Behold the Caspian tiger–known to Shakespeare as the Hyrcanian tiger (mentioned in Macbeth, Act 3, Sc. 4)–shown here in a European zoo, in the 19th century.
Once upon a time the Caspian tiger roamed Asia from Turkey to China. Its closest relative, the Siberian tiger, was only a little larger. This magnificent beast was wiped out just before the end of the 20th century–yet another example of how poorly communist countries served as stewards of the natural world. The Soviet Union finished them off.
Tigers in Turkey? Well, yeah. And a lot longer ago than that, the favorite sport of the kings of Assyria, in what is now Iraq, was lion-hunting. No more lions around there now, either.
Seems a pity, doesn’t it?
This is Mr. Nature, waiting for God’s restoration and regeneration of the world.