Reading Passage (TIGER)

Reading Passage
1. The tiger, the largest cat in the world, is one of the most majestic animals on land and is
found only in Asia. It is also one of the most powerful mammals, yet it is on the brink of
extinction. In the 1900s, the tiger population was more than 100,000. Today, the number
has dwindled to less than 10,000 worldwide. Nepal has only 200 tigers, India has about
4,000, while Malaysia has less than 500. The reason for the decline in numbers is poaching.
6. Tigers are hunted not only by human beings but also by other predators such as
elephants, bears and large buffaloes. The only defence tigers have against their enemies are
their razor-sharp claws, their strong teeth and their sheer weight. The weight of a tiger,
which can range between 200 and 300 kilogrammes, can kill an 10 average sized human
being.
11. Tigers have fascinated human beings for several reasons. For instance, marks on their
forehead resemble the Chinese character wang, which means king. Furthermore, the
markings on a tiger’s forehead and the stripes all over its body are like finger prints. Experts
can tell individual tigers apart by observing the markings and stripes closely. This is because
no two tigers have identical markings. The patterns of their stripes vary immensely,
especially from one sub-species to another. The Sumatran tiger has the most stripes and
markings while the Siberian tiger has the fewest. The stripes of a tiger always run at right
angles to its body and not along its bodyline. Otherwise, it would be very conspicuous and
find it impossible to camouflage itself.
20. These carnivorous beasts thrive well in areas of dense vegetation with ample sources of
water and large populations of hoofed animals. They instinctively avoid human beings and
only attack people if they are provoked, injured or unable to hunt for their usual food.
24. Despite their prowess, tigers are unable to protect themselves from their greatest threat
– human beings. These magnificent creatures have been hunted for hundreds of years for
sport as proof of one’s strength and manliness, and for their skin. They have also been
trapped and poisoned by farmers to protect their livestock. As a result, the Caspian, Javan
and Bali tigers have become extinct. In many Asian countries, tigers are killed for their
precious claws. It is believed that wearing a talisman made of a 30 tiger’s claw can protect
its wearer. It is almost impossible to ascertain whether a tiger’s claw has any supernatural
powers, but what is certain is that many a tiger will lose its life so that someone can profit
from it.
33. Other than that, tigers have been hunted for their body organs, which are believed to be
a cure for many ailments. This superstition may have resulted from the connection 35 made
with their masculinity and strength. This has resulted in massive poaching of tigers for their
whiskers, eyes, teeth, penises, liver and fat.
37. Hunting of tiger prey has also caused the number of tigers to dwindle. Tigers usually
feed on hoofed animals such as deer, wild boar and buffaloes. The hunting of these animals
by human beings has caused tigers to starve to death.
40. Serious action has to be taken to ensure the survival of this majestic creature. Although
the tiger has been labelled an endangered species and the sale of tiger related products has
been banned in many countries, these measures have backfired, with illegal poaching of
tigers for their fur, bones and other organs becoming rampant. Some countries, such as
India, have allocated millions of dollars to set up tiger reserves to protect these animals but
even these are not safe. Poachers completely wiped out wild tigers in the Sariska Tiger
Reserve in India. To ensure the survival of the tiger, conservation efforts need to be
improved to reduce threats to tigers. Efforts must also be made to improve tiger habitats
and to increase tiger prey populations so that they will not starve to death in the wild. There
must be more stringent controls on the demand for tiger parts. When there is no demand,
there will be no supply. To drive the message home, poachers should be punished severely.
Otherwise, they will not stop their illegal activities.
Based on the passage given, write a summary on:

• why the tiger population suffered a serious decline.
 Steps or actions that can be taken to reduce the threats.
Credit will be given for use of own words but care must be taken not to change the
original meaning.
Your summary must:

• be in continuous writing form (not in note form)
• use material from lines 24 to 49
• not be longer than 130 words

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Reading Passage

Based on the passage given, write a summary on:

 Steps or actions that can be taken to reduce the threats.

Your summary must:

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