their aim was to eliminate tigers as fast as possible. In Yanling county, which had a hunting tradition, they started with 25 teams. In 1954, there were 425 tiger hunting teams. These 'tiger teams' hunted tigers with everything they had. Guns, bows, spears, traps, explosives, poison and everything else you can think of:  *This image is copyright of its original author The paragraph about these 'tiger teams' has a number of short stories about hunters who met with a lot of success. One of them, Zhong Yongtai, featured in an article in 'The Hunan Daily' of Ocotber 9, 1962. Zhong captured 11 tigers and no less than 46 900 other wild animals (...). Another hunter, Chen Changkui, accounted for 12 tigers. One of the tigers he killed, a male of 150 kg. (331 pounds), had a 5-inch upper canine. Members of 'tiger teams' were respected and well taken care of. Every member got 300 kg. of food every month. That should tell you something about the food situation in Hunan Province in the early fifties of the last century. F7 - The situation in Leiyang County - Chen Qi Fang Leiyang County was hit hard by the war. In 1952, 120 people were killed by tigers. In November 1952, a General Assembly was held in the Leiyang County Government Auditorium in order to solve the tiger problem. A 'tiger team' was set up. It was headed by an experienced hunter, Chen Qi Fang. Other 'tiger teams' were set up later, but his team proved to be the most effective. Of the 168 tigers killed in that county in a 7-year period, Chen's team accounted for 138. In late 1957, Chen Qi Fang was summoned to Beijing. He had an interview with Premier Zhou and from that day on was known as the 'Tiger King'. Here he is (top of the page):  *This image is copyright of its original author Before he headed the first 'tiger team', Chen Qi Fang had been a little-known hunter. He wasn't a tiger hunter, but just a hunter. In 1952, when he was 64 already (...), things changed. On an autumn day, his grandson went out to dig for sweet potatoes. When he didn't return at the end of the day, those who cared about him went to the spot known for sweet potatoes. They only found a shoe. The 14-year old boy had been taken by a tiger. Chen Qi Fang was furious and swore to take revenge. That same night, he went out with his two sons to find the tiger. I don't know if they got the tiger, but from that day on it was tigers and nothing but tigers. The team Chen started quickly got a reputation and grew to 50 men. Chen Qi Fang divided the team into 6 groups. All of them cooperated when hunting a tiger. F8 - A King Tiger killed in Chairman Mao's hometown of Shaoshan When he was already well-known, Chen was invited to hunt tigers in other parts of Hunan. In Shaoshan, the hometown of Chaiman Mao (see the topographic map of Hunan posted before), tigers were said to weigh up to 300 kg. These 'Tiger Kings' were clever and difficult to hunt. After a long search, Chen's team, in December 1955, finally found a trail they could use. An arrow-trap was set at a well-used place. Than the hill was surrounded by his team and members of a local 'tiger team'. When the poisoned arrow hit the tiger, he roared for a long time. When they were sure the tiger was no more, they went up the hill. The tiger was over 200 kg. and exceeded 10 feet in total length. On his forehead, he had the sign only found in King tigers. Folklore no doubt? Not quite, as will be seen later. F9 - The size of Chinese tigers There's not a lot on Chinese tigers. V. Mazak (1983) concluded they were a bit smaller than their relatives from Indochina and somewhat larger than Java tigers. Compared to Panthera tigris tigris and Panthera tigris corbetti, their skulls were smaller, somewhat flatter and generally less robust. In total length, males ranged between 8.2-8.8 (248,92-264,16 cm.) in a straight line. The heaviest male he knew of was 385 pounds (174,64 kg.). An average male ranged between 140-145 kg. (309-320 pounds). Females ranged between 7.6-7.10 (228,60-238,76 cm.) in total length (measured in a straight line) and averaged 100-115 kg. (221-255 pounds). Was he right? It's difficult to get to a conclusion. I never saw a skull of a Chinese tiger in a museum. Mazak most probably had to travel a lot to find a few. All in all, he measured 9 skulls only. One could try to get to a conclusion, but any statement would be a bit tentative at best. Based on what I have, I'd say that Mazak was conservative. I know he was misled by hunters about the size of Amur tigers, as he admitted in the third edition of his great book 'Der Tiger', but there is conservative and conservative. A century ago, the South China tiger was found in a large part of China. Those from the most northern part, assuming they belonged to Panthera tigris amoyensis, may have been quite different from those in the extreme southeastern part. Conditions in central parts of China were very different from those in the north and southeast. All of this is without individual variation, which, as a result of a quite large population (about 3 000 - 4 000 in the fifties of the last century), would have been significant in the period 1900-1970. The information I have suggest there could have been distinct regional