1. Project Work
Endangered Tigers
Done by: Sean Chai, Manfred Chua, Ng Hui Ren, Ng Hua Yu and David Yong

2. Table Of Contents
TOC o "1-3" h z u HYPERLINK l "_Toc267506217" Table Of Contents PAGEREF
_Toc267506217 h 2
HYPERLINK l "_Toc267506218" Problem Statement PAGEREF _Toc267506218 h 3
HYPERLINK l "_Toc267506219" Introduction PAGEREF _Toc267506219 h 3
HYPERLINK l "_Toc267506220" Background Research PAGEREF _Toc267506220 h 3
HYPERLINK l "_Toc267506221" Why they are killed PAGEREF _Toc267506221 h 3
HYPERLINK l "_Toc267506222" Population decrease PAGEREF _Toc267506222 h 4
HYPERLINK l "_Toc267506223" What have been done PAGEREF _Toc267506223 h 5
HYPERLINK l "_Toc267506224" What can we do PAGEREF _Toc267506224 h 5
HYPERLINK l "_Toc267506225" Methodology & Data Collection PAGEREF _Toc267506225
h 5
HYPERLINK l "_Toc267506226" What we did PAGEREF _Toc267506226 h 5
HYPERLINK l "_Toc267506227" Analysis and Discussion PAGEREF _Toc267506227 h 6
HYPERLINK l "_Toc267506228" Results PAGEREF _Toc267506228 h 6
HYPERLINK l "_Toc267506229" Analysis of results PAGEREF _Toc267506229 h 6
HYPERLINK l "_Toc267506230" Interview with doctors PAGEREF _Toc267506230 h 7
HYPERLINK l "_Toc267506231" Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc267506231 h 7

3. Problem Statement
Tigers all around the world are facing a very huge crisis. They have been hunted down for
centuries and their population is decreasing quickly, leading to endangerment. While many countries
around the world have banned tiger hunting, there are still many illegal poachers that still hunt the
tigers for their body parts, which they can sell at a high price in the black market. As the saying goes,
‘As long as there’s a demand, there will be a supply’, many people around the world still believes in
the myths about tiger parts and buy them, causing there to be a demand. Poachers then hunt the tigers
for the body parts to sell them, creating the supply. However, if there is no demand, there will be no
supply. Thus, we plan to rouse awareness in Singapore about how the myths about the tiger body parts
are false or how there are modern alternatives to what they can cure.
Introduction
When we first decided on this topic, we first researched about why they were killed, followed
by how much their population dropped by. We then researched deeper into what have been done by
global organizations and what we, as students, can do. We then surveyed doctors and the general
population about their thoughts on traditional Chinese medicine and if they are effective. We first
started on this project as we feel that western medicine has become globally re-knowed and is it really
necessary for other forms of medication. We stumbled upon the question on whether the chinese
medicine was really that all effective. That was where we started on this project.
Background Research
Why they are killed
They are hunted for sport, trophies, skin and as a source for traditional medical products. The
tigers have also been surrounded by superstition, some believing that necklaces of tiger claw protect a
child from the “evil eye” and such. They are hunted for their other various body parts as they are prized
in traditional Chinese medicine. Their tail are grinded and mixed with soap to create an ointment for
use in treating skin cancer while crushed tiger bones, added to wine, serve as a Taiwanese general
tonic. There are also many myths such as wearing a tiger’s claw as a piece of jewellery will possess
courage while consuming a tiger’s heart will grant strength, cunning and courage. Also, the tiger’s
penis is said to be an aphrodisiac. There is also another belief that if the small bones in the tiger’s feet
are tied to a child’s wrist, it is a sure cure for convulsions. Mixing the brain of a tiger with oil and
rubbing the mixture on one’s body is said to cure laziness and acne while adding honey to the tiger’s
gallstones and applying them to the hand and feet is said to treat abscesses. While this may be true,
western medical experts have claimed that there are modern medicines that produce a better result as
compared to the tigers’ parts. Some tiger parts, such as the fur, are used as clothing or a trophy. This is
partially caused by the growing population of humans and the growing level of wealth, which gives
more money for people to buy the fur, creating demand.
Sometimes, they may not be hunted, but instead, their natural habitats being destroyed by

