Whipple

McKenna Whipple
Professor Susan Laidlaw
WRT 150-25
16 April 2014

A Symbolic Hunter
Tyger Tyger, burning bright, in the forests of the night; what immortal hand or
eye, could frame thy fearful symmetry? Over time the tiger has been used in many forms
of literature and entertainment as a symbolically powerful image. It is a loved, adored,
and respected creature. This poem takes on the idea of the tiger as an iconic hunter and its
place in the world as a fearful, but strong species. In later years, the tiger was infamously
used in the same way in Rudyard Kiplings, The Jungle Book, Keep peace withe Lords
of the Jungle --the Tiger, the Panther, and Bear. The tiger is a member of the Lords of
the Jungle, in an animalistic society; being a top feared predator is a position that
upholds empowerment. This radiant creature, throughout time, is represented and thought
of as a prime aspect to the balance of the deep jungle. Now we are sadly focusing on the
decline in numbers that has taken over this astounding animal, instead of appreciating its
striking beauty that withholds a mysterious aggression. These intriguing creatures that
have been used and represented through different cultures as a symbol of power, strength,
and protection, are now under severe threat of extinction.
As humans, we require the space to grow, but we are eliminating crucial amounts
of top predator habitat. This invasion is causing the animals to lose primary habitat

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forcing them to no longer be considered wild animals habitat loss is not the primary
problem in the extinction of tigers. Wildlife researchers, Barry W. Brook, Navjot S.
Sodhi, and Peter K. L. Ng, state that habitat loss has exceeded ninety-five percent over
the past 183 years. Top predator species, being larger animals, ultimately demand
widespread amounts of land to meander and hunt prey. The main focus needs to be
swayed toward the rise of illegal poaching.
The amount of illegal hunting and poaching of tigers is increasing at an alarming
rate and is the main source behind the extermination of the tiger species. Shockingly, the
tiger population has declined ninety-five percent in the last century. According to the
ICUN Red List of Endangered Species, the small numbers of tigers still alive today
primarily reside in thirteen Asian countries, including Indonesia, Bangladesh, Cambodia,
Malaysia, and Nepal. In these types of expanses there are various reasons for human
poaching, including commercial gain, the most common motive behind poaching (Muth
and Bowe.)
A study by colleagues of The World Wide Fund for Nature and the Department of
National Parks in Thailand explains that commercial poaching is a money source for
many people by supplying local and regional markets with meat, antlers, horns, and
other body parts. The wild cats bones are even used for traditional medicine and their
coats are prized as rugs. In Vietnam, there are an alleged eleven illegal markets dealing
with the highly prized tiger parts (Press). According to Fox News, The illegal wildlife
trade is worth an estimated $8 billion to $10 billion per year in Southeast Asia alone and
includes tigers, rhinos and other lesser-known animals. A more interesting and
uncommon motivator for poaching is cultural demand influenced by ethnic beliefs. An

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article from The International stated that, Indias declining tiger population is influenced
by the fact that in some Asian countries, such as China, consumption of tiger penis is
believed to increase virility (Pedersen). This particular tiger part can sell for a minimum
amount of three hundred and twenty dollars (Tigers in Crisis). However, many
poachers and illegal hunters do not realize the global issues extinction and endangerment
can create in our ecosystem when killing off a prime top predator, considering the
worlds trophic levels.
The abolishment of a top hunters place at the peak of the food chain is an
underestimated problem for our dwindling ecosystem. Nelson Hairston, professor of
ecology and evolutionary biology at Cornell University, and colleagues refer to the food
chain concept as top-down control. They propose that the world is still green because
carnivores reduce the amount of herbivores, keeping herbivore populations under control.
Otherwise, herbivores would consume almost all of the vegetation in the world. The
Bengal tiger is a specific type of top predator known for hunting medium and large-sized
animals including wild boars, badgers, water buffaloes, deer, gaur, and goats. The Nilgai
Antelope is a species under concern for population increase due to predator extinction.
N.P.S Chauhan, scientist at the Wildlife Institute of India, states that, Nilgai were found
to be capable of causing extensive damage to most agricultural crops. Damage to wheat,
gram, and mustard crops was caused not only by foraging but also through trampling,
resting in field and daily movement of the animals. In low-density Nilgai areas, losses to
wheat, gram and moong crops were 20-30%, 40-55% and 40- 45%. Damage to guar and
cotton was 20-35% and 25-40%. This occurrence leads to the elimination of their
primary food sources such as plants and trees. By remaining a hunter, the tiger is a

