International Tiger Day

Every year on 29th July, Global Tiger Day is celebrated to raise awareness for tiger conservation. Established back in 2010 at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia; the primary goal is to promote a global system for protecting the natural habitats of tigers and raise public awareness and support for tiger conservation issues. Tigers are majestic species and revered in various cultures. They are also an endangered species and the number of tigers is consistently declining due to poaching, hunting and illegal trading as well as loss of habitat. Through this blog, let’s celebrate International Tiger Day by raising awareness and taking concrete steps to protect India‘s national animal from extinction.  

International Tiger Day 2021: History

The celebration is done on 29th July every year as a reminder of the agreement signed by countries in the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia in 2010 to raise awareness about the decreasing tiger population globally. Also, the representatives declared that the tiger-populated countries would make efforts to almost double the tiger population by the year 2022. 

“We must protect tigers from extinction. Our planet’s future depends on it.”

International Tiger Day 2021: Theme & Significance

This International Day is celebrated annually with the slogan/theme, “Their Survival is in our hands”. The main aim is to aware people of the declining tiger population and conserving tigers globally. According to World Wildlife Fund (WWF), globally there are only 3900 tigers are left. 95% of the tiger population got extinct in the activities like poaching from the beginning of the 20th century. Tigers are one of the most majestic and royal species that we have seen globally. They are also called the “Umbrella Species” as their conservation also conserves many other species in the same habitat. 

Hooray! Happy #InternationalTigerDay!! 🐯💛 pic.twitter.com/VCP4FKH7JY

— Dominique Ramsey (@euqinimodart) July 30, 2020

Tiger Conservation in India

As per the latest tiger estimation report released by Prime Minister, India’s tiger population is 2967 tigers. This is the highest number of tigers so far a country has globally. Project Tiger was also launched in India in the year 1973. Because of the planned efforts under Project Tiger in the current situation, India has a maximum number of tigers in the world. 

Reasons for Decrease in Tiger Population

• Habitat Loss – Humans have cut down the forest area for purposes like agricultural lands, timber and create enough living space. The cutting of forests has led to a 93% loss of tigers’ natural habitat, hence lowering the chances of survival. 
• Poaching & Illegal Trade – Poaching of tigers happens as there is a huge demand for each body part of the tiger from whiskers to its tail. 
• Climate Changes – Rising Sea levels of Sunderbans are wiping out. It is the largest habitat of the Royal Bengal Tigers. 

“Tiger is a symbol of Beauty, Bravery, Strength, and Nationality so save the Tiger. save the Nation Pride.”

Ways to Conserve Tigers

Here’s a sneak peek by which we can help conserve, maintain and increase the Tiger population:

• Conserve Natural Habitats – Minimizing the cutting down of forests for human needs would help save forests hence saving the natural habitat for tigers.
• Control Climate Changes – Controlling climate changes will help us save Sunderbans, the largest habitat for the Royal Bengal Tigers. Let us make efforts to do because it wouldn’t be wise enough to drive it from bad to worse. 
• Prefer Sanctuaries/Reservoirs to Zoo – Wildlife sanctuaries are bigger spaces, and when amongst nature, tigers are much at home than being caged in a zoo. 

This is where we will end our blog on International Tiger Day, its history, theme, and significance. Leave us a comment below to tell us how you will celebrate this day on 29th July and what concrete steps you are planning to take to preserve our national pride! For educational content and thought-provoking blogs, follow Leverage Edu on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.