INDO-CHINESE TIGER  
Panthera tigris corbetti

The Indo-Chinese tiger or "Corbett's Tiger" Panthera tigris corbetti is a highly endangered subspecies of tiger found in Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam. The "Corbett's" name of the tiger stems from its scientific name, which is named in honor of Jim Corbett. Corbett (25 July 1875 – 19 April 1955) was an Indian-born Irish hunter turned conservationist and naturalist. He became famous for his writings on the hunting of man-eating tigers and leopards. A hunter and fishing enthusiast in early life, as his admiration for tigers and leopards grew, Corbett turned to big game photography and resolved never to shoot the big cats unless they turned man-eater or posed a threat to cattle. Between 1907 and 1938, Corbett tracked and killed at least a dozen man-eaters with great bravery. It is estimated that the combined total of men, women and children these twelve animals had killed was in excess of 1,500. The Corbett National Park in India is named in his memory.

There are perhaps a little over a thousand of the Indo-Chinese tigers left at this writing. They have a unique, long skull which gives them a much different appearance from their other tiger subspecies cousins. In Vietnam, almost three-quarters of the tigers killed provide stock for Chinese pharmacies. The tigers are seen by natives as a means through which to ease their poverty. It will be impossible to increase the numbers of the Indo-Chinese Tiger unless residents can see that a live tiger is more valuable than a dead one. Some are starting to realize this and are hoping to use the tiger as a draw for ecotourism.

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