About four years ago, the U.S. Geological Survey released a
projection report stating that two-thirds of the world’s polar
bears would be gone by 2050. Their numbers would plummet, stated
the report, due to shrinking summer sea ice caused by greenhouse
gases. Since that time, images of polar bears have graced water
bottles, T-shirts and tote bags. It’s now widely accepted that
Ursus maritimus is the poster child for climate change. We also
know of other species in great peril — mostly because of media
attention to them. According to the Chinese zodiac, 2010 was the
Year of the Tiger, and last November the International Tiger
Forum was held in St. Petersburg in the Russian Federation. As
the world’s first global summit focused on saving a single
species from extinction, the event received widespread news
coverage. Because their likenesses appear on TV screens and
spearhead conservation campaigns, chances are that even if you
don’t live in tiger or polar bear habitats — where it would at
least be possible for y