The South China Tiger
The South China tiger, known as the Xiamen tiger, is a subspecies of tiger that naturally inhabits the forests of Southern China, and wouldn't be found in the wild anywhere else. The South China tiger, one of the several subspecies of the genus tigris, is known to be the most critically endangered tiger subspecies, with a population of only 59 of these animals left in captivity and only 20 of them left in the wild. This rare species is on the absolute brink of extinction; both in the wild, and in captivity, it is on the list of the top 5 most endangered species in the world. They believe that this species will become extinct within the next decade, even if poaching were to come to a complete stop. The South China tiger is an extremely small subspecies compared to the other behemoths of his family. Its length ranges from 2.2-2.6m for both genders. However, males weigh more than the females at approximately 280-390lb whereas females weight in at 220-260lb. In 1977, the federal government of China finally decided to pass a law forbidding the killing of wild tigers, however it was too late since they were already nearly extinct. For nearly 25 years, 1983 to 2007, there wasn't a single sighting of a South China tiger in the wild. The wildlife conservationists' main concern for the time being is that these remaining tigers in captivity are all descendants of only 6 tigers. Because of this, they most likely lack the genetic diversity and capability to breed with one another and maintain their species.