The Wildlife Conservation Society has proudly worked to protect tigers throughout their range, beginning with field surveys in India by Dr. George Schaller in the 1960s. Reduced from 95 percent of their former abundance in a little over a century, the world's biggest cat is critically endangered today. However, WCS scientists are optimistic that tigers can in fact be saved using a combination of hard science and education. If conservationists can continue to convert this into action, then the prognosis for the tiger is very good.
Tigers pass an infra- red beam, which captures their image on film with no harm to the animal.
By identifying individual tigers from their unique stripe pattern, Karanth accurately assessed populations in India's Nagarahole National Park - a known tiger stronghold. Today, he uses these and other techniques to safeguard tigers, and their prey species, in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka, and other areas. Other WCS researchers have adopted Karanth's technique as a key tool for tiger conservation in various areas in Asia. Hovering at approximately 500 animals, the Siberian or Amur tiger is restricted to the woodlands of the Russian Far East, though it occasionally strays into China and North Korea. WCS researcher Dr. Dale Miquelle has studied this magnificent animal since 1992, teaming with Russian biologists to identify critical habitats and threats to tiger populations.