One Step Forward, One Step Back For Russia's Siberian Tigers

On April 18, a Chinese woman was detained on the Russian border in the Far Eastern region of Primorye with three Siberian tiger legs.

According to the press service of the local branch of the World Wildlife Fund, the legs (two from an adult male, the other from a young male or adult female) were hidden beneath her clothes.

At least four Siberian tigers have been killed in the past two weeks, Russia's ITAR-TASS news agency added, citing local law enforcement and customs officers. The population of Siberian tigers, also known as Amur tigers, in Russia's Primorye and Khabarovsk regions reportedly numbers up to 450 animals.

The report said that the tiger legs were "treated in a traditional Chinese method," implying that they were meant to be used for traditional Chinese medicine. Tiger bones and claws are used for various remedies, with powdered bone prepared as "tiger wine," an especially popular treatment for rheumatic pain, ulcers, malaria, and burns.

Poaching continues to be a threat to attempts to preserve the subspecies in southeastern Russian and northeastern China.

But as the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) reports, Russia on April 9 declared the merger of three existing natural reserves in the region into what has been dubbed the "Land of the Leopard" national park. The park will not only be a boon to the Siberian tiger but to the even-more-endangered Far Eastern (Amur) leopard subspecies, thought to number less than 40.

"We commend the Russian government for their foresight in creating this new protected area, and we are optimistic that it will provide a critical refuge for some of the most endangered big cats on the planet," WCS Russia Program Director Dale Miquelle said.

With this good news, one can only hope the tigers fare better than the poor beast that allegedly met its end for the benefit of a photo-op for once-and-future Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Free the Siberian Tigers In Cyprus

The Siberian Tiger is an Endangered Species inhabiting mainly the Sikhote Alin mountain region with a small subpopulation in southwest Primorye province in the Russian Far East where their dense and waterproof coats are built to withstand the cold temperatures. These beautiful creatures now reside in a crappy run-down zoo in Cyprus that should be shut down due to it's extremely poor living conditions, of not only exotic endangered tigers, but also of their Bird & Animal Park.

Some of the birds are kept in very small cages and aren't even allowed to fully stand upright due to the inadequate height of cage(s), with little to no shade from the scorching hot summer temperatures + poor water (small dirty dishes) and severe lack of care & compassion for these animals. This isn't a Zoo, but a prison for all it's residents. Please sign this petition in hopes of (at least) getting better accommodation for it's animal prisoners. These tigers need to roam and hunt and need a bigger living space or need to be moved to an appropriate Wildlife Sanctuary.. now!

They need a (safe, unpolluted) natural pond to bathe in, an air-conditioned room to keep cool, dens built as a refuge from the (temperatures can soar here during summer months - 37* C is probably a good day) heat.. and a better diet. They need wildlife experts & veterinarians called in regularly to oversee the situation and determine if the tigers are thriving. Throwing them some chicken and a few ice cubes in a pool is NOT SATISFACTORY! If the zoo can't afford to invest in the welfare of these tigers, and all of it's animals, it should release them immediately.

Please do the right thing, and sign this petition. Change starts here! Thank you!

Petition:

The Siberian Tiger is an Endangered Species inhabiting mainly the Sikhote Alin mountain region with a small subpopulation in southwest Primorye province in the Russian Far East where their dense and waterproof coats are built to withstand the cold temperatures.

These beautiful creatures now reside in a crappy run-down zoo in Cyprus that should be shut down due to it's extremely poor living conditions, of not only exotic endangered tigers, but also of their Bird & Animal Park. Some of the birds are kept in very small cages and aren't even allowed to fully stand upright due to the inadequate height of cage(s), with little to no shade from the scorching hot summer temperatures + poor water (small dirty dishes) and severe lack of care & compassion for these animals. This isn't a Zoo, but a prison for all it's residents. Please sign this petition in hopes of (at least) getting better accommodation for it's animal prisoners.

These tigers need to roam and hunt and need a bigger living space or need to be moved to an appropriate Wildlife Sanctuary.. now! They need a (safe, unpolluted) natural pond to bathe in, an air-conditioned room to keep cool, dens built as a refuge from the (temperatures can soar here during summer months - 37* C is probably a good day) heat.. and a better diet. They need wildlife experts & veterinarians called in regularly to oversee the situation and determine if the tigers are thriving. Throwing them some chicken and a few ice cubes in a pool is NOT SATISFACTORY! If the zoo can't afford to invest in the welfare of these tigers, and all of it's animals, it should release them immediately.

Please do the right thing, and sign this petition.

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/siberian-tiger/paphos-zoo-welcomes-rare-tigers/20120322

After you sign, please join the Facebook page: Saying NO Siberian Tigers In Cyprus