differences. I'm not saying that Chinese tigers were similar in size to tigers in, say, Indochina, but everything I have points towards regional differences. Tonkin tigers (just north of Vietnam) were quite small. More to the east, along the southeastern coast, they seemed to have been longer (up to 9.6 in total length in a straight line). As even large individuals seldom approached 400 pounds (181,44 kg.), one could conclude they were long, but not robust. Before the slaughter began, tigers in Sechuan, Hubei and Hunan apparently had no need to prey on domestic animals. Although many of us think they were smallish, the Chinese, in a number of articles, wrote that males of 180-200 kg. (400-440 pounds) were not uncommon. In some parts of Hunan, tigers were known for their size. Most of you most probably know about the 190 kg. wild tiger shot in the northern part of China. It wasn't an Amur tiger, mind you. All in all, I'd say that the Chinese tiger was quite variable in size. In the extreme southeastern part, males ranged between 120-150 kg. (265-331 pounds), at times up to 180 kg. (400 pounds). Those in central part of eastern China, although apparently a bit more robust, were a bit smaller. In the northeastern part of China, tigers were no larger. In the north, individuals could exceed 400 pounds a times, whereas those in northern and central parts of southern China could have been the most robust. It wqouldn't surprise me, as they didn't face shortage of food and could walk uninterrupted and unseen for many miles. A century ago, most males, depending on region, would have ranged between 130-190 kg. (286-420 pounds). If one of you would go for an average of about 160-165 kg. (360 pounds roughly) for an adult male, I wouldn't object. But remember there are authentic newspaper reports about individuals shot in caves that exceeded 500 pounds. Also remember that conditions in south-central China could have been very good before the war started. If male tigers would have averaged well over 160 kg, it would have been there. This photograph, posted before, shows a tiger shot in 1956. Not small by any standard:  *This image is copyright of its original author
PANTHERA TIGRIS AMOYENSIS - F - TIGER SIEGE 3
F10 - Battle at the 'Hundred Tigers Village' After war had been declared on the tiger, the 'tiger teams' launched one operation after the other. After a few years, tigers had become scarce in most parts of Hunan. The tiger teams had to move deeper into the mountains in order to find them. Than something happened that flabberghasted all. The Xuefeng Mountain Range is located in the west of Hunan Province. It ranges all the way to Guizhou Province in the southwest and Guangxi Province in the south. In the south of Tongdao County lies a small village with about 80 inhabitants, called Goa Ping Cun. One afternoon in September 1957, the village peddler, called Zie Yaozong, was about to receive goods. He sent a bullock cart out of the village, when the bull suddenly rushed back. Xie also heard people screaming. The villagers saw tigers everywhere. They panicked and locked themselves in their houses. Fires were lit and noise was made, but it had no effect whatsoever. At first, nothing happened. The village was sealed, but the tigers didn't loote it. That happened on the last day of the siege, when all domestic animals were killed. A little girl watching the event from the door opening was also taken. She wasn't the only one. The siege lasted for 3 days and nights (...). F11 - Aftermath What happened in Gao Ping Cun, was recorded. It didn't make headlines, as there were many reports about a collective 'tiger madness' in those days (1950-1955). Many counties and villages reported about things never witnessed before. Many moons later, journalists stumbled upon the story. Initially, it was treated as something close to hearsay. Later, reporters moved to Tongdao County and Goa Ping Cun in order to interview people who witnessed the event. They found Xie Changhua, the son of the village peddler mentioned before (Xie Yaozhong). In 2006, he published a book called 'God And King Tiger Hunt'. They also interviewed a villager called Li Huaide and a magistrate from Tongdao County called Yao Rongyi. Yao was the 'tiger man' in the days of the siege, meaning he headed one of the many tiger teams. Both confirmed the story. The thing that amazed them was the level of organisation of the tigers. They didn't attack anyone at first, but just sealed the village. Amazed is the word I saw most often in the article about the siege. The tigers were described as very smart. Both Li Huaide and Yao Rongyi said the tigers were lead by a King Tiger. These 'King Tigers' had a sign on their forehead. Most of them, like those in Shaoyang (see above), were large animals. Large male tigers in that part of south central China apparently averaged 180-200, but 'King Tigers' were larger. Yao Rongyi showed a reporter a skin that had belonged to a 'King Tiger' that exceeded 300 kg. (...). F12 - KIng Tigers In the articles I read, the writers distinguished between 'normal' tigers and 'King tigers'. The distinction was in the markings on the forehead. Every tiger that had a distinct marking was