ENDANGERED BIG CATS:
REASONS WHY BIG CATS ARE ENDANGERED:
Loss of Habitat:
These creatures are losing more of their habitat
every day. Deforestation is a major issue for tigers in India and jaguars in the
Amazon. Agricultural expansion is also a major problem including the explosion
of palm oil plantations in Indonesia.
Human Conflicts:
In many places, big cats prey on livestock as an
easy source of food, causing problems with ranchers who moving into cat
territories. Often these ranchers will hunt the cats to protect their livestock,
which in many places is the only source of income for people.
Snow leopards, lions, cheetahs, and jaguars all
face this challenging threat.
Wildlife Trade:
Many species of cats including tigers, snow
leopards, and leopards are sought after for parts of their bodies, much of which
goes to China, where the use of wild animals in traditional medicine is common.
In addition, snow leopards, leopards, and tigers are hunted for their coats
(known as pelts).
Recently, researchers calculated that parts of
up to 1,200 tigers were confiscated over a ten year period, more than 100
animals per year.
Global Warming:
As the climate changes, big cats will need to
adjust to changes in their habitat. Snow leopards are especially vulnerable to
global warming as increasing temperatures melt snow at higher altitudes. As
these animals follow the snow higher, the amount of prey shrinks.
Lions are affected by disease outbreaks which
are exacerbated by droughts that will be increasingly common with global
warming. Coastal erosion due to rising ocean levels is reducing tiger habitat in
India’s Sundarbans mangrove forest.
Private Ownership:
While some states have outlawed private
ownership of big cats, Wikipedia states that an estimated 15,000 captive big
cats live in the US, most of which live outside of accredited zoos.
Loss of Prey:
As human populations grow, hunting of the main
prey of cats increases. These big animals require a large amount of food to
survive and as their prey declines, they need to go farther to hunt or become
more likely to hunt livestock.