Marion Windhager, age 12, of St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, for her question:

Is man the tiger's only enemy?

Man the Hunter is the tiger's worst enemy. But nature was never very kind to his species, and since the Ice Ages the weather has made his life unbearable. The mighty cat is fierce and fearless, and when in the prime of life, he can master any animal in his territory. Game hunters with big ideas consider him the prize trophy; others hunt him down for his magnificent coat. Sometimes a desperate old tiger is killed because he attacks domesticated animals and even people.

The Earth's tigers are facing extinction, and though several countries are striving hard to protect them, their chances of survival seem very dim. Actually, their survival is related to the history of their species. Fossil evidence indicates that they originated in the highlands of Asia, perhaps about a million years ago. This was during the Ice Ages, and the strong, furry hunters were well adapted to cope with a cold climate.

As the Ice Ages retreated, the climate in their territory became too warm for comfort. Some wandered, perhaps in search of cooler conditions, to Siberia and Malaya, from the Caspian region to Japan. Some reached Sumatra, Bali and other islands. Perhaps only the Siberian tigers found the cool climate that suited them. The others adapted to their new homes and became slightly different races of the tiger species. Most of them seek comfort in the thick brush and reedy swamps that border wide rivers.

The dominant race is the masterful Bengal tiger of India. He shelters from the daytime heat in shady thickets and often lies submerged in the water. For many years, deer and other game were plentiful in his wild jungle, and he swam rivers to hunt far and wide. However, his enemies were always the dry seasons, the drought and the unbearable heat. Then mankind entered the scene, and the great tiger was no longer master of his territory.

Hunters have reduced his numbers, though many Bengal tigers still exist in Indict and Malaya. Hunting continues, and little is done to safeguard their dwindling numbers. The tigers of Bali may already be extinct, and those of Sumatra and China are very rare, though China is striving to save them. Java has a large reserve to protect about nine remaining tigers: Russia and Iran have two large reserves to protect the last Caspian tigers. Russia also protects the Siberia tigers, which may have the best chance of survival.

Protecting the world's remaining tigers is far from easy. The big cats roam wide territories and prefer to avoid man. Counting those living in a reserve is very difficult. It is even more difficult to track down the poachers who still hunt tigers, even in regions where the mighty cats are protected by conservation laws.