a 'King tiger' and every 'King tiger' was significantly larger than an average tiger. I do not doubt that those with good information about the size of Chinese tigers will take paragraphs about exceptional 'King tigers' in old Chinese articles with a grain of salt, but that would be the easy way out. Those involved in the articles read journals and newspaper reports. They also visited museums and talked to people who actually participated in the war on tigers (or their children). I would get to firsthand sources. Reliable, that is. But reliable is different from accurate. Based on what's available, I think there were differences in size between tigers in southeast China, eastcentral China, northeast China, northwest China and southcentral China. I don't think the average for males was over 181 kg. (400 pounds) anywhere, but there were regions where males most probably exceeded that mark. Hot spots, perhaps. As to the likelyhood of large tigers in some regions. After reading the articles, I'd say there was no shortage of food for tigers in southcentral China before the war on tigers started in the late forties of the last century. In 'Tiger Chase', a male tiger of 430 pounds (195 kg.) is mentioned. This animal, a male, was captive, but not quite in the way we would describe 'captive'. F13 - A few statistics (Hunan Province) - In 1952, before the 'tiger teams' were set up in Hunan, there were more than 1 000 tigers in that Province. - Incomplete statistics suggest that 647 tigers were killed in Hunan Province in about 10 years time. - After 1963, there were no more reports about tigers in journals and newspapers in Hunan. - In 1964, the last tiger team was disbanded in Hunan Province. - In 1976, Hua Feng Jia Shan Lin Chang workers caught the last South China tiger. - In 1989, the South China tiger was enlisted as an endangered species. - On November 6, 1986, in Anren County (Hunan province), a tiger cub was caught in a trap. The cub was injured and died 15 days later. F14 - Current situation In June 2001, in a 'land health wildlife resources survey report' of Hunan Province, it was stated that Hunan still had (some) tigers in the Shumen Huping Mountain Range and near the junction with Hubei Province (in the north). The total number of tigers was estimated between 4-6 individuals. Hunan Province decided to increase the effort to improve the situation. Ten years later, there were 8,300 infrared cameras in the remaining forests. Although specialists think that Hunan still has tigers, not one of them was captured by the infrared cameras. Case closed? Not quite. I found a number of articles about the South China tiger written by biologists. People who had walked the forests of Hunan after a report had been released about a tiger sighting somewhere in southcentral China, I mean. To them, it was clear that The South China tiger is not extinct. I'll post the article in some time. 
Fine-scale population genetic structure of the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) in a human-dominated western Terai Arc Landscape, India Singh et al., 2017
Abstract: "Despite massive global conservation strategies, tiger populations continued to decline until recently, mainly due to habitat loss, human-animal conflicts, and poaching. These factors are known to affect the genetic characteristics of tiger populations and decrease local effective population sizes. The Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) at the foothills of the Himalaya is one of the 42 source sites of tigers around the globe. Therefore, information on how landscape features and anthropogenic factors affect the fine-scale spatial genetic structure and variation of tigers in TAL is needed to develop proper management strategies for achieving long-term conservation goals. We document, for the first time, the genetic characteristics of this tiger population by genotyping 71 tiger samples using 13 microsatellite markers from the western region of TAL (WTAL) of 1800 km2. Specifically, we aimed to estimate the genetic variability, population structure, and gene flow. The microsatellite markers indicated that the levels of allelic diversity (MNA = 6.6) and genetic variation (Ho = 0.50, HE = 0.64) were slightly lower than those reported previously in other Bengal tiger populations. We observed moderate gene flow and significant genetic differentiation (FST= 0.060) and identified the presence of cryptic genetic structure using Bayesian and non-Bayesian approaches. There was low and significantly asymmetric migration between the two main subpopulations of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve and the Corbett Tiger Reserve in WTAL. Sibship relationships indicated that the functionality of the corridor between these subpopulations may be retained if the quality of the habitat does not deteriorate. However, we found that gene flow is not adequate in view of changing land use matrices. We discuss the need to maintain connectivity by implementing the measures that have been suggested previously to minimize the level of human disturbance, including relocation of villages and industries, prevention of encroachment, and banning sand and boulder mining in the corridors."
