A Case Study- Saving the South China Tiger
Li Quan
Wild10, Oct 2013, Salamanca
Role of Rewilding & Reintroduction to
Supplement Wild Tiger Populations
Tiger Subspecies Distribution
Driscoll et al. (2009)
Driscoll et al. (2009)
Tiger Subspecies Distribution
Free-Ranging Tiger Subspecies Status
Indo-Chinese Tiger (±1,200-1,800)
1900: ±100,000 tigers
2010: ±4,500 tigers
Bengal Tiger (±1,300-1,500)
South China Tiger (<20?)
Amur Tiger (±400-500)
Malayan Tiger (±300)
Sumatran Tiger (±400-500)
- A worldwide team of scientists, led by Johan Rockstrom of the Stockhom Resilience Center in Sweden, as reported in Nature
Planetary Boundaries - Biodiversity Loss Biggest Threat
Does China really need wild tigers?
Does China really need wild tigers?
Tigers are deeply imbedded in 8000 years of Chinese art and culture and are a flagship for biodiversity in China
Does China really need wild tigers?
Tigers are deeply imbedded in 800 years of Chinese art and culture and are a flagship for biodiversity in China
Tigers evoke strong emotional responses as a symbol of the wild and untamed, a world not dominated by humans
Tigers are deeply imbedded in 800 years of Chinese art and culture and are a flagship for biodiversity in China
Tigers evoke strong emotional responses as a symbol of the wild and untamed, a world not dominated by humans
The loss of tigers has a cascading impact from ungulates to plants to the entire ecosystem
Does China really need wild tigers?
Does China really need wild tigers?
Tigers are deeply imbedded in 800 years of Chinese art and culture and are a flagship for biodiversity in China
Tigers evoke strong emotional responses as a symbol of the wild and untamed, a world not dominated by humans
The loss of tigers has a cascading impact from ungulates to plants to the entire ecosystem
Climate change has alerted humans to their need for health forests where tigers live so humans and tigers are not in competition for space to live and thrive
Successes in saving Species on the Brink
Florida Panther: USA
Przewalski’s horse: Mongolia Scimitar-horned oryx: N. Africa
Golden-lion tamarin: S. America
China’s efforts to save
the South China Tiger
South China Tiger in Dire Straits
It is extinct in the wild
Captive-born tigers need to be rewilded prior to a re-introduction
Successful reintroduction requires the space to support a viable or self sustaining population
It is time to developing a realistic strategy
Rewilding captive tigers
S. Africa was an ideal location because of its experience in reintroductions, and
It has a supply of wild prey to teach tigers the needed hunting skills
Developing one to several reserves in China
Each with a sustaining natural prey base, and
Together large enough to support a viable population
Two steps to
Re-establish wild tigers in China
Rewilding tigers in South Africa
Health and safety
Shipping
Arrival in South Africa
Release in rewilding facility
Tiger Rewilding Facility
500 m
40 ha
100 ha
Learning to hunt wild prey
Tiger Rewilding Facility
A comparison of Asian and African prey species
Blesbuck
D Damaliscus dorcas
Male: ±70 kg Female ±60 kg Open grassland
Sika Deer Cervus nippon
Male: ±70 kg Female ±40 kg Patchy clearings
Prey Population
Blesbuck - 100 ha camp Prey density: 2.2 – 4.0 ha/blesbuck
Prey biomass: 1,716 – 2,600 kg/km2
x = -185.4 kg/km2 of carrying capacity ---
Kills & Food Intake
2 rewilded, young adult males (30-day sample)
• Mean kill rate = 0.3 kills/tiger/day
• Mean period between kills = 3.6 days/tiger
• Mean meat intake = 8.1 kg/tiger/day
• Mean period between kills = 7.1 days/tiger
Free-ranging tigers*
• Mean kill rate = 0.1 kills/tiger/day
• Mean meat intake = 6.4 - 11.2 kg/tiger/day
* Karanth & Sunquist (2000); Karanth & Stith (1999); Karanth et al. (2004)
Tigers from zoos serve as breeding stock 2nd generation rewilded tigers for reintroduction
Rewilded young are: Raised to hunt wild
prey
Reared by mothers who hunt wild prey
Conclusions
• Captive-born, rewilded South China tigers have demonstrated their ability independently to learn to hunt free-ranging prey.
• These rewilded tigers are considered ready to be free-released into reserves where they would be able to hunt free-ranging, natural prey.
• All tigers from Chinese Zoos have bred healthy cubs successfully compared to dismal results in Chinese zoos. Out of 14 tigers currently under our custody, 11 were born in South Africa with no visible genetic defects to date.
Developing tiger reserves in China
First a staging area is needed similar to South Africa
Meihuashan has been designated as is being prepared for this role
Three sites have been proposed that range from 150 – 200 km2
Goal: Habitat Restoration in China - A Tremendous but Necessary Challenge
Summary
From the South China Tiger project, we learned to rewild tigers
Rewilded tigers are ready to return to China
All tigers from Chinese Zoos have bred healthy cubs
15 born in South Africa; 11 survived
Further rewilding can be done in Meihuashan China
• These rewilded tigers are considered ready to be free-released into reserves where they would be able to hunt free-ranging, natural prey.
Applying the Model Elsewhere
Tigers are continuing to decline globally
Cambodia is considering introducing Bengal tigers to re-establish viable populations
Proposals to rewild and reintroduce Siberian tigers into former Caspian tiger range.
Plans to rewild and reintroduce Jaguars in Argentina
We woud like to thank the following for supporting the South China Tiger rescue effort since 1999:
The State Forestry Administration of China
National Wildlife Research & Development Centre & &
Dr. P. Crawshaw, Dr. C. Driscoll, Dr. G. Koehler, Vance Martin, Dr. S. O’brien, Dr. R. Ruggiero, Dr. David Smith, Dr. J. Sanderson, Dr. C. Traeholt,
& many volunteers and friends from China & rest of the world