World Report: November 13, 1998 Vol.4 No.9
- This Issue:
- Table of Contents
- Cover Story
- Cover Story - Spanish Version
- Mini-Lesson
- Comprehension Quiz
- Teacher's Guide and Worksheets
The Year of the Tiger
A nimble mother tiger slips through the tall grass. Her huge, padded feet barely make a sound as she slinks along, sniffing for prey to bring to her cubs. She may seem to be completely alone in India's wilderness, but this tigress has a team of biologists all over the world fighting to save her.
It's the Year of the Tiger, according to the Chinese calendar. Yet tigers are in serious trouble around the world. The big cats have lost their natural habitat to logging and mining companies. Tigers are forced to compete with other species, including humans, for food. Even tigers in protected areas are threatened by illegal hunters, who sell tiger bones and organs for use in folk medicines.
Every year at least 250 tigers are killed by humans. Just 100 years ago, there were as many as 80,000 tigers in India alone. Now there are only about 5,500 in all 14 countries where tigers roam.
Starting November 15 on PBS stations, tiger expert and author Valmik Thapar guides viewers through a six-part Nature series called India: Land of the Tiger. The series opens in the same part of India where Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book was set. The scenes of tigers hunting monkeys and deer, tiger mothers caring for their families and tiny tiger cubs at play are unlike anything ever before captured on film.
Many of India's religions and myths focus on respecting animals and nature. The Indian goddess Durga is always seen riding a tiger--a symbol of life and power.
"Our young people don't always have time for old legends," says Thapar. "But the tigers and their habitat are India's national treasure."
