"For flaming gold, for crimson skies,
For all the stories told with tiger’s eyes.
I defied with strength, my reason calling for strife
For love, for faith, for God and for life.

This is why I face all the fights.
This is the light in the darkest of nights.
For all the things that were given to me,
I will give it my all, I will answer their plea.

So, to all whom I have come to know,
I tell you my story and my hope I bestow.
Find your pride, light the fires within,
Do not despair in the face of sin.

Choose to fight for what you believe,
Cling to hope and you will achieve.
Faith matters not if you find your own key,
Just release yourself from mediocrity.

We will look back on the things we have done,
How we opened our eyes, how we fought and we won!
Stories will chronicle our unconventional fight,
How our courage and will were shining bright.

We are the heroes that they will recall
With tales of defiance and heresy’s fall.
Our souls will live on well past our demise
Others will see them in the tiger’s eyes."

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Tigers are the largest of the big cats and are exclusively found in Asia from India to Vietnam, from Indonesia to the Russian Far East. The tiger can be divided into 9 subspecies: 4 are currently critically endangered and 3 are already extinct. Though estimations of tiger populations only a few years ago was 5,500-6,000, today populations are likely closer to 3,500 and are still declining. Dramatic declines of the tiger in India, thought to host the majority of the world’s tigers, have fallen to less than 1,411. Overall, the past decade has seen a 40% reduction in tiger habitat, which now represents a mere 7% of its historic range. Poaching is a significant problem throughout the tiger’s range, the demand for its body parts in traditional medicines, tonics, and exotic dishes driving a lucrative trade that is wiping out entire populations. Long-term threats include habitat fragmentation and prey depletion, which is accelerating the tiger’s demise and subsequently reducing the long-term genetic viability of many populations.

If you want to help, the best for you to do is to educate yourself (http://www.savethetigerfund.org), never buy products made from tigers or endangered species (http://www.wildaid.org), and tell others. Contact me for more information.