In the early 1990s, the demand for tiger parts to satisfy the traditional Chinese-medicine market grew exponentially, fuelling an illicit, multimillion-dollar trade run by arms and drug dealers.
The situation has grown so dire that Thailand and some other nations are now using armed commandos to protect tiger reserves. Here, at Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand, which still contains Indochinese tigers, rangers are cleaning their weapons before going on patrol. This Smart Patrol Ranger group is part of a new protection force trained by the military and police, which has had some success in stemming the trade in endangered animals into Burma and China.
USA
Steve became a National Geographic photojournalist in 1991 and specialises in photographing big cats. He lectures on photography and conservation issues, selling out venues from the Sydney Opera House in Australia to the Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto, Canada. He won the grand prize for Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2008.
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