INTERNATION WORLD TIGER DAY - 29 JULY
The tiger is the largest of the world’s big cats and this magnificent creature, with its distinctive orange and black stripes and beautifully marked face, has a day that is dedicated to it.
LEARN ABOUT INTERNATIONAL TIGER DAY
International Tiger Day has been created so that people around the world can raise awareness for tiger conservation. The aim of the day is to help promote a worldwide system whereby we are dedicated to protecting tigers and their natural habitats.
We can also use this day to support tiger conservation issues and to raise awareness. After all, when more people are aware of something, they are going to be more inclined to help, and that is why this day is so important.
There are a number of different issues that tigers all around the world face. There are a number of treats that are driving tigers close to extinction, and we can do our bit to make sure that we do not lose these incredible creatures. Some of the threats that tigers face include poaching, conflict with humans, and habitat loss.
Poaching and the illegal trade industry is a very worrying one. This is the biggest threat that wild tigers face. Demand for tiger bone, skin, and other body parts is leading to poaching and trafficking. This is having a monumental impact on the sub-populations of tigers, resulting in localized extinctions. We often see tiger skins being used in home decor.
Moreover, bones are used for medicines and tonics. This has seen illegal criminal syndicates get involved in the tiger trade in order to make huge profits. It really is a worrying industry. In fact, it is thought to be worth 10 billion dollars per annum in the United States alone. This is why we need to support charities and work hard to put an end to poaching and the illegal trade of tiger parts.
While this represents the biggest threats to tigers, there are a number of other threats as well. This includes habitat loss. Throughout the world, tiger habitats have reduced because of access routes, human settlements, timber logging, plantations, and agriculture.
In fact, only around seven percent of the historical range of a tiger is still intact today. That is an incredibly small and worrying amount. This can increase the number of conflicts between tigers, as they roman about and try to locate new habitats. Not only this, but genetic diversity can reduce because it can cause there to be inbreeding in small populations.
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 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.
So what are you waiting for head over to the WWF adopt a tiger page to help this fantastic organization and their efforts to protect this amazing animal.
Of course, adopting a tiger is not the only way that you can help on this date. There are a number of other things that you can do. You could raise funds for a tiger charity, for example. Moreover, raising awareness is critically important. You can take to social media to make sure that your friends, followers, and family members are aware of the different threats that tigers face.
A lot of people are not aware of these threats, and so spreading the knowledge can help to make sure that we all do our bit to ensure that the tiger’s future is a fruitful one. There will be a lot of videos, infographics, and interesting pieces of content going around that you can share with others.
