The Prowl Bracelet

“Tigers are tracked to monitor their populations, understand their behaviors, and address key threats to their survival. Panthera’s Tigers Forever program operates at critical sites across Asia, aiming to increase tiger numbers by at least 50 percent over a 10-year period. By following tigers' movements, researchers can assess habitat use, prey availability, and interactions with human communities. This data helps bolster anti-poaching measures, secure protected areas, and connect fragmented habitats to support long-term conservation. Tracking also reveals how tigers adapt to changing environments, providing nuanced insights into their ecology that guide targeted protection strategies.”

To learn more about the work our partner is doing, visit their site directly at panthera.org.

“Tigers are primarily tracked using an extensive network of camera traps (PantheraCams), which are motion-activated camera traps strategically placed in key habitats. These regular camera traps capture images and videos of tigers moving through the landscape, enabling researchers and conservationists to identify individuals based on unique stripe patterns, much like fingerprints. Rangers and researchers check these cameras regularly—often hiking into remote areas to retrieve data cards, replace batteries, and reposition devices for optimal coverage. This method provides ongoing, non-invasive monitoring of tiger movements, population trends, and behaviors without requiring direct contact. While some advanced systems incorporate AI for faster analysis, the core approach relies on this hands-on network to monitor tigers in real time across vast, rugged terrain.”

To learn more about the work our partner is doing, visit their site directly at panthera.org.

“Tracking methods are designed to minimize any impact on tigers, with indirect approaches like camera traps having no direct contact and thus posing no harm. These devices simply record passing animals without interfering with their natural activities, such as hunting, mating, or raising cubs. Studies show negligible effects overall, though researchers continually refine techniques to ensure even subtle influences, like potential stress from human presence during camera maintenance, are reduced.”

To learn more about the work our partner is doing, visit their site directly at panthera.org.

Tigers are classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), reflecting their vulnerable position due to historical declines. However, there's nuance in their status: populations are stable or even growing in countries like India, Nepal, Bhutan, Russia, and China, thanks to focused conservation efforts.

Globally, an estimated 5,574 tigers remain in the wild, but regional variations exist—some areas in Southeast Asia continue to see declines, highlighting the need for ongoing, tailored protection to prevent further fragmentation and loss.

The biggest threats to tigers include poaching and illegal wildlife trade, driven by demand for their parts in traditional medicine and as luxury items, which directly reduces numbers and disrupts breeding populations. Habitat loss and fragmentation from agriculture, logging, infrastructure, and human expansion have reduced tiger ranges by more than 95%, isolating populations and increasing vulnerability to inbreeding. 

Human-wildlife conflicts arise when these predators prey on livestock in encroaching settlements, often leading to retaliatory killings. Additionally, the depletion of prey species due to overhunting exacerbates the risk of starvation. Climate change adds further nuance by altering habitats and prey availability, underscoring the interconnected challenges that require multifaceted solutions, such as community engagement and habitat corridors.

Tigers live in a variety of habitats, including dense rainforests, jungles, and open grasslands. The largest population of tigers exists in India (Bengal tigers), followed by Siberian and Amur tigers in Russia, Sumatran tigers in Indonesia, Bengals in Nepal, and increasingly smaller populations of Indochinese tigers in Thailand. The remaining Asian countries with tigers are limited to fewer than 100–200 individuals.

On average, tigers live for 10–15 years in the wild.

The largest of the big cats, the tiger represents courage, strength, independence, and power, with significance as a protective guardian in many cultures.