The Java tiger is one of the subspecies of a large striped predator that lived on the island of Java. He was distinguished by a relatively small body size and weight. This subspecies is considered extinct, as it was on the verge of extinction in the middle of the twentieth century. The latest data on three individuals date back to 1979. The estimated time of extinction of the subspecies is 1980.
Catastrophic number of individuals - 25 tigers
For the first time, the possibility of extinction of the Javan tiger began to be discussed in the middle of the twentieth century. At that time, the population numbered about 25 individuals. All measures were created to save the subspecies from extinction, a reserve was set up to preserve the population, in which each individual was taken into account. The destruction of the population of Javanese tigers is due to the active extermination of predators and the violation of the natural habitat. The largest part of the individuals lived in specially created reserves and reserves of the island of Java. But even these measures did not save this subspecies from extinction.
The Javanese tiger is reminiscent ofSumatran tiger. However, there are differences: extinct individuals had a relatively dark color and a rarer arrangement of black stripes. The dark patches on the broad feet very often had a beautiful curved double loop. Adult males were significantly larger than females. The Javan tiger was very attracted to poachers. The appearance of the skin was chic.
Animal Habitat
Animals lived mainly in the tropics. They hunted antelope, bulls, various birds. The lifestyle of this subspecies was no different from the general behavior of tigers.
Female Javanese tigers gave birth to two or three kittens. The weight of each tiger cub was up to one and a half kilograms. After one and a half to two years, individuals could mate, as the period of puberty set in. The females carried the cubs for a little over a hundred days. Average life expectancy was ten to fifteen years.
Prerequisites for extinction
Javanese tiger often attacked herds of livestock, as it is the easiest prey. Cattle breeders, protecting their domestic animals, actively hunted relatively small predators. This was one of the reasons for the extinction of a subspecies of beautiful wild animals.
Farmers in those places always kept a loaded gun in the house. A lot of striped cats have died because of laziness to go hunting. The Javan tiger, whose appearance was described above, was not always afraid of a person. That is why the hunters could sneak up close to the predator.
Tiger population recovering?
The eastern part of the island of Java is covered with dense tropical forests. More than a third of all forests are untouched by man. They are impassable, and therefore little explored. From time to time, information appears that it was in those forests that eyewitnesses met several individuals of Javan tigers. But no hard evidence has been provided. Scientists argue with some doubt that these reports may be incorrect. From afar, a leopard can be mistaken for a Javanese tiger, since there is a distant external resemblance between these representatives of predators.
Of course, the locals do not stop believing that the Javan tiger lives in the forests. They tried to provide photos of such evidence, only they had a blurred image. Therefore, scientists are in no hurry to resurrect this species of tigers.
First mention of a predator being alive
But some facts of predator attacks on humans and domestic animals cast doubt on the complete extinction of Javan tigers.
The first evidence that began speculation about the resurrection of the population of an extinct subspecies of tigers was recorded in 2008. The corpse of a woman was found on the territory of the functioning Mount Merbabu National Park in the eastern part of the island of Java. She was among the many tourists visiting the island. During the investigation of the causes of death, the fact of an attack by a predatory animal, presumably from the cat family, was established. The villagers who found the woman spoke with one voice that they had seen nearattack sites of a tiger similar to an extinct subspecies. But since the animal was seen at a great distance, the scientists did not accept this statement as a documented fact.
The second evidence of the fact of the revival of the tiger population was recorded in 2009. The same eastern part of the island, covered with impenetrable forests, is mentioned. It was here that local eyewitnesses saw a female Javan tiger along with two small cubs. The calm tigress did not show any aggression, calmly walked past the rural settlement and hid in the forest thickets. It is possible that the Javan tiger has learned to hide from people.
Gold or tigers?
These facts suggest that the population of Javan tigers is not destroyed and is beginning to revive. Therefore, on the territory of the island of Java, a special reserve was created, a kind of national park, to preserve all the Javanese tigers that may live on the territory. The idea of the functioning of the reserve is that all tigers should be concentrated in one protected place. Thus, the entire population of animals will be under constant control and protection.
However, the existence of this reserve is currently under threat of liquidation. A fairly large deposit of the precious metal, gold, was discovered on its territory. Several companies are now fighting for the right to use these lands and start developing gold mining. If industrial development is not stopped, Javanese will finally disappear.tiger. The extinction of these predators was officially confirmed in 1980, but scientists do not lose hope. But mining gold may be more important than saving a special species of tabby cats.