PANTHERA TIGRIS AMOYENSIS - G
G1 - About a photograph of a wild South China tiger taken by a hunter in 2007 On October 3, 2007, a man named Zhou took a few photographs of a wild South China tiger in the Daba Mountains. A month later, a photograph of the tiger appeared in the public domain. It attracted a lot of attention. So much so, that a researcher decided to study the photographs. Li-Yuan Liu, from the College of Life Science of the Beijing Normal University, also visited the Daba Mountains three times. In November 2010, his paper was published in the 'International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation', Vol. 2 (11), pp. 338-349: 'The study on the authenticity of the wild South China tiger on an hunter's photos'. Here's the link to the paper: http://www.academicjournals.org/journal/IJBC/article-full-text-pdf/679E80A16866 G2 - Conclusions - As to the photograph that appeared in the public domain: the tiger is not a real tiger. In other words: the photograph is a fake. - As to his visits to the Daba Mountains. During his first visit, he found two sets of footprints of big cats. In one of them, the forefoot was 10,5 cm. in width. In the other, the width of the forefoot was 13,5 cm. During his second visit, Liu found a tree used to sharpen claws. During his last visit, he found more footprints and more trees used to sharpen claws. He concluded that there were 6-8 tigers in the Daba Mountains in 2009-2010. Good news! But every coin has a flipside. As wild South China tigers hadn't been seen in that part of China for a long time (about 25 years), the Daba Mountains had been largely destroyed. This means that the future didn't look good. - I got to a third conclusion. Liu, unintentionally, showed that reports about the presence of wild animals in remote and wild regions have to be taken with care. I'm not saying that Java still has tigers, but it's a fact that there have been many reports from the eastern part of Java. Same for the Caspian region. There have been a number of reports about sightings from Afghanistan in particular, but rumours from the eastern part of Turkey also are persistent. G3 - The Daba Mountains The Daba Mountains are just west of Hubei. It's a very elevated and rugged region located in the south of Shaanxi Province and northeast of Sechuan Province. Hunan is close. We have decent information about South China tigers shot in the extreme southeastern part of China in the first half of the last century, but we know next to nothing about tigers shot in Shaanxi, Sechuan, Hubei and Hunan. Based on what I have, I'd say that tigers from that part of China were different from those in the extreme southeastern part of China. Different coat, more stocky and more variation. Although tigers shot in the southeastern part of China exceeded 9 feet straight in total length in a straight line every now and then, my guess is tigers of that length could have been more common in Shaanxi, Sechuan, Hubei and Hunan. I also think they were a bit more robust and heavier. Anyhow. Here's the map of China again:  *This image is copyright of its original author Here's the climate map:  *This image is copyright of its original author And, to finish the post, the map of Hubei and Hunan posted before. The Daba Mountains (Daba Shan on the map below) are just west of Hubei Province:  *This image is copyright of its original author
PANTHERA TIGRIS AMOYENSIS - H
H1 - Extinct or not? In the previous post, a paper written by Li-Yuan Liu ('The study on the authenticity of the wild South China tiger on an hunter's photos') was discussed. The paper was published in the 'International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation' in November 2010. Liu concluded that the photograph was a fake, but he also concluded that there were tigers in the Daba Mountains. Wild South China tigers. About 6-8, he thought. In 2009-2010. This was a total surprise for everyone interested in tigers, as South China tigers had not been seen for a long time (in Shaanxi, the last tiger was seen in 1964). Most authorities thought that South China tigers had been exterminated in the sixties or seventies of the last century. So what about the conclusion of Liu? One is that Liu (College of Life Science of the Beijing Normal University) is not an amateur. Two is that he actually visited the Daba Mountains. Three times. Three is he found footprints and trees used for sharpening claws. So there were tigers at the border between Hubei and Sechuan in 2009-2010. Wild tigers. Panthera tigris amoyensis. No question. Remarkable. So much so, that we need another source. A good one. Anything available? Yes. In 2006, Prof. Liu Shifeng of the Northwest China University headed a group of 30 zoologists (...) to trace the tiger in the outback of Shaanxi Province (north of Hubei and Sechuan Provinces). During 2 trips that together lasted two and a half months, they searched through 130 000 hectares of forests. They didn't see a tiger, but found large footprints (15 x 15 cm.) and remains of wild boars that had been torn apart. They also visited 19 villages in rural regions and talked to people who had seen a wild tiger. Two peasants from Zengjiazhen town (Zhenping County), Song Keming and Wang Genhua, saw a tiger on a hill on June 15, 2006. A fata morgana, no doubt? Not likely. A report of the Shaanxi Provincial Forestry Administration said that wild South China tigers had been spotted 17 times in Zhenping County. The article I read (Xinhua News Agency) was from July 15, 2007. Here's the link: http://www.china.org.cn/english/China/217122.htm H2 - Conclusion Based on the paper of Li-Yuan Liu published in November 2010 and the newspaper article discussed in this post published in July 2007, the conclusion is that there were wild tigers in the southeastern part of Shaanxi Province, the northeastern part of Sechuan Province and the northwestern tip of Hubei Province in the period 2006-2010. Based on the map, my guess is Hunan Province most probably also had a few tigers in the extreme northwest. Li-Yuan Liu (Beijing Normal University) and Prof. Liu Shifeng (Northwest China University) didn't actually see tigers, but what they found proved that there were tigers in the regions they visited. As both are well-educated and connected to well-known universities, dismissing their conclusions isn't even an option.
PANTHERA TIGRIS AMOYENSIS - I
I1 - Reintroducing captive South China tigers In the previous posts, recent information about the possible existence of a few wild South China tigers in remote parts of Shaanxi, Sechuan, Hubei and Hunan was discussed. Those who actually visited these parts of China concluded there were tigers in Shaanxi, Sechuan and, possibly, Hubei in the period 2009-2010. I also read a few newspaper reports about tigers in Jiangxi (southeast of Hubei) and Fujian (east of Fujian). Researchers, as far as I know, haven't visited these Provinces, but people who lived in remote parts of Jiangxi Province in particular told journalists that they were sure that Jiangxi still had tigers in 2007-2008. The conclusion on the existence of tigers in the northern and northeastern part of the former range of the South China tiger isn't shared by all. The reason is that tigers have not actually been seen anywhere in China in the last four decades. Chinese authorities do not reject the possibility that a few tigers survived the 'war on tigers' in the fifties and sixties of the last century, but they consider the South China tiger as functionally extinct. But 'functionally extinct' is different from 'extinct', meaning some of the remaining captive South China tigers could, perhaps, be 'rewilded' in some parts of their former range. As the intention to give it a try is there, researchers, at the request of the Chinese government, explored the possibility of rewilding a limited number South China tigers in a part of their former range. In 2015, their article appeared in 'Biological Conservation' (Volume 182, February 2015). Here's the link to the article: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320714004170 I2 - 'An assessment of South China tiger reintroduction potential in Hupingshan and Houhe Nature Reserves, China' (Biological Conservation, Vol. 182, pp. 72-86, 2015) The article is interesting all the way. If you have time, read it. For those who don't have time. In this paragraph I decided for a few quotes from the abstract. Here we go: - " ... The