ナショナルジオグラフィックさんのインスタグラム写真 - (ナショナルジオグラフィックInstagram)「Photos by @stevewinterphoto It's International Tiger Day! Let’s celebrate one of the most powerful, mystical beings on our planet. I’ve spent 20 years documenting this magnificent animal for @natgeo, the largest of the big cats—and the most endangered. There are perhaps 4,000 left in the wild across Asia, with that number split among five subspecies. India’s Bengals have the most hope, with about 2,300; meanwhile, just a few hundred Indochinese, Siberian, Sumatran, and Malay tigers remain. I've documented tigers in Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan, Sumatra, and India, where this iconic species faces the same threats: habitat loss, deforestation, and poaching for a lucrative, growing trade in tiger skins and bones used in “tiger bone wine,” with China as the largest consumer, followed by Vietnam, and Laos. This deadly commerce is driven by consumer demand—and masterminded by international cartels. When demand ceases, so too will the poaching of this beautiful cat. This pandemic has been a harsh reminder that our survival is inextricably linked to the health of the planet. Saving the landscapes these animals inhabit will protect other animals and conserve forests that sequester carbon, mitigating climate change. So if we can save big cats we can help save ourselves. Mom and cub, Bandhavgarh National Park, India (first image); Sumatran tiger, caught with a camera trap (second); Sumatran tiger cub that spent four days in a snare and lost its right front leg (third); and a year-old cub—the same one in the first image, 10 months later. Check out our Nat Geo book, "Tigers Forever: Saving the World’s Most Endangered Big Cat,” written by Sharon Guynup, a NG Explorer. #InternationalTigerDay Check out Nat Geo's link in bio for our most recent story on captive tigers in the United States.」7月29日 23時38分