What if tigers did become extinct?

WWF devotes considerable resources to its campaign to save the tiger from extinction.

But does it really matter?

After all, doesn't evolution mean that some species disappear over time?

What would happen if we just let tigers die out?

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Now you see me, now you don't. What would happen if tigers became extinct? Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), Bandhavgarh National Park, India
© naturepl.com/Francois Sevigny / WWF

Upsetting the ecological balance

When you remove one element from a fragile ecosystem, it has far reaching and long lasting effects on biodiversity. This impacts on local communities, habitats and other species which share the tiger's home.

The tiger is at the top of the food chain in all the ecosystems it lives in. As such, it keeps populations of deer, wild pig, antelope and gaur in check. Without the tiger to control them these prey species would expand.

This excessive population would then totally ravage its food source - vegetation. If the vegetation in the jungles was devastated, smaller animals and insects would not survive there.

If the insects moved to the crops in farmlands vital food sources could be lost, impacting on human populations.

If plants can no longer grow in the jungle the soil will become infertile and eventually the jungle - and all that depend on it - will fade away.

Other consequences include:
  • Negative impacts for human welfare and economic development. Communities in Asia depend on the same clean water, clean air, natural flood controls and other forest resources that tigers need. Without the protection for tigers these ecological services are at risk.

  • Loss of ecotourism opportunities. Local communities are working with governments and NGOs to develop ecotourism opportunities based around tigers. Without the tigers these burgeoning business opportunities will fail. Examples include the Srepok Wilderness Area.
     
  • Coextinction of other species. If one species in a food chain becomes extinct there is a knock-on effect on other species. The loss of a main predator can actually cause the extinction of a prey species as greater competition presents a threat to a species.1
     
  • Another species to be exploited? When the Bali and Javan tigers became extinct in the 20th century, poachers turned their attention to the Sumatran tiger. Which animal will be exploited into extinction once all the tigers are gone?
     
  • Climate change. If tigers were to go, the forests which are currently protected as key habitat would be more likely to fall victim to illegal logging, conversion to agriculture and development. This leads to greater CO2 emissions and climate change. Deforestation currently accounts for 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

How you can help

Which species live alongside the tiger?

Many of the species which could be affected by the disappearance of tigers are also endangered and already fighting for their own survival.

The 5 sub-species of tigers live in some of the most spectacular parts of the world which provide a home for some other amazing species, including:

And we would have to take the blame.....

Mankind would have to make a big apology to future generations which would never get the chance to see the biggest of all cats, one of the most majestic, beautiful, amazing creatures ever to walk the Earth.

Extinction is permanent, and it is the failings of modern man - habitat destruction, hunting and poaching - which have driven tigers into extinction.
/ ©: Klein & Huber / WWF
Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)
© Klein & Huber / WWF
1. Deleting Species from Model Food Webs, Christopher Quince, Paul G Higgs and Alan J McKane

The role of the apex predator

  • When the grey wolf was reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park, Elk, the primary prey of the gray wolf, became less abundant, freeing riparian zones from constant grazing. The respite allowed willows, aspens, and cottonwoods to grow, creating habitat for beaver, moose, and scores of other species.

    The gray wolf's presence also affected the grizzly bear, a vulnerable species. The bears, emerging from hibernation, chose to scavenge off wolf kills after fasting for months and also eat wolf kills in autumn to prepare for hibernation. As grizzly bears give birth during hibernation, a greater food supply may improve the mother’s nutrition and increase the number of cubs.

    Dozens of other species, including eagles, ravens, magpies, coyotes, and black bears, have been documented scavenging from wolf kills.

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