South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis) is the most critically endangered tiger subspecies and is considered functionally extinct in the wild ... ". - " ... The government of China has expressed its intent to reintroduce a small population of South China tigers into a portion of their historic range as part of a larger goal to recover wild tiger populations in China. This would be the world's first major tiger reintroduction program ... ". - " ... A free-ranging population of 15-20 tigers living in a minimum of 1000 km2 of habitat was identified as a target. We assessed summer and winter habitat suitability of two critical prey species, ..., using GIS spatial models to evaluate the potential for tiger reintroduction in one likely candidate site, the 1100 km2 Hupingshan-Houhe National Nature reserve complex in Hunan and Hubei provinces, China ... ". - " ... Our analysis suggests that Hupingshan-Houhe could support a small population of 2-9 tigers ... ". - " ... We ... conclude that restoring the habitat and prey base, addressing concerns of local people, and enhancing coordination across park boundaries are significant challenges to meeting the broader goals of supporting a reintroduced wild tiger population ... ". In other words: reintroducing tigers in suited parts of their former habitat is possible, but a number of problems need to be addressed. I3 - The chances of reintroducing tigers in central parts of China Predators have been reintroduced before in the United States and Europe: " ... Notable recent examples of reintroductions that led to recovery of extirpated populations include wolves in the western United States ... and Eurasian lynx in Europe ... " (pp. 73). But reintroducing tigers is a very different ball game, because they, in contrast to most other predators, not seldom pose a threat to humans. The only region where tigers do not seem to target humans is southeastern Russia. The most probable reason is few humans and a lot of room. For tigers, that is. If these two conditions are not met, conflicts will erupt sooner or later. Tigers and humans just don't mix. Based on what is known, China faces significant challenges. The Hupingshan-Houhe National Nature Reserve is smallish, the number of prey animals is limited and, most important, there are too many humans. What about the alternatives? My advice would be to send a few teams with professionals to regions that, until recently, had tigers. If they conclude that there are wild tigers, they could start to consider a number of options. Establishing a number of reserves would be the first step. Protection would come second. Laws would need to be changed. Local inhabitants need to be informed. Employing researchers and others needed to keep track of tigers would be a costly affair. The major problem, however, would be convincing those who live in a new reserve to move. They could develop a new way to convince people unwilling to give up their home, but I first go to Russia to talk to experts. In Russia, tigers have re-colonized parts of their former range. Without major incidents, so it seems. Why was that? Room could be crucial. In Russia, Amur tigers have about 160 000 square km. (...) at their disposal. In China, this is all but impossible. But they could start with a few smallish reserves in remote parts of Shaanxi, Sechuan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi and, possibly, Fujian. If the attempt to reintroduce tigers succeeds, they could consider adding a number of corridors. But all this would take a lot of time. And than there is politics. Some years ago, in St. Petersburg, it was decided to double the number of tigers by 2022. China is willing to make a contribution. But it has many people and they are crucial in that they need to be willing to make room and assist the attempt to save the South China tiger. All of this, of course, is without culture and the problems it created (referring to the trade in wildlife). All in all, it would take a lot of time to change a few things. But if they really want to have wild tigers in a few reserves in the near future, it's the only option. The intention is there and this could prove to be the deciding factor.
