levels predicted to rise nearly a foot by 2070.
However, the future for tigers is changing. Though in the face of overwhelming threats conservation may seem like a lost cause, there are still numerous schemes worldwide that aim to increase and protect tiger populations.
Wildlife conservationists have worked closely with governments to establish nature reserves, which ensure that the tigers are well fed and attended to when they are sick or injured.
Most importantly, however, these reserves are protected by legislation: no one can build on, develop, or clear the land. Though there are limitations, it is technically more difficult for poachers to attack the tigers here. The land is well secured and patrolled by rangers, most of whom are locals who have been educated about the benefits of tiger conservation, and the factors that threaten this.
Reserves range in size, but successful schemes have included the huge Xioaling in China, at 21 km², and Indonesia’s Kerinci Seblat, comparatively tiny at 14,846 km².