How much do you know about tigers--not the football or basketball kind, but the wild kind? Even though images of tigers abound on the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU or Mizzou) campus, from stuffed tigers in the bookstore to Truman at sporting events, 95% of over 500 MU students and fans surveyed at an MU men’s basketball game said they knew little or nothing about tigers. This is unfortunate since the regal mascot of the University of Missouri is one of the most endangered mammal species on the planet.
While an estimated 100,000 tigers roamed the forests of Asia in 1900, today there are no more than 7,000 wild tigers spread thinly across thirteen Asian countries. Compared to other dwindling mammal species, 7,000 may still sound like a lot of tigers. However, because of the tiger’s enormous habitat requirements, very few populations of more than 100 exist in any single piece of forest and each minipopulation is susceptible to local extinction. Threats to wild tigers include habitat loss, poaching, and prey depletion. Of the 8 recognized tiger subspecies, three (Caspian, Java, and Bali) have gone extinct in the last 40 years and the fourth (South China) has been reduced to less than 30 wild individuals. As recently as the mid-1990s there were predictions that tigers would be extinct in the wild by 2000. Today, however, while the threats to wild tigers remain, many tiger experts are cautiously optimistic about the future of wild tigers in at least some parts of Asia. This tentative reprieve is due in large part to the hard work of conservation organizations in Asia and worldwide.
MU joined the international effort to save wild tigers when Chancellor Richard Wallace announced the creation of the Mizzou Tigers for Tigers conservation program in February 1999. While there are over 60 colleges and universities in the U.S. with a tiger mascot, MU’s effort in support of its mascot has been recognized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as the first of its kind at a U.S. university. The objectives of Mizzou Tigers for Tigers include 1) raising awareness about the conservation status of tigers among the university community, 2) raising money to support projects that will benefit wild tigers and people who live near tigers, and 3) creating research and educational opportunities for MU faculty and students that will contribute to tiger conservation. The program has caught the attention of several national and international conservation groups, including the WWF, Wildlife Conservation Society, and the Save the Tiger Fund. These organizations have recognized the potential for Mizzou Tigers for Tigers, and similar programs someday forming at other “tiger schools” to make significant contributions to tiger conservation. For further information about the program, or to get involved, please visit the Mizzou Tigers for Tigers website (http://www.missouri.edu/~tigers) or call Michael Baltz at 884-7553.
BioRegional Quiz: What is the area with the lowest elevation in Missouri? Can you name some species that occur there?
Job of the Month: CULTURAL HERITAGE EDUCATOR, Bear Mountain Trailside Museum, Hudson, NY
Coordinate & recruit volunteers to monitor/restore prehistoric Native American rockshelters in the Park, help create interpretive programming for a Revolutionary War historic site, and assist with on-site development of cultural heritage resources. Utilization of GIS technology (Arcview) to update and inventory resources for heritage management purposes. Duties: work with professional staff to develop an 18th century interpretive site for the public; develop & create maps, brochures, photo displays, and other interpretive resources. Required: BA/BS or equivalent in anthropology/archeology, sociology, communications, environmental or related studies. Desired: computer skills including GIS and GPS, map making and design skills, effective communication skills, history/preservation background and interest in outdoors. Personal transportation required. Benefits include base stipend of $450 bi-weekly, healthcare, and educational award of $4,725 upon completion! Apply to: Marcy HaciSavas, Program Coordinator, Hudson River Valley Program; ph: 845-255-4758, email: marcy@sca-inc.org
Special Events/Information:
Answer to BioRegional Quiz: At 70m (230 feet) the St. Francois River is the lowest point in Missouri. Located in Patterson, the river forms the eastern boundary of the Sam A. Baker State Park. Anglers enjoy the St. Francois River for its bluegill, bass, crappie, sunfish, goggle eye and catfish.
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