PANTHERA TIGRIS AMOYENSIS - J
J1 - Zhenping County in Shaanxi Province In post 1,175, a paper written by Li-Yuan Liu was discussed. Liu, if you remember, concluded that the photograph taken on October 2007 was a fake. But he also concluded that the Daba Mountains had tigers in 2009-2010. Wild South China tigers. A few years before his paper was published (in 2006), a team of 30 zoologists headed by Prof. Liu Shifeng had studied a number of regions suited for tigers in Shaanxi Province. It was quite an undertaking. Although they didn't actually see tigers themselves, they talked to people who had. This was not a surprise for those who knew more about the South China tiger. In a report of the Shaanxi Provincial Forestry Administration, officials said that wild tigers had been spotted 17 times in Zhenping County. Where is Zhenping County? We'll start with a map of China. Shaanxi Province (red) is situated in the centre of China. Notice the difference between this map and the other I posted in a previous post. Chongqing Province (east of Sechuan, west of Hubei and northwest of Hunan) was added. I don't know why it was, but I do know that Chongqing is an enormous conurbation in the centre of China. It has grown rapidly in the last decades. It could be that the Chinese government decided to upgrade the status of Chongqing:  *This image is copyright of its original author This is a more detailed map of Shaanxi province. Zhenping County is in the extreme south. The scale used (bottom left) obviously is incorrect:  *This image is copyright of its original author Here's a topographical map of Shaanxi Province:  *This image is copyright of its original author One more showing valleys and elevated regions:  *This image is copyright of its original author Zhenping County is located in the elevated southern tip of Shaanxi province. Very close to the eastern tip of Sechuan Province, the northern tip of Chongqing and the western tip of Hubei Province. J2 - What did Li-Yuan Liu really see in the Daba Mountains? In the article discussed in post 1,175, Liu wrote that the photograph of a wild South China tiger published in 2008 was a fake. He also concluded that there were wild tigers in the Daba Mountains in 2009-2010. It was this last remark that interested me. When searching for more, I found another article written by Li-Yuan Liu about tigers in the Daba Mountains: 'Evidence of the existence of the wild tiger Panthera tigris amoyensis (Hilzheimer, 1905) in South China (Mammalia, Felidae)'. The article was published in 'Biodiversity Journal', 2011, 2 (4): 171-178 Here's the link to the article: http://www.biodiversityjournal.com/pdf/2(4)_171-178.pdf In order to prevent a number of questions: Yes, it's the same Li-Yuan Liu who published a paper about the authenticity of a photograph of a wild South China tiger published on the internet in 2007-2008. No, the article mentioned above is different from the paper discussed in post 1,175. As to the title of this paragraph (what did Liu really see in the Daba Mountains?). In the new article published in 2011, Liu continues on the photograph taken in October 2007. The photograph that was published on the internet, most probably, was a fake. But the other photographs (taken by hunter Zhou) he saw, in his opinion, were not. He didn't publish the set of photographs taken by Zhou, but his article has a number of photographs taken by Qian Li in the Daba Mountains. The photograhs are very interesting. Liu adjusted the number of tigers in the Daba Mountains from 6-8 to 8 and presented (second-hand) evidence of sightings in the Daba Mountains. Based on what he wrote, I concluded that locals knew there were tigers in the Daba Mountains for quite some time. Every now and then they lost a domestic animal, but it didn't amount to much. In his article, Liu wrote that tigers had been seen in December 2010 and in March, May and June of 2011! In June 2011, an exploratory team found many footprints left by big wild cats. J3 - The situation in the Daba Mountains today Although those who visited the Daba Mountains agree there are tigers, the cats are not protected. In the last 3 years, 2 tigers have allegedly been killed by knots of steel wire. Liu hopes his article will contribute to establishing a national conservation program in order to save the Daba Mountains tigers. I fear his intention met with little response. His report was published 6 years ago, in 2011. South China tigers have been seen in June 2011. So far, I haven't seen a follow-up on Liu's great article. This most probably means the Daba Mountains tigers are on their own. For a poacher, a wild South China tiger is a potential gold mine. For a Daba Mountains tiger, 6 years without protection in a region now no longer hidden is a very long time.
