South China tiger

South Chinese Tiger

The South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis ), also Amoytiger, is a very rare subspecies of tiger. According to WWF - information there, if at all, only a few isolated individuals in the wild. For several decades it has been scientifically provable not been sighted.

• 2.1 sightings
• 2.2 Planned reintroduction

Features

The South China tiger is smaller than, for example, King and Indochinese tigers, their habitats are geographically the closest.

Physique

The total length of large males is on average 250-265 cm, those of the females is from 230 to 240 cm, the head -body length of the males makes about 160 to 175 cm from. The heaviest known male weighed 175 kg, the average weight is 140 to 145 kg. As with other tigers the males are slightly larger and heavier than females, bring only 100 to 115 kilos.

Fur

The coat is redder than the King Tiger. Also the white is less extensive on the face and bottom and goes in some animals over in cream color. The rather broad deep black stripes are relatively far apart. On the flanks they are mostly double and disintegrate at the lower end often in patches. The cock rings are broad and often double. The South China tiger is rarely extended neck hair as it sometimes happens with other subspecies. The coat is of similar length as in Bengal, at best, the winter coat may be slightly longer in the northern populations.

Dissemination

The Chinese Tiger was originally distributed in most part of China. The northern boundary, where it was replaced by the Amur tiger, was about the 40th degree of latitude. In the south he came in northern Guangxi, Yunnan and Guangdong to the area of the Indochina tiger, in the West, he penetrated along the mountain valleys far into the West Central China. The only subspecies still lives in the mountains of the Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangxi and Zhejiang. Even at the beginning of the 20th century was popular in large parts of southern China. In 1949 there were an estimated 4,000 animals of this subspecies. The often specified number of 20 to 30 copies in southern China is considered by experts to be no longer secured (see Ron Tilson, The Tiger Foundation), because there is no verifiable sightings in recent decades. On the red list of threatened species by the IUCN, this subspecies, such as the Sumatran tiger, with the characteristic CR - out and quoted the statements of Ron Tilson ( critically endangered threatened with extinction ).

The Chinese tiger is threatened from all tiger subspecies most extinction; some experts believe that it is already extinct in the wild. China has introduced protective measures, but this came too late and reflect too small and too widely spaced territories.

In the zoos in China about 60 individuals live. Information on the number of copies held in foreign zoos are not searchable.

Sightings

In October 2007, images of a wild tiger were common, it would have been the first sighting since 1964. In June 2008, the recordings, however, were exposed as fakes and arrested 13 public officials in the context.

Planned introduction into the wild

A group of animal rights activists aims South China tiger back to life in the wilderness to get used to. To this end, the Foundation Save China's Tigers in 2001, was founded by environmentalist and former fashion designer Li Quan, together with an international group of investors and experts. Save China's Tigers spent in captivity ( zoos, animal parks ) held South China tigers to South Africa in the Laohu Valley Reserve, where with great effort reintroduction attempts are made in a suitable territory. The aim is to these animals to get used to hunting, to draw young and reintroduce an assured number of tigers in China again.

Initially ( September 2003), two South China tiger from China were brought to South Africa in the reserve, which could be successfully introduced to an independent hunting and killing of prey. In October 2004, followed by two more specimens from a Chinese zoo, which were relocated to the reservation. Two of the original four South China tigers were moved to South Africa, two each boy brought to the world ( 2007 and 2008 ). One of these boys died, however, a bacterial infection; one of the 2003 spent to South Africa specimens died of a heart defect. In 2009, two more young. These are drawn from the mother completely autonomously and without human assistance in the nature of the reserve. Thus, it is possible that these pups are brought up by their mothers to the natural hunting and learning to use them. Not least because the program is considered a success.

However, there are difficulties, more young South China tigers to South Africa to spend, because in captivity in China hardly offspring is born.

Etymology

The zoological technical term Panthera tigris amoyensis has its origin in the Chinese city of Amoy. Amoy referred further a dialect in Fujian Province and the city of Xiamen ( Fujian Province) is spoken. In these provinces, the South China or Amoytiger was formerly widespread.