4. humans for our own needs. Such needs include moving into their preferred area, polluting the water
and air with oil spills and chemicals released into the water and air.
Population decrease
Figure SEQ Figure * ARABIC 1: Tiger population chart and targeted increase
The above chart clearly shows the declination in the tigers’ population from the year 1970 to
now. It has dropped from approximately 40,000 tigers to as few as 3200 currently. Through the
process, three subspecies of tigers from four different places have became extinct, them being the Bali,
Javan and Caspian tigers from Bali, Java, Central Asia and South China. In India, the tigers’
stronghold, a recent government census suggests that there might be as few as 1400 tigers left. If no
action were taken, by 2050, the entire tiger population would have become extinct. However, if action
was taken and people stop hunting the tigers, the tigers’ population will increase and hopefully not
decrease again. Approximately, Cambodia, China, Lao PDR and Vietnam each have approximately 30
tigers left. In Sumatra, at least 40 Sumatran tigers were poached each year between 1998 and 2002 to
supply the market for tiger skins and other body parts. The total population of the Sumatran tigers is
estimated at fewer than 400 individuals. Tigers are now at what scientists call a ‘tipping point’,
meaning that they can go two ways, either survival, or extinction.
What have been done
The World Wildlife Fund(WWF) have a campaign known as Tx2, which aims to place the
necessary conditions to double the wild tiger population by the 2022, the next Year of the Tiger,
according to the Chinese calendar. They are currently focusing their efforts on securing emergency
fund to halt poaching in the most critical tiger landscapes and protecting the tiger habitat, including
clamping down hard on illegal tiger trade. The WWF is also working with a number of influential
groups in tiger range states, including governments, regional coalitions, international and multilateral
institutions to integrate tiger habitat into land-use plans, ensure ongoing discussions on tiger
conservation, getting endorsement of transboundary agreements and to help develop and capitalize a
region-wide Trust Fund for tiger conservation.
The World Bank helped form an ambitious and powerful alliance, known as the Global Tiger
Initiative to save wild tigers from extinction. The Global Tiger Initiative is a collaboration between
major conservation NGOs, including WWF and other stakeholders. Through this alliance, the World
Bank will lead consultations and dialogue with range state governments to garner support for tiger
conservation at the highest levels. Spurred by GTI, the World Bank will also begin to employ a ‘tiger
filter’ to assess all planned and future projects for negative impacts to tigers and their habitats. Any
projects that would do irreparable harm would not be implemented in tiger landscapes unless
appropriate mitigations can be incorporated into the project plans. Additionally, projects in important
tiger landscape will include components that positively contribute to tiger conservation, and not just
mitigate negative impacts. The goal is to introduce such a tiger filter to other multi- and bi-lateral
development banks as well.
What can we do
For starters, we can choose to not buy a product that include tiger parts(picture to the left) or buy

5. forest-friendly products as the biggest threat to tigers, behind poaching, is the destruction of their forest
home, mainly due to illegal logging and conversion to agriculture, particularly commercial oil palm
plantations. This can be done by simply buying certified paper and wood products and products made
of certified sustainable palm oil. To go an extra mile, we can spread the word of how to save the tiger
or even donate to the tiger projects by the WWF.
Methodology & Data Collection
What we did
Firstly, we searched on the internet for information about the tiger’s population, why it was
being hunted, what have been done and what we can do. We went to the WWF’s website as it was
plentiful of information about tiger endangerment. We also searched on medical websites and journals
to find out more about the medical properties of the tiger’s parts. We then did a data collection through
surveys to random people by distributing the surveys from door to door and asking on the streets. We
asked about if they believed that if animal’s body parts have medical properties as if they do, it is more
likely that they will go and buy medicine that include animal’s body parts. We also asked them if they
consumed traditional Chinese medicine and if they know that they contain animal parts. This allows us
to know if people consume traditional Chinese medicine that contain animal parts as the more there is,
the higher demand for animal parts are required, which may or may not include tigers.
Analysis and Discussion
Results
EMBED MSGraph.Chart.8 s EMBED MSGraph.Chart.8 s
Analysis of results
These are the results that have shown from the research that we have conducted. It can clearly
be seen that majority of the young people of age group 13 – 26 does not believe that Traditional
Chinese Medicine(TCM) have medical properties. For the middle-aged group, there are almost as many
people who believe that TCM have medical properties as people who don’t believe have medical
properties.
For the second survey, we can see that most young people do not consume TCM and if they do,
rarely does it include animal parts. These shows that in the future, animals, including tigers, will not be
hunted as much as there will be less demand due to the lack of belief in TCM. However, young people
from other countries may not have the same views due to a coming from a different society.
Interview with doctors
We also have a interview with a doctor regarding his thoughts about TCM and another about
animal parts being used as medicine. The first doctor believes in TCM but thinks that Singapore TCM
practitioners are not properly trained as compared to the ones in China. He believes that while animal
parts have medical properties, their effects are either hard to notice or takes a long time before taking
effects. The second, however, is not supportive of animal parts being used as medicine due to
hygiene standards. When asked if there are any alternatives to TCM such as pills and other modern

6. medicine, he replied that there are pills and other modern medicines that can substitute for TCM.
Conclusion
We’ve found out from our research that why tigers are hunted, their rapidly declining
population, what have been done to help them and what we can do. We also found out that many young
people in Singapore do not believe in TCM, which may lower the demand for animal parts that are
used in TCM in the future and hopefully bringing a stop to the killing. We also realise that there are
modern alternatives to TCM such as pills and other medicine so we need not rely on TCM, which can
also lower the demand for animal parts.
Limitations
There were many limitations for this project. First off was that tigers' parts are now hard to find
throughout the world as it has been banned due to tigers becoming endangered. This led us on a wild
goose chase just to find anybody in Singapore who has actually eaten part of a tiger. Secondly, many
people do not want to take the survey as eating tiger parts is a very sensitive issue.
Contributions to the wider community
The endangerment of the tiger should encourage people to learn how to cherish and protect the
things that are around them, those that they take for granted. A long time ago, there used to be many
tigers but due to humans hunting them, their numbers have dwindled and became near to extinction.
This should also teach us about how to think about others. If we were to just let tigers be extinct, our
future generations will not know what tigers are beyond story tales and old information.
Acknowledgements
We will like to thank the people who have answered our surveys, the kind doctors that
sacrificed their precious time to allow us to interview them and last but not least, our mentor, Mrs
Amanda Yap, for guiding us the whole way.
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for the graph on the tiger’s population
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