The Caspian tiger primarily faced two main threats that led to its extinction. The first and most obvious one is hunting. Tigers have long been hunted for their fur, meat, and other body parts. Caspian tigers' striking patterns made their pelts highly sought after, encouraging even illegal trade and trophy hunting. These unregulated activities reduced their population drastically over the years.
Habitat Loss: The Caspian tiger's habitat was gradually degraded and fragmented due to various human activities. Forests were cleared for agricultural purposes, urban expansion, and infrastructure development. Expanding settlements, roads, and railways further encroached upon their natural habitats, leaving the Caspian tigers with limited living space and disrupting their ecological balance.
Interbreeding: It's also believed that interbreeding with other tiger subspecies, such as the Siberian tiger and Persian tiger (both considered endangered), may have contributed to genetic dilution and further decline of the Caspian tiger population.
Illegal Wildlife Trade: Demand for tiger parts and derivatives in illegal markets also posed a threat. Tiger bones and body parts are used in traditional medicine and as luxury items, driving illegal hunting and trafficking of tiger species.
Soviet Era Policies: During the Soviet Union, the Caspian tiger was seen as a potential threat to livestock and human settlements, resulting in extermination campaigns and further depleting their population.
Human-Tiger Conflict: Inhabiting close to human settlements increased the frequency of encounters between tigers and domestic livestock, leading to conflict situations. This often prompted local communities to take extreme measures to protect their livestock, exacerbating the risk to the tigers' survival.
The complex combination of these factors ultimately resulted in the extinction of the Caspian tiger. As the human population expanded and encroached upon their natural habitat, the decline accelerated, leading to the tragic loss of this iconic subspecies.