In less than a century, Asia's largest predator has been relegated to isolated populations residing in only 7% of the areas they once occupied, according to a research paper published in the June edition of BioScience journal.

The report, titled 'The Fate of Wild Tigers', said the loss of their habitat and the persistent killing of the wild cats had left areas such as the Caspian region and the Indonesian islands of Bali and Java devoid of tigers.

Countries such as India - a stronghold of the tigers - were inadequately implementing conservation policies and mismanaging funds set aside for the survival of the big cats, it added.

"While the tiger as a wild species will most likely not go extinct within the next half-century, its current trajectory is catastrophic, " said the report, authored by 16 wildlife experts.

"If this trend continues, the current range will shrink even further, and wild populations will disappear from many more places, or dwindle to the point of ecological extinction."

Despite widespread trade bans, poaching remains a serious problem where products made from tigers, such as skins and bones used in traditional Chinese medicines, are coveted by consumers in China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the United States.

But while laws exist to protect tigers from poachers, lack of resources for enforcement and a dearth of anti-poaching information networks have hampered efforts.