Tigers found at 13,000 feet.

Escape from extinction: Tigers found thriving 13,000ft above sea level in the Himalayas

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 2:46 PM on 20th September 2010

Less than a week after the shocking estimate that there are less than 3,500 tigers left in the wild, there is fresh hope for the beautiful beasts.

A few seconds of film showing tigers roaming wild in the foothills of the Himalayas could provide the 'missing link' to an ambitious plan to try to save the endangered species from extinction.

According to the latest conservation reports there are only 1,000 females of breeding age remaining on the planet - and they could become extinct within 15 years.

The film is the first real evidence that tigers can thrive - and breed - in the hills which are more than 13,000 feet above sea level.

Secret cameras: A male Bengal tiger captured on film for the documentary, Lost Land of the Tiger

It offers hope to conservationists who have developed an ambitious plan to link up isolated tiger populations across Asia with a 'corridor' where they are safe from humans.

A team from the BBC Natural History Unit captured the images using hidden cameras wedged into gullies and trees over six weeks during an expedition to Bhutan.

Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan said he was reduced to tears the first time he saw the footage.

He said: 'It was beyond words, pretty overwhelming.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1313571/Hope-tigers-How-new-footage-Himalayas-raises-hopes-survival-species.html#ixzz1054DRKzT