Mammals of the Northern Hemisphere

Mammals of the Northern Hemisphere — page 5 — Asiatic Lion Panthera leo persica EX EW CR EN VU NT LC The African lion may be familiar and still relatively numerous but the Asian subspecies has become rare and is now confined to a single reserve in northwestern India O lions lions are widespread over much of Africa south of the Sahara but one subspecies the Barbary lion used to occur only in the north The Barbary was the animal seen in Roman arenas fighting gladiators to the death At one time the Barbary lions and their close relatives were found from northern Africa throughout the Middle East to India All are now extinct but a similar subspecies the Asiatic lion survives in the Gir Forest in northwestern India A Shrinking Range Because of the threat that lions pose to humans and livestock they have been systematically eradicated from most of their former range The last European lions were killed about 1,000 years ago and once DATA PANEL guns became widely available they disappeared rapidly from the Middle East along with other large animals In India British soldiers and Indian nobles hunted the Asian subspecies for sport By 1900 only a few dozen were left they lived in the Gir Forest where a local prince protected them At that time the dry savanna and deciduous forest covered about 1,000 square miles 2,600 sq km but it has since shrunk to half that size Much of what remains is now protected as a national park The area is small however and is surrounded by cultivated land so the lions are effectively marooned on a patch of suitable habitat of little more than 20 to 40 square miles 50 to 100 sq km PAKISTAN INDIA Gir Forest CHINA NEPAL BHUTAN BANGLADESH SRI LANKA Moreover they do not have the forest to themselves there are several temples in the park and five main roads and a railway track cross it Large numbers of people are present at all times and some have been killed by the lions there were 81 attacks on humans resulting in 16 Diet Mainly deer and medium-sized mammals Breeding Average of 2 or 3 cubs per litter born after 4-month gestation Young take 4 8 years to reach maturity Life span up to about 20 years Related endangered species Tiger Panthera tigris EN snow leopard Uncia uncia EN Status IUCN CR Asiatic lion Panthera leo persica Family Felidae World population About 360 Distribution Gir Forest Gujarat State northwestern India Habitat Dry forest and acacia savanna Size Length head body up to about 6 5 ft 2 m tail about 3 ft 1 m Weight male 350 420 lb 160 190 kg female 240 260 lb 110 120 kg Form Similar to African lion but with thicker coat and longer tail tassel more pronounced tuft of hair on elbows males do not develop large mane 8

Mammals of the Northern Hemisphere — page 6 — ASIATIC LION Female Asiatic lions rear their young together and suckle cubs other than their own for up to six months The cubs start eating meat at three months deaths between 1988 and 1990 To ease the problem the sanctuary has been extended However space is limited Over 100,000 people live with their livestock within 6 miles 10 km of the park Domestic animals compete for food with the wild deer that the lions need as prey When the lions go hungry they turn to killing cattle The government compensates local farmers for losses but even so lions are killed in revenge from time to time The cramped conditions create another danger With the last Asiatic lions confined to one small area there is a risk that the entire population could be wiped out by disease In 1994 an outbreak of distemper left scores of African lions dead in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania eastern Africa a similar disaster in the Gir Forest could make the Asiatic lion extinct One solution would be to establish another population elsewhere One attempt to start a new population has already failed probably as a result of illegal poisoning and shooting of the animals but Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh India has been proposed as a new reintroduction site 9

Mammals of the Northern Hemisphere — page 7 — EX EW Tiger CR EN VU NT LC Panthera tigris Tigers used to occur across Asia as far west as Turkey and isolated populations developed into eight different subspecies O within within their huge range tigers have adapted to conditions ranging from bleak mountain forests to mangrove swamps and jungle Since the beginning of the 20th century numbers have sharply declined usually through conflict with humans Tigers are large and fierce animals They need to kill to eat and will often kill domestic animals and even people Their own habitat has been reduced by farming and logging to the point where natural prey is difficult to obtain in sufficient quantity Humans hunt the same prey leaving few animals for the tigers By the 1950s three of the tiger subspecies Bali Caspian and Javan had become extinct The remaining populations occur in widely separate places India Vietnam Sumatra China and Siberia The largest subspecies the Amur or Siberian tiger once ranged throughout the forested areas of China and Korea north to the forested edges of Siberia However in the late 19th century tigers were a major threat to railway construction and increased settlement so they were persecuted By the 1940s tigers survived only in about five separated areas Since then they have benefited from protection and they have now increased in numbers and distribution again There were about 450 Amur tigers in 1996 However climate change now poses new threats On Bali and Java the extinction of the tiger was a result of habitat fragmentation loss of natural prey and finally in the 1960s conflict with groups of heavily armed men hiding in the jungle as a result of civil war In India tigers used to be a favorite target for big game hunters and many thousands were shot 10 The tiger is the largest member of the cat family There are thought to be about 4,500 in India the species main stronghold Throughout Asia the tiger is believed to have magical powers and many of its body parts are highly prized in traditional Oriental medicine Killing a single tiger therefore can bring huge rewards to a poacher willing to risk the penalties for breaking the law Captive Breeding Tigers breed well in captivity so they are unlikely to become extinct However the captive population has become seriously inbred in the past and there has been genetic mixing between the different subspecies In addition tigers cost a lot to feed so most zoos give the animals contraceptives as a way of controlling the numbers of young born It would be relatively easy to breed captive tigers for reintroduction to the wild but there is not enough suitable habitat left for release of captive bred stock The future lies in careful management of the remaining tiger habitats and reserves Conservation measures will include linking small isolated groups of animals and preventing poaching and further habitat loss It is also vital to have plenty of prey animals huge areas of land need to be set aside to maintain the prey populations required to support just a few tigers The dangers of inbreeding may be reduced by using captive bred animals as a fresh gene source

Mammals of the Northern Hemisphere — page 8 — TIGER DATA PANEL Tiger Panthera tigris Family Felidae World population 3,200 5,000 2006 estimate Distribution From India east to China and Vietnam and south to Indonesia Sumatra Habitat Dense cover forests scrub and tall grass thickets also mangroves Size Length head body 4 5 9 ft 1 4 2 7 m tail 24 43 in 60 110 cm height at shoulder 31 43 in 80 110 cm Weight up to 790 lb 360 kg in the largest Siberian tigers Form Unmistakable large orange cat with black stripes and long tail Diet Mostly deer and wild pigs weighing 110 440 lb 50 200 kg Occasionally smaller animals such as monkeys fish and even birds Needs about 33 40 lb 15 18 kg per day Breeding Two or 3 cubs per litter born after 14 week gestation about 2 years between litters Life span 15 years in wild at least 26 in captivity Related endangered species Snow leopard Uncia uncia EN lion Panthera leo VU clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa VU also several smaller species of cat including Iberian lynx Lynx pardinus CR Status IUCN EN 11

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