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balancing act in the worlds active food chain by limiting the number of over-eating
herbivores. According Dafeng Hui, professor of Biological Sciences at Tennessee State
University, trophic levels are what create and maintain energy flow in communities.
Without resources of balance we would notice an increase in the population of prey,
creating an active example of top-down control.
Plants, smaller animals, and insects are a part of the lowest trophic level and are
not categorized as prey for top predators. However, they are equally as affected by the
existence and extinction of chief hunters. Over population of herbivores, resulting from
the diminishing of tiger and top-down predator populations would ultimately decrease an
expansive volume of the worlds vegetation. Forcing waves of insects and smaller
creatures to migrate to man-planted farmlands would ruin vast amounts of agriculture and
begin to negatively affect humans way of life. According Dr. Dominique Mazzi,
Professor of Applied Entomology at the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Host plant
suitability can deteriorate through the action of herbivores, when herbivore attack triggers
the production and mobilization of noxious or deterrent defensive plant compounds.
Because these natural host plants are no longer suitable as a food source for traveling
insects, the creatures are understandably forced to seek alternative self-nourishment.
Therefore stimulating an invasion of farm fields and agricultural crops, creating an
economic impact.
Ultimately, this occurrence would lead to deforestation. According to an article
from National Geographic, removing trees deprives the forest of portions of its canopy,
which blocks the suns rays during the day and holds in heat at night. This disruption
leads to more extreme temperatures swings that can be harmful to plants, animals, and

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humans. The over population of power-hungry herbivores diminishes the amount of
undeveloped trees, eliminating earths natural canopy that is helping maintain the
climate. Deforestation is considered to be one of the top reasons for the increase in global
warming. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that
eighteen million acres of forest are lost each year due to deforestation. Clearly,
herbivores are not responsible for all of this loss, but they are contributing to a larger
global problem. This is a foreseeable effect that would result from the loss of all toppredator species. We cannot afford this happening, considering the damaging
consequences that would be depicted on our environment and our society.
Although tigers possess a lot of attention and concern for being on the endangered
species list, they are one among many. There are many other species that hold a
prominent spot in the top-down process that are in fear of extinction. Some of these
species include; bears, cougars, coyotes, leopards, lions, and wolves. In research provided
by the National Park Service it was explained that in 1994 the US Fish and Wildlife
service 1987 Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery Plan was approved to reintroduce
an experimental population of wolves into Yellowstone National Park. They did this in
hope that it would help get the ecosystem back on track during a time of environmental
difficulties due to the lack of a primary high trophic level predator. Without the leading
predator the inferior specifies that is on the lower end of the food chain, for a reason,
would flourish. An excessive amount of low trophic level species creates an unbalanced
ecosystem, creating an increasing level of issues for the environment.
Many organizations have been developed specifically for advocates of the
protection of a range of species. An organization continuously being built today is The

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World Wildlife Foundation; they produce awareness to endangered animals and gain
sponsors to raise money to increase their protection. The WWF tries to gain a lot of
media attention in order to bring in more funding to benefit specific animals. They
tactically get celebrities involved and hold large charity events, with iconic people as
guests, to increase support. Leonardo Dicaprio joined forces with the WWF in 2010 and
launched, Save Tigers Now, a global campaign that focuses on raising political, global,
and financial awareness for tigers all around the world. Also the Leonardo Dicaprio
Foundation was created, which sponsored the Christies 11th Hour Charity Auction in
May of 2013, creating a new donation record of 38.8 million dollars for conservation. In
an article from WWF Dicaprio stated that, Time is running out for the worlds
remaining 3,200 tigers, largely the result of habitat destruction and escalating illegal
poaching. WWF, the government of Nepal, and local communities are on the front lines
of this battle and I am hopeful this grant will help them exceed the goal of doubling the
number of these noble creatures in the wild. Although it is difficult to create these
organizations and raise such extensive amounts of money without the resources or high
authority, bringing awareness to other people who are unacquainted with the trouble the
extinction of certain animals, like the tiger, could create is enough. Developing a strong
foundation of the problem in order to advise others will bring an increasing amount of
attention to the growing issue. Also there are a variety of organizations to donate to, even
foundations specifically for the tiger. Paying attention to news on poaching and illegal
hunting and using our voices to protest the very thing that is potentially ruining our
environment could create all the difference.

