Knowra Caspian tiger Caspian tiger The Caspian tiger was an extinct tiger subspecies that ranged across Central Asia and parts of the Middle East, including lands around the Caspian Sea.
Tiger : A large Asian cat species, Panthera tigris, whose living populations and extinct forms are commonly called tigers. The Caspian tiger was one regional form within this species.
Tugay forest : A narrow, often flood-dependent woodland found along rivers in arid Central Asian landscapes. These riverine forests provided cover and habitat within otherwise dry Caspian tiger ranges.
Extinction : The permanent loss of a species or other taxonomic group when its last members die. The Caspian tiger is a regional tiger lineage that no longer exists.
Tiger conservation : Efforts to protect wild tiger populations, their habitats, and the ecological processes they depend on. The Caspian tiger’s loss informs strategies for preventing further tiger declines.
Hyrcanian forests : Temperate broadleaf forests along the southern Caspian coast, extending through parts of Iran and Azerbaijan. These forests lay within the Caspian tiger’s southwestern range.
Bengal tiger : A tiger population native chiefly to the Indian subcontinent and the most numerous surviving tiger population. Genetic studies place Caspian and Bengal tigers close together within mainland tiger populations.
Amu Darya : A major Central Asian river that flows toward the Aral Sea through present-day Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Its floodplain forests formed part of the tiger’s western Central Asian habitat.
Human–wildlife conflict : Negative interactions between people and wild animals that can cause harm to either or both. Conflict with livestock owners and settlers contributed to persecution of Caspian tigers.
Tiger reintroduction : The release of tigers into areas where they formerly lived or from which they have disappeared. Proposals for Central Asia consider whether living tiger populations could restore an ecological role once held by Caspian tigers.
Turkmenistan : A Central Asian country whose landscapes include deserts, mountains, and the Amu Darya region. Historical records place Caspian tigers in areas that are now within Turkmenistan.
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