Siberian Tigers Vanishing

The last remaining wild population of Siberian tigers is rapidly declining, researchers warn. A study of a portion of the tiger's range found just 56 tigers when the average of the last decade had been 95. Researchers blame the decline on poaching and habitat loss, and believe only a few hundred of the tigers remain, the BBC reports.

"The sobering results are a wake-up call that current conservation efforts are not going far enough to protect Siberian tigers," said the lead researcher. "The good news is that we believe this trend can be reversed if immediate action is taken." A Russian hunting ban in 1947 helped the tiger population recover when it was down to only 30 tigers.
(More Siberian tiger stories.)