changeadminInternational Tiger Day, also called Global Tiger Day, is observed annually on July 29.
Watching the black stripes on a golden body walking in a jungle is a powerful sight; however, significance extends beyond its physical might. Tigers are a keystone species and a guardian of biodiversity.
Unfortunately, since the beginning of the twentieth century, there’s been a significant decline in the tiger population worldwide. But fortunately, considerable efforts are being made to increase the tiger population globally.
Celebrating Global Tiger Day is also part of raising awareness about tiger conservation.
History of International Tiger Day
The decision to celebrate July 29 as International Tiger Day was taken in 2010 at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit held in Russia. At the summit, the governments of 13 tiger-populated nations signed a declaration and pledged to double the number of wild tigers by 2022.
Reasons behind the decreasing tiger population
Let us first understand the reasons behind the declining tiger population.
Habitat loss
Due to the increasing human population, deforestation is on the rise.
Clearing forests for reasons such as mining, establishing industries, setting up homes, and agricultural cultivation has resulted in losing about 93 per cent of wild cat habitats.
Poaching and illegal trade
The wild tigers are prone to inhumane poaching to produce traditional medicines. There is an increasing demand for tiger body parts such as skin and bone, which has increased the poaching and illegal trade of tigers.
Diseases
Diseases are also a major reason for the decline of the tiger population. Many animals, including tigers, die due to the spread of epidemics such as tuberculosis, Feline Panleukopenia, etc.
Climate change
The rising sea levels due to climate change have inundated many tiger-protected areas located close to water bodies. India’s mangrove belt, Sundarbans, is one of the Royal Bengal Tiger’s major habitats, and the region is getting depleted due to rising water levels.
Importance of Global Tiger Day
Observing Global Tiger Day is important because, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the world has lost about 95 per cent of the tiger population in the past 100 years.
Only about 3,900 wild tigers are left in the wild compared to about 100,000 tigers a century ago. Animal organisations, including WWF, SCBI (Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute), and the IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare), organise several events yearly to raise awareness about conserving tigers.
The Success Story of Tiger Conservation in India
India holds the majority of the wild tiger population in 58 tiger reserves covering over 85,000 sq. km. There are more than 3600 tigers in India presently, which is almost 70 per cent of the worldwide wild tiger population.
Until 2006, the tiger population in the country was about 1,400. The rise in India’s tiger population can be attributed to the introduction of several protection initiatives, such as Project Tiger in 1973.
It is due to this conservation program that India now has the highest tiger population across the globe. A detailed report of the Tiger Census-2018 showed that the tiger population in the country has risen by more than 700 tigers in 4 years, i.e., from 2014-2018.
Uttarakhand’s Jim Corbett National Park has over 250 tigers, the highest number of big cats in a forest reserve in the country.
Story of Jim Corbett – The hunter and a protector
One of the most visited and famous tiger reserves in India is the Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve. The park is named in honour of Edward James Jim Corbett, who contributed extensively to tiger conservation and wildlife in India.
Jim Corbett, born in 1875 in Nainital, spent most of his childhood exploring the jungles of Uttarakhand. In the first 20-30 years of the early 1900s, Mr. Corbett was frequently called to hunt man-eating tigers in the region. Many of these man-eating tigers have killed more than 200-300 humans.
Later, Jim Corbett discovered that man-eating tigers became human killers because they either carried wounds and diseases or were injured due to human negligence, like wild gunshots.
This led him to focus on protecting the striped cats and wildlife. He authored many books related to his expeditions. Man-Eaters of Kumaon is one of the most successful books, later made into a Hollywood film.
His other famous books were My India, Jungle Lore, and The Man-eating Leopard of Rudraprayag. This book is also notable because it was Jim Corbett’s account of a man-eating leopard, which was extremely rare.
He was instrumental in establishing the park in the 1930s, initially named Hailey National Park. In 1955, the park was renamed ‘Jim Corbett National Park’ to pay tribute to the man who was a hunter and later became a major proponent of wildlife conservation in India.
This park, located in the foothills of the Himalayas in Nainital, Uttarakhand, is India’s first Tiger reserve.
Tiger is the National Animal of 4 Countries
The government of India launched Project Tiger in 1973 to protect the dwindling population of tigers in their natural habitat. The same year, India declared the Royal Bengal Tiger as the national animal of the country, replacing the Lion.
The royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris Tigris) is also the national animal of Bangladesh.
South Korea has the Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) as its national animal.
Malaysia has the Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni) as its national animal.
Interesting Facts about Tigers
Here is a short video showcasing other interesting facts about the majestic creatures on the planet.
Wrapping Up
There is a famous quote, “Where tigers thrive, it is a sign that the ecosystem is healthy.”
Let’s do our bit in conserving and protecting the iconic ‘umbrella species’ by not promoting poaching, deforestation, and other factors that lead to the decline of tigers.
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