Nosey

It’s Sierra (Amur/Siberian tiger) from Jungle Cat World and is popping up to say hello.

Right after this shot was taken she attempted to steal my camera away. One of the trickiest parts about getting photos of tigers and other zoo animals in close quarters is that they are almost always curious about cameras or looking to get a scratch. In either case, they will likely be too close and too worked up to get a decent photo. I’ve struggled with this for quite a while, but am getting better at taking advantage of short-lived opportunities. If I don’t that’s okay too because I still get to spend some happy time with happy animals and the memories of such times are worth more than any photo.

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Tigers are the largest of the big cats and are exclusively found in Asia from India to Vietnam, from Indonesia to the Russian Far East. The tiger can be divided into 9 subspecies: 4 are currently critically endangered and 3 are already extinct. Though estimations of tiger populations only a few years ago was 5,500-6,000, today populations are likely closer to 3,500 and are still declining. Dramatic declines of the tiger in India, thought to host the majority of the world's tigers, have fallen to less than 1,411. Overall, the past decade has seen a 40% reduction in tiger habitat, which now represents a mere 7% of its historic range. Poaching is a significant problem throughout the tiger's range, the demand for its body parts in traditional medicines, tonics, and exotic dishes driving a lucrative trade that is wiping out entire populations. Long-term threats include habitat fragmentation and prey depletion, which is accelerating the tiger's demise and subsequently reducing the long-term genetic viability of many populations.
If you want to help, the best for you to do is to educate yourself ([link]), never buy products made from tigers or endangered species ([link]), and tell others. Contact me for more information.