Bali, Javan, and Caspian Tigers, Extinct Felines
Three Sub-Species of Tigers were Killed Off in the 20th Century
Sep 30, 2009
According to Tigersincrisis.com, three of nine tiger sub-species have disappeared in the 20th century:
"The Bali tiger became extinct in the 1930s. The Caspian tiger was forced into extinction in the 1970s. And the Javan tiger followed in the 1980s. And the journey towards extinction continues for the other subspecies."
With the South China tiger nearly extinct and the Malayan, Sumatran, Bengal, and Indo-Chinese tiger populations all on the decline, perhaps humans will learn from their mistakes with the three extinct species before it's too late for the remainder. What happened to Bali, Caspian, and Javan tigers? Answering this question could help conservationists salvage what few remain of existing tiger populations.
The Bali Tiger
The Bali tiger (Panthera tigris balica) was the smallest tiger sub-species. The biggest Bali tigers weighed no more than 220 lbs. According to The Extinction Website, "[i]ts size was comparable with the size of a leopard and it was only about half the size of the Siberian (Amur) tiger subspecies." Males were approximately 7.5 feet long; females were approximately 6.5 feet. They had short, dark orange coats with wide black stripes. These tigers lived exclusively on the small Indonesian island of Bali.
In 1937, the Bali tiger likely became extinct when the last well-documented tiger was killed at Sumbar Kima, says The Extinction Website. Unconfirmed sightings continued into the 1970s.
What led to the animal's extinction? Bali being a small island, the tiger's population was small from the outset. Humans inhabited the island, and the forests thereon disappeared. Sustainable habitat shrunk quickly, as did Bali tiger numbers. Hunting, both for sport and for commercial gain, drove the proverbial nail in the sub-species coffin.
The Caspian Tiger (a.k.a. Persian Tiger)
The Caspian tiger (Panthera tigris virgata) went by many names. Also called the Persian, Hyrcanian, or Turan tiger, it roamed across several countries. According to The Extinction Website, the Caspian tiger ranged "throughout sparse forest habitats and riverine corridors west (Turkey) and south of the Caspian Sea (Iran) and west through Central Asia into the Takla Makan desert of Xinjiang, China ."
Second in size to its close relative, the Siberian tiger, the Caspian tiger was highly adaptable. Its coat color matched that of the Bengal tiger, but it would grow long in winter. Males could weigh more than 500 lbs., while females weighed half as much.
Much like Bali tigers, hunting and habitat loss decimated Caspian tiger populations. The Russian army, backed by a government land reclamation project, slaughtered the animals living along the Caspian Sea. Farmers claimed land, and tiger habitat disappeared. By the time a hunting ban issued, the population and its prey had been so thoroughly depleted that survival became unlikely. Dates of extinction range from 1947 to 1997, with many sightings to the 1950s, says The Extinction Website. However, some believe a few individuals survive today in Turkey or live on through the Siberian tiger.
The Javan Tiger
The Javan tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica), like the extinct Bali tiger and the critically endangered Sumatran tiger, inhabited only one Indonesian Island. As its name implies, this tiger was endemic to Java. It closely resembled the Sumatran tiger in size and appearance, with many, narrowly spaced black stripes and long whiskers setting it apart from other tiger sub-species.
What vanquished the Javan tiger? Not surprisingly, habitat loss and hunting are credited. Before human encroachment, Javan tigers ruled the island. As forests made way for farming, the tiger's ecosystem crumbled. Prey vanished. Even reserves, like the Meru Betiri Forest Reserve, lost land to agricultural uses. Natives hunted or poisoned the animals, considering them pests or sources of income.
According to The Extinction Website, no more than three Javan tigers inhabited the Meru Betiri reserve by 1979. The sub-species reportedly became extinct in the 1980s, although Javan tiger spottings still occur from time to time. Are these purported tigers the last of a once proud lineage or the ghosts of creatures long since dead?
The Tiger's Future?
As is the same tired story with many extinct animals, increasing human populations lead to decreasing wildlife populations. The solutions are simple: preserve tiger habitat and ban tiger hunting.
Enforcement of these solutions, however, is difficult. Countries must decide whether conserving their tigers is worth the cost. Some countries, like India, see economic value in wild tigers, using them as national symbols and focal points for tourism. Accepting assistance from animal-friendly organizations, like the World Wildlife Federation and Save The Tiger, is a worthwhile venture.
Instead, governments could just let tigers die. Unfortunately, as with the Bali, Caspian, and Javan tigers, humanity's role in tiger extinction has not been so passive. Rather, humans have expedited and continue to expedite their death. Humanity's unwillingness to share this earth will lead to the tiger's demise. Other species will follow.
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