Some studies show that a century ago, 50,000-80,000 tigers may have lived in India alone. Sadly, though, there are fewer than 8,000 wild tigers left in the world today, mostly because of tiger hunting. Tigers are so highly endangered that they may soon become extinct in the wild. Tiger hunting is now completely illegal everywhere and this includes the international trade of tigers and tiger products. But the tiger's survival is still threatened, mainly because its habitats are being destroyed by man and also because there is a big demand for tiger parts, especially in Asia. Unfortunately, illegal tiger trade is very profitable. Many Asian countries use tigers part for traditional medicines to cure diseases. Tiger bone, for example, is used to reduce pain and many Asian culture belive it makes human bones stronger. Tiger bone is also very expensive. It can sell for $75-$115 per pound, which is more money than some people in Asia make in a year. In the '70s, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) began a programme called Operation Tiger. However, it was India who led the world in efforts to save the tiger. Project Tiger was started by the government of India in 1972 to save the endangered tiger species in the country. Today, more than 37,000 km2 are covered by these project tigers area and try to stop tiger hunters. Fortunately, there is still hope for the tiger. We can support an environmantal group that looks after tigers, like the Environment Agency. By working together, we can protect tigers and their habitats from the danger of disappearing forever.