GRIM news for tigers last week, with a new census reporting that the number remaining may be less than half of the already alarmingly low figure suspected. But that ominous cloud comes with a silver lining: existing tiger reserves, if well managed, should be sufficient to give the big cats a good start in pulling back from the brink.
Tigers are hard to count precisely as they are very shy of humans. In 2001 and 2002, biologists estimated that India – where the vast majority of remaining tigers live – was home to about 3650 individuals. Last week, however, the…
