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Rare Species Fund
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The Rare Species Fund
compliments the educational messages and field research of T.I.G.E.R.S.
To help in this life-changing cause, please visit
Considered to be "the greatest hands-on animal experience in the world", the Preserve transports you out of coastal South Carolina and straight to the savannas of Africa and the jungles of South America!
The VIP Wild Encounter Tour always contains a wide variety of exotic animal ambassadors that you will get to see and interact with. Cubs of various sizes, young apes, ligers and a whole assortment of others will be on display while visiting our Preserve located only minutes from Myrtle Beach.
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"You can stand on your soapbox and preach about conservation all day long, but nothing engages people more effectively than a personal connection with a living, breathing animal." -Robert Johnson, President
International Wildlife Conservation & Education Coalition
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Save
$40 |
If you have your photo taken at Preservation Station during the 2015 season you will receive a $40 discount on your T.I.G.E.R.S. Preserve tour! Preservation Station is located at Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach.
| | Offer Expires: 12/31/2015 |
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Each Tiger Counts!
The standard golden tabby, royal white, and snow tigers are important representatives of their wild ancestors. Their striking appearance inspires awe and motivates people to take an active role in wildlife conservation. Because these tigers do not have a direct pedigree traceable to their wild ancestors, they have been labeled "generic". What impact does that label have on these magnificent creatures?
Currently, many major zoos focus exclusively on preserving "pure" sub-species of tigers through the Species Survival Plan (SSP) and support legislation that would force generic tigers into extinction by outlawing their breeding. This policy poses a major threat to tiger conservation and is not supported by experts in the field.
Texas A&M University geneticist Dr. Jan Janecka says, "The majority of healthy breeding tigers are not protected by the SSP or any of its definitions of legitimate subspecies. In the wild, tigers are rapidly decreasing and in many areas have already been eliminated. As this is occurring in developing Asian countries over which the U.S, has no control, maintaining a healthy breeding population of tigers in the U.S. is essential to tiger conservation." 
So, what's the difference between tigers labeled "generic" and the "pure"? You may be surprised but current genome studies show that there is almost no genetic difference between tiger subspecies. The difference between subspecies lies more within political boundaries than within tiger genes. Two examples that can help in this explanation are:
- If you take the two subspecies separated farthest by geography, the Amur tigers and the Caspian tigers, you will find that only a single nucleotide will be different. Amur, or Siberian, tigers are found in Eastern Russia, the border area of China, and possibly North Korea. Caspian tigers, now extinct, were found as far east as Turkey.
- To make a comparison between human differences and tigers, the genetic difference of someone from Ireland when compared to someone in China will have ten times more variation than when comparing a Sumatran tiger with a South Chinese tiger. Information provided by Dr. Stephen O'Brien, Chief of Genomic Diversity with the National Cancer Institute.
Due to the limited amount of both wild and captive tigers the world over, and the minimal genetic variability that separates tiger subspecies, it is reasonable to save the tiger as a whole species rather than separating them into smaller parts. The generic tiger population is currently ten times larger than all the "pure" subspecies held in larger zoos. This gene pool may prove to be the best hope for saving tigers from total extinction. "Each tiger counts", says Dr. O'Brien. "I realize that not everybody agrees with that but evolution creates a species as magnificent as the tiger and does so only once. If you lose them, they are not going to come back. My personal feeling is that we're backing up a tiger population in the wild that is not doing very well. To tell the truth, I'd rather have tigers alive in a few hundred years than lost through extermination of all captive animals."
 | | A young "Doc" Antle with Rama, a rare Golden Tabby tiger. |
Today, there are less than 3,000 tigers left in the world. Private facilities such as T.I.G.E.R.S. in Myrtle Beach perform functions which most public zoos cannot. In particular, they preserve genetic diversity by breeding rare varieties of tigers. These beautiful animals in turn stimulate public support for conservation efforts. Public and private zoos share a common purpose: to preserve tigers from extinction. The Rare Species Fund ( RSF) has partnered with two agencies to achieve this critical goal:
- One is the International Wildlife Conservation and Education Coalition (IWCEC), which promotes cooperation among outstanding private zoological facilities.
- The other is the Species Survival Trust (SST), which generates sound genetic research for effective conservation.
These two agencies provide a uniquely informed point of view in support of private preserves. Tigers are at the top pf the proverbial food chain. Their well-being safeguards the well-being of thousands of other species. Tigers are a barometer of the health and vitality of the whole jungle. The ripple effect from losing them would be felt across the entire spectrum of animal life. We hope that policy makers will recognize the contributions made by private wildlife preserves and understand this statement: "Every Tiger Counts!"
 Learn more about conservation efforts for chimpanzees, lynx, elephants, tigers, ligers, orangutans, gibbons, apes and more through the Rare Species Fund. To see these amazing species up close and personal, visit www.myrtlebeachsafari.com/signup to get started on your own interactive tour!
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Our tenth anniversary season begins in March, 2015. Reservations can be made NOW! As you can imagine, next year will have special events and many ways to connect with TIGERS Preserve and the Rare Species Fund. Book your family's tour today and be part of the 10th anniversary experience. 
T.I.G.E.R.S. Preserve and T.I.G.E.R.S. Preservation Station were created as a wildlife education organization dedicated to promoting global conservation. With informative, educational and entertaining interactive programs, Dr. Bhagavan Antle has created a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Dr. Antle, Director of T.I.G.E.R.S., works closely with international wildlife conservation projects in North America, South America, Africa and Southeast Asia.
To make reservations over the phone, please call 843.855.2699 or click here.
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