Tell China- Save the Siberian Tiger

• Target: China Ministry of Finance, Mr. Xiaosong Zheng, Ms. Jiandi Ye
• Sponsored by: Animal Advocates

The Siberian tiger, or Amur tiger is a critically endangered species with one of the primary threats to its' survival in the wild being poaching.

Their former range included northeastern China and the Korean Peninsula, and as far west as Mongolia. Now, almost all wild Siberian tigers live the Southeast corner of Russia in the Sikhote-Alin mountain range east of the Amur River.

Tigers are most commonly poached for their fur and for their body parts used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. In 1993 the State Council of the People's Republic of China issued a notice declaring the use of tiger bone for medicinal purposes to be illegal. However, because it is such a lucrative trade, a single tiger can bring up to $50k on the International market, so the practice is still flourishing.

If the Siberian tiger is to survive extinction in the wild, China must do more to replace the Traditional Chinese Medicine with phamecutical alternatives and substitue medicines.


Mr. Xiaosong Zheng
Director General
Ministry of Finance - International Department
Sanlihe Xicheng District
Beijing - 100820
China
Tel: + 8610 6855 1122
Fax: + 8610 6855 1125
EMail: xs.zheng@mof.gov.cn

Ms. Jiandi Ye
Deputry Director
Ministry of Finance
IFI Division III International Department San Li He St. Xichengqu
Beijing - 100820
China
Tel: + 86 10 6855-1171
Fax: + 86 10 6855 1125
EMail: jdye@mof.gov.cn

Tiger fights plaque attack! Siberian big cat flosses on a nearby branch to stop his teeth decaying

When you spend your life tearing through chunks of meat, you're bound to get a bit stuck between your teeth - not to mention the inevitable plaque build-up that follows.
But it's not a hygiene hazard that has escaped this Siberian tiger.
Showing off his impressive dental skills, he makes use of a handy branch to give his gnashers a good floss.
 
Doing so regularly can help prevent gum disease and gingivitis which can cause bad breath and tooth decay.
Photographer Jutta Kirchner, who captured the action in the big cat's enclosure at Tiergarten Schvnbrunn zoo, in Vienna, Austria, said: 'I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

'I've never seen an animal actively try to clean its teeth and I thought it was amazing.
'But I suppose they get things stuck in their teeth just like anyone else and find it just as irritating as the rest of us.'

Jutta has previously photographed Siberian tigers playing in the snow at the zoo.
The Siberian tiger lives mainly in the Sikhote Alin mountain region in east Russia.
In 2005, there were under 400 adult Siberian tigers left in the region, with an adult breeding population of about 250.
The population has been stable for more than a decade thanks to intensive conservation efforts.



 

Russia Sends Siberian Tigers to Iran to Save Species

Two pairs of Siberian tigers are being sent to Iran from Russia as part of a joint project to boost the species' dwindling numbers  in the Middle Eastern country.

The Siberian, or Amur tigers, will arrive at the Miankaleh wildlife reserve on the coast of the Caspian Sea later this year.

The region's Caspian tigers have been almost wiped out because of excessive hunting and changes to their environment. Iranian zoologists chose the Amur tigers as a replacement because of genetic similarities.

The plan is to send the tigers to Iran during the winter to replicate as near as possible the Siberian weather conditions they are used to and reduce stress on the animals.

There are only a few hundred Amur tigers left in Russia.

In 2010, two Siberian tigers from Russia were housed at a zoo in Tehran, including a pregnant tigress, but one of them died.