There are believed to be about 3,200 tigers left in the wild and more than 13,000 in captivity — half of which are in China. Assessing populations in the wild is notoriously difficult, given the remoteness of their habitats and the animals’ tendency to avoid human contact. It is believed numbers have fallen by 97 percent over the past century and the trend remains downwards, but several revisions have taken place in recent years.
In March, India unveiled a new census that put the total number of wild tigers in the country close to 1,550 — 10 percent more than the figure in 2008.
In Indonesia, camera traps have recently caught images of 12 Sumatran tigers, including a mother playing with cubs. The WWF estimates that there are only 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild. A recent study conducted by the Wildlife Conservation Society said the population could be much larger than previously believed.
About 350 adult Siberian or Amur tigers — physically, the largest subspecies — are left in the wild, with 95 percent of them inhabiting the far eastern regions of Russia.
Thailand is thought to be home to 250 to 300 wild tigers, though camera traps have revealed that Thap Lan National Park has more of the animals than previously believed.
Bangladesh has between 400 and 450 wild tigers, mostly in the Sunderbans mangrove forests which overlap with India. Last year, they killed 44 people.
The Chinese government on March 29 sent shock waves through the Tibetan Buddhist community by announcing the untimely death of one of its most revered spiritual figures, Hungkar Dorje Rinpoche. His sudden passing in Vietnam raised widespread suspicion and concern among his followers, who demanded an investigation. International human rights organization Human Rights Watch joined their call and urged a thorough investigation into his death, highlighting the potential involvement of the Chinese government. At just 56 years old, Rinpoche was influential not only as a spiritual leader, but also for his steadfast efforts to preserve and promote Tibetan identity and cultural
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
Former minister of culture Lung Ying-tai (龍應台) has long wielded influence through the power of words. Her articles once served as a moral compass for a society in transition. However, as her April 1 guest article in the New York Times, “The Clock Is Ticking for Taiwan,” makes all too clear, even celebrated prose can mislead when romanticism clouds political judgement. Lung crafts a narrative that is less an analysis of Taiwan’s geopolitical reality than an exercise in wistful nostalgia. As political scientists and international relations academics, we believe it is crucial to correct the misconceptions embedded in her article,
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,
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