They have gone about their lives conscious of, but not dependent on, each other's existence. Today, humans dominate the world, and the tiger is at their mercy. Throughout the ages, the tiger has had a remarkable impact on the human mind. Millions of Hindus worship the image of Durga, the powerful female deity, who rides a tiger. Siva, God of Destruction and Creation, is enthroned on a tiger skin.
Tigers feature in Buddhist culture in China, Korea and Japan.
And in the forests, tribal people still tend simple shrines to the tiger. For many Asians, the power of the tiger is sought in its bones to cure disease. In the western world, the tiger has inspired art and poetry, and has been adopted as the advertising symbol of leading businesses. Yet we humans are near the verge of wiping out this majestic animal. Nobody really knows how many wild tigers there are.