PANTHERA TIGRIS AMOYENSIS - K
K1 - A few recent photographs from the Daba Mountains The photographs below are from the second article of Li-Yuan Liu: 'Evidence of the existence of the wild tiger Panthera tigris amoyensis (Hilzheimer, 1905) in South China (Mammalia, Felidae)', which was published in 2011 in 'Biodiversity Journal, 2011, 2 (4): pp. 171 -178. I decided to scan the photographs, because they are important. We'll start with prints of the forefoot left by a big tiger:  *This image is copyright of its original author The other photographs of prints of the forefoot are convincing as well. Same for the photograph showing the claw of a tiger. The photographs of the cow and the wild boar also strongly point towards a big cat, but I'm not quite sure about the photographs of the scratched trees. The reason is I've seen trees in a similar condition that were used by bears. Bears? In the Daba Mountains? Yes. There are black bears in that part of China: Himalayan black bears (Ursus tibetanus). Ursus tibetanus mupinensis apparently is different from black bears in the southwest and northeast of China. I remember a report about a black bear found dead in the Daba Mountains not so long ago. They thought it had been killed by a tiger. Could be. In southeastern Russia, nearly all bears killed by tigers were killed with a bite to the base of the skull. The report about the black bear killed in the Daba Mountains, however, lacked details. I know that many field experts trying to determine traces left by a big cat or a bear often use their nose to get to an opinion. Maybe Liu was one of them. Anyhow. Here are the other photographs:  *This image is copyright of its original author
(05-24-2017, 03:20 AM)Rishi Wrote: @peter has no camera trap search been done more recently after 2010?..Like the one in Eastern Thailand that brought the good news.. I read that researchers used hundreds of cameras. Most unfortunately, they came up empty. There are two likely reasons. One is that the number of tigers is very limited. Liu thought there were only 8 tigers in the Daba Mountains in 2011. Two is that tigers in that part of China learned to avoid humans the hard way. Tigresses that survived the unslaught in the fifties, sixties and seventies of the last century no doubt taught their cubs to avoid humans as well. After some generations, the result will be very elusive animals. Not saying they will never show themselves, but they will be very selective in this respect. Tigers are great observers. This means that it's very likely that they know and study those who share their territory, humans included. If they know that the humans sharing their territory don't pose a threat, they might show themselves at times in order to inform them about their presence. It's, however, also very likely that they will distinguish between them and others. Same for objects. Wild tigers often detect small changes and new objects. They also often study them. When they have nothing to fear, they will not change their behaviour. The usual result will be a few self-portraits. When they were taught to avoid them, chances are they will avoid cameras as well. In order to illustrate the point made on wild tigers and cameras. A photograph like this one is not exceptional:  *This image is copyright of its original author This Kazirangha tigress (not sure) saw the camera and came over an inspection. As she showed herself, it meant there was no fear. A wild tiger taught to be extra-wary, however, will act in a different way. It most probably will avoid the 'eye' of the new object and approach it from a different angle. When the scent of humans is detected, the tiger knows it's being watched. In order to prevent problems, it will decide to avoid that part of its territory in the future. It might even decide to move on. There's plenty of room in the Daba Mountains, I think. According to those who hunted them or worked with them, big cats are thinking animals. Thinking machines, one trainer told me. That's why they have to change their routines at regular intervals. Let's assume for one moment that they could compare to humans in some respects and move to a human perspective. If you were told at a very early age that you are wanted and, for this reason, need to hide, you will become elusive and move out of harm's way whenever possible. When you found a great hide and, one day, detect a device showing that you cover is blown, you most probably will decide to move. Those who hunted tigers who had good reasons to be wary of humans, like man-eaters, often wrote that their target was elusive. Not seldom, they concluded that tigers are cowards. Most hunts ended with a frustrated hunter. Or worse. Anderson and Corbett might have been the exception to the rule. And they could have been very lucky. When you read their books, the conclusion is that luck definitely played a part. Even so, Corbett admitted that hunting man-eating tigers had an effect in the end. Stress, you know. Chinese tigers are very wary animals. They have to be, as they are hunted. Even today. Li-Yuan Liu wrote that two tigers had been killed in the last three years in the Daba Mountains. Tigers know they are hunted. This means they have to double-check everything they do. Not easy, as tigers have distinct habits. But in the Daba Mountains habits will finish you quickly. The result is an extra-wary animal. Tigers don't come more elusive than in the Daba Mountains, I think. Also remember that there is a lot at stake in that part of China. Chongqing, not that far away, is a very busy place loaded with humans interested in chances. Mountains often have minerals. A new reserve because of a few tigers could frustrate a lot of people. I'm sure that some people living in that part of China, tigerwise, know a lot more than they are willing to admit. I'm also sure that they are as elusive as the tigers in the Daba Mountains. Let's hope the researchers get lucky. If they can prove beyond doubt that there are tigers in the Daba Mountains, the Chinese government has no other option but to establish a new reserve. But I have a lot of doubts. Remember we haven't heard anything from the Daba Mountains for almost 6 years now. This although researchers were sure the Daba Mountains had tigers in June 2011. Remarkable, to say the least.  (05-24-2017, 06:34 PM)peter Wrote:(05-24-2017, 03:20 AM)Rishi Wrote: @peter has no camera trap search been done more recently after 2010?..Like the one in Eastern Thailand that brought the good news.. @peter Thanks for the very good information |
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