From Window Magazine: 'Before They're Gone'

Despite what you may have heard, there are plenty of tigers in the world – in places like Texas.

But in the wild regions of Asia, where tigers are meant to be, they are endangered. Just 3,200 survive in a region that once supported 100,000, says Eric Dinerstein (’75, Ecosystems Analysis), the chief scientist for the World Wildlife Fund.

More tigers can be found on Texas game ranches, he says.

Dinerstein has tracked the big cat’s fate since he participated in a tiger census more than 30 years ago as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal. He’s now one of the world’s most influential wildlife scientists, and part of a multi-national movement to save the tiger.

The cat’s plight stems both from poaching and from human development of what was once prime tiger habitat. To reverse the tiger’s population crash, wildlife scientists say Asian nations must stop the poaching and expand the habitat. Dinerstein believes the cat can be saved, in part because other species have bounced back after approaching extinction. Just 100 southern white rhinos survived in Africa in 1900. Today, there are more than 20,000. “Even the most endangered mammals on Earth can make dramatic recoveries as long as we protect them and preserve enough habitat,” Dinerstein says.

Read the rest of this story on the website for Window Magazine.