Malayan Tigers.

So sleek.

So regal.

We're at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk, a long way from where these tigers live natively.

On the Malayan Peninsula, these big cats enjoy deer, boar, pigs, even juvenile elephants and rhinos.

Fierce, but unfortunately, the Malayan tiger, along with some of its prey, is critically endangered.

The habitat of Malayan tigers is quickly disappearing, losing ground due to deforestation and urbanization.

The loss of a species is a major threat to biodiversity.

We are shining a bright light on the importance of biodiversity.

It's the subject of this episode of Spotlight Earth.

(inspirational music) More from the zoo shortly.

But first, let's head over to Spotlight Earth HQ where Michael is standing by to provide a working definition of biodiversity.

Michael, take it away.

Thanks, Hales.

Thus far on Spotlight Earth, we've covered the complexity of biomes and ecosystems.

Well, one way to measure the complexity of an ecosystem is by studying its level of biodiversity.

Biodiversity is the variety of life, or genetics, both within and between species in a population, community, or ecosystem.

Biodiversity levels aren't the same across the world.

There are biomes that have super mega biodiversity like tropical rainforests and coral reefs, and biomes with less biodiversity like deserts and tundras.

As you go north and south from the equator, the biodiversity diminishes.

This is called the latitudinal diversity gradient.

Winter nights are overly long, and summer nights are overly short.

Instead, it's consistently 12 hours of night and 12 hours of day.

That's because at the equator, the sun's energy is the strongest, with rays of the sun directly hitting all year round.

That means there aren't four distinct seasons.

Organisms don't have to adapt to changes in light or seasonal weather conditions, so they can eat what they eat and do what they do all year long.

Within areas of high biodiversity, the interactions and adaptations of plants and animals are very complex and specialized.

The further north and south you go, the more extreme the seasons, food sources, and habitats.

Near the north and south poles, winters are dark for nearly 24 hours a day.

And in summer, the sun is out even at midnight.

Organisms living here have to be generalist, able to survive in the harsh conditions of the fall and winter and the bright conditions of spring and summer.

The extreme climate at the poles means there is less reliable sun energy available, so the food webs are shorter and simpler.

The role that an organism plays in the ecosystem is called its niche.

And in areas of high biodiversity, there are many more niches than in areas of low biodiversity.

Diversity makes the system more resilient and stable, so the biodiversity of a system is critical to the health of the ecosystem.

Biodiversity is also important to people, mostly because it creates a stable environment for us to live in.

We rely on the diversity of the natural world for most of the resources that sustain us.

Our medicines, food, and building materials come from natural systems.

In a constantly changing world, we need the diversity of the world's ecosystems as our source for prospecting new food stuffs, medicine, and other resources, as well as relying on biodiversity to stabilize our living planet.

So, what are the major disruptors to biodiversity?

Hales is at the zoo to find out.

Yet Michael, the Malayan tiger provides a startling example, explaining biodiversity disruptors.

Their home, the Malayan Peninsula, is experiencing change that will be a major challenge for these big cats to continue thriving.

I'm joined here today with Jennah Moore Matthews, She is a zookeeper here, and she works with the big cats.

Jennah, can you tell us a little bit more about the habitat of the Malayan tiger?

Sure.

They live in the forests of the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia.

That area is actually very important to the world because it is a biodiversity hotspot, which means that there are many, many species there that are only found there, so they're irreplaceable.

Unfortunately, a lot of those species are under threat from habitat loss and human activity.

Urbanization is a big issue there.

Lots of cutting and burning of the forests to make way for agricultural development.

So because of all this, their habitat has been very fragmented, and so there are maybe only a couple hundred left in the wild.

What is the difference between endangered, critically endangered, and extinct?

Endangered animals are at risk of extinction.

Critically endangered animals are at the highest risk of extinction and their populations are rapidly declining.

And an extinct animal, there are no individuals left of that species.

So remind us, where does the Malayan tiger fit on that scale?

Unfortunately, the Malayan tiger is critically endangered.

Are there other threats to biodiversity aside from habitat loss?

Yeah, unfortunately, there are many, poaching, overhunting, introducing new species to an ecosystem that don't really belong there.

And then, of course, all the pollution that comes along with deforestation practices.

Are there other animals here at the zoo that are endangered?

Yeah, we actually have quite a few.

Some of the examples on our Africa trail, we have bongos, radiated tortoises.

On our Asia trail, besides the Malayan tigers, we also have Malayan tapers, red pandas, orangutans, white-cheeked gibbons, Siamang, so quite a few.

I have heard something about a species survival plan or SSP.

Can you explain what that is and how that helps the species?

Yeah, the Virginia Zoo has many animals that are part of the species survival plan.

It was developed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

I like to think of it like a matchmaker service.

It aims to maintain genetic diversity and a healthy population of all the animals.

And if by chance they become functionally extinct in the wild, there will still be a viable population in zoos.

Interesting, so is Kaya part of the SSP?

She is, we have Kaya here, and then her future mate, Christopher, It is a harrowing life for the Malayan tiger.

Thank you so much for the information and for taking care of these precious animals.

I hope they also get the care they need in their native habitat in Malaysia as well.

Let's head back to our native habitat, the Spotlight Earth Studio, to find out what happens when a species goes from endangered to gone.

Thanks, Hales.

We know that species have gone extinct throughout Earth's history.

The last wooly mammoth died off well over 10,000 years ago, and Stellar's sea cows disappeared in the late 1700s.

We also know that many more have disappeared over time.

Background extinction is part of the natural world.

What's concerning is the much higher rate at which species disappear now.

This is a crisis that is hard to perceive for the people living in urban areas, and most of the world's population lives in cities now.

As alarming as this seems, there are things that you can do to help minimize biodiversity loss and loss of species.

Consider your own area.

Are there ways you can support local wildlife?

You can ensure that cats and other house pets leave songbirds alone by keeping them indoors or giving them a bell to wear on their collar.

A window box full of flowers can do a lot to support local pollinators like bees.

You can help clean up beaches or parks where wild animals live.

You can resist purchasing anything that costs a wild animal its life or harms the habitat, and you can refuse to participate in the illegal pet and plant trade.

It's important to keep biodiversity in mind for our future and the future of the planet.

Thanks for watching Spotlight Earth.

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