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This dazing animal continues to find its whole species in danger of extinction.
Behind every door there appears to be another threat indiscreetly waiting to take its
concerning toll on some of our worlds most precious predators. These powerful animals
spend day-by-day being, ultimately the upholding foundation that creates balance in even
our own ecosystem. Yet, they are being forced to live in fear of endless poaching for their
skin and bones as trophies and extreme habitat loss due to human growth. We are
neglecting to appreciate the impact their existence has on our world and how important
the tiger species is to us. The loss of the animal itself is a prime factor to the slow
diminishing of our ecosystem, but we are also losing an iconic, timeless, and powerful
hunter that has been represented through time as much more than an animal or a
balancing act, but a symbolically bold creature with strikingly beautiful mystery.

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Works Cited
Blake, William. "The Tyger." Poetry Foundation. Harriet Monroe Poetry Institute. Web.
24 Mar 2014.

Chauhan, N.P.S. "Agricultural crop depredation by nilgai antelope (Boselaphus

tragocamelus) and mitigation strategies: challenges in India." n. page. Web. 13
Apr. 2014.

Chundawat, R.S., Habib, B., Karanth, U., Kawanishi, K., Ahmad Khan, J., Lynam, T.,
Miquelle, D., Nyhus, P., Sunarto, S., Tilson, R. & Sonam Wang 2011. Panthera
tigris. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2.
Downloaded on 25 January 2014.

Fogel, Sarah, and Lee Posten. "Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Donates $3 Million to
Help WWF Double Nepals Tiger Population." worldwildlife.org. World
WildLife Foundation, 21 Nov. 2013. Web. 23 Jan. 2014.

Hairston, Nelson G., Fredrick E. Smith, and Lawrence B. Slobodkin. "Community

Structure, Population Control, and Competition." The American Naturalist, Dec.
1960. Web. 23 Jan. 2014.

Hui, Dafeng (2012) Food Web: Concept and Applications. Nature Education
Knowledge 3(12):6

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Mazzi, D. and Dorn, S. (2012), Movement of insect pests in agricultural landscapes.

Annals of Applied Biology, 160: 97113. doi: 10.1111/j.1744-7348.2012.00533.x

"Modern Day Plague." nationalgeographic.com. National Geographic, n.d. Web. 25 Jan.

2014.

Muth, Robert M., and John F. Bowe Jr. "Illegal harvest of renewable natural resources in
North America: Toward a typology of the motivations for poaching." Web of
Science : 9-24. Taylor and Francis Online . Web. 27 Jan. 2014.

Pedersen, Stephanie. "Continued Poaching Will Result in the Degradation of Fragile

Ecosystems." International. 04 Jun 2012: n. page. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.theinternational.org/articles/188-continued-poaching-will-result-inthe-deg>.

Steinmetz, Robert, Wanlop Chutipong, Naret Seuaturien, Erb Chirngsaard, and Montri
Khaengkhetkarn. "Population recovery patterns of Southeast Asian ungulates after
poaching." Biological Conservation. 143.1 (2010): 42-51. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
Tigers in Crisis. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.

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Szalay, Jessie. "Deforestation: Facts, Causes, and Events." Live Science. Tech Media
Network, 06 Mar 2013. Web. 13 Apr 2014.

"Tigers in Crisis: Information About Earth's Endangered Tigers." Studio Press. n. page.

"Vietnam's tiger farms are called trafficking hubs." Fox News. Fox News Network, 27 Jul
2012. Web. 24 Mar 2014.

"Yellow Stone National Park: Wolf Restoration." www.nps.gov. National Park Service,
n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2014.