29th July is referred to as the Global Tiger Day every year. The day is observed to mark the declining population of tigers across the globe. The decline happened in the 20th century and the number is luckily on rise again due to the continued efforts of the people. India prepares the tiger estimation report every four years and the last report was released in 2018.
In 1973, Project Tiger was started in India which was a unique plan to save tigers on the planet. Since its formative years there were 9 tiger reserves but the Tiger Project coverage has increased to 50.
But according to WWF around 3,900 wild tigers are left in the world. Since the beginning of the 20th century, over 95% of the world’s tiger population has been lost. It is said that across Asia, the snaring crisis poses a grave threat to wild tigers.
We can’t deny the fact that tigers are the largest species of the cat family and also one of the most iconic animals on the planet. About a century ago, there may have been over 100,000 tigers that roamed the planet.
A conservational goal which is so ambitious was set up by the governments of the 13 range countries to double the number of wild tigers by 2022 in the next Chinese year of the tiger.
There is a famous quote “Where tigers thrive, it is a sign that the ecosystem is healthy”.
History of International Tiger Day
This was first celebrated in 2010 and was founded at an international summit that had been called in response to the shocking news that 97% of all wild tigers had disappeared in the last century, with only around 3,000 left alive.
Tigers are on the brink of extinction and International World Tiger Day aims to bring attention to this fact and try to halt their decline. Many factors have caused their numbers to fall, including habitat loss, climate change, hunting and poaching and Tiger Day aims to protect and expand their habitats and raise awareness of the need for conservation.
Many international organizations are involved in the day, including the WWF, the IFAW and the Smithsonian Institute.
How to observe International Tiger Day
Wild tiger populations have declined by around 95% since the beginning of the 20th century. There’s now estimated to be around 3,900 wild tigers.
Each tiger has a unique set of stripes – like a fingerprint – and this helps us identify individuals in the wild. Since the beginning of the 20th century, wild tiger populations have declined by around 95%. Sadly, there are more tigers in captivity in the US than are left in the wild. The tiger is officially classed as endangered by the IUCN.
Animal adoptions give a huge boost to the work that the WWF is doing. They not only help fund projects to work with local communities to monitor tiger movements, reduce poaching and help people to realize benefits from living in close proximity to wild tigers – but they also support our other vital work around the world.
International Tiger Day Significance:
There are less than 4,000 tigers in the world today. Their numbers reduced from 100,000 to around 3,200 in 2010, however that is slowly increasing now. International Tiger Day promotes the conservation of tigers. When tigers thrive in ecosystems then it indicates that their ecosystem is thriving too.
Steps for TIGER PROTECTION
#InternationalTigerDay India has taken several measures to protect tiger habitats & conserve its population like Guidelines for Tiger Safaris to reduce pressures of Ecotourism, SOP to strengthen interstate coordination in bordering tiger reserves.
~Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan.
Smart patrolling, notification for five more tiger reserves, aerial surveillance, Economic Valuation of Tiger Reserves are part of the measures being undertaken to protect tiger habitats & conserve its population.
These measures are not herculean by any means; some of them are quite simple, let us look into them.
Habitat Protection
As it is known that one of the main reasons for the decline in population of the Indian Tigers is the lack of proper prey and forests for their survival, efforts should be taken to see that the sanctuaries and forests where Tigers are usually found are in abundance with wildlife befitting the feral lands. Since everything done to nature is interconnected, a rise in the population of deer can effectively ensure stabilization if not decrease in the population of the Tigers.
I. Awareness
Creating awareness of the danger of these species is also very important; it can help in an indirect way. There are many projects and programs which are strongly supporting the cause to save the grand beast from disappearing forever. These programs organize camps and workshops to spread the knowledge about the gravity of the danger the species is in. The more people who know and support the cause, the easier it becomes to save the Tigers.
II. Prevention of Poaching
This is one of the most effective methods of saving the Tigers; poaching has long since been a bane for these species, whose skin and bones have special demand all over the world. By making sure that the habitats where these species are are free from poachers one can make sure that these species don’t just vanish into thin air, speaking figuratively.
III. Opportunities for Wildlife Activists and Conservationists
Creating a sufficient number of opportunities for young people to take up a career in wildlife is also a very conducive method of saving the animals. Conservationists are strong in making a flourishing species of Tigers a possibility given they are allowed to do their work properly.
IV. Establishing Co-Existence In Human Dominated Places
It is a common knowledge that there are not enough feral lands for the tigers to prosper; so another way of saving them is by creating a safe place for them in the sanctuaries and forests and making sure that humans do not hunt or harm the species and vice-versa. Although this may not be an easy task, it is imperative that it should happen.
This brings us to the end of our blog. Hope you found this article informative. Stay tuned with us as we will be bringing to you many such interesting articles that will be helpful for you.
