International Tiger Day 2022
International Tiger Day 2022 is celebrated on July 29th as a pledge to conserve the lives and habitats of these awe-inspiring, beautiful iconic animals. The main objective of celebrating International Tiger Day is to raise awareness among the people about the diminishing numbers of these majestic cats. But first of all, let us share some basic information about this incredible animal if you are not familiar with them.
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Basic Information about Tigers
There are two subspecies of tigers: the Sunda and the continental. The scientific name of the Sunda tiger is Panthera tigris sondaica and that of continental tiger is Panthera tigris tigris. With the Sunda tiger weighing up to 310 pounds and the continental tiger up to 660 pounds, you can say that tigers are for sure the big cats.
They are a bit of a loner and prefer to hunt alone by stalking their prey. Unlike other cats, tigers rely on their sight rather than smell. Although being a unique species tiger population is on the verge of extinction. Since the beginning of the 20th century, we have lost more than 95% of tigers, which gives us all the more reason to celebrate International Tiger Day 2022 more enthusiastically.
However, in some countries with the joint effort of people and governments, some growth can be seen in the tiger population. Not just the habitat loss but there are other numerous reasons which are responsible for their deaths. But first, we should know about the history of the International Tiger Day 2022.
History of International Tiger Day
July 29th is a historic date because this is the date when several countries came together to protect these amazing animals. Saint Petersburg Tiger summit was the witness of such an iconic movement being born in Russia in 2010. These countries pledged their allegiance towards raising awareness for the depleting numbers of tigers and taking serious measures and preserving them from extinction. The main motive of these countries was to double the tiger population by 2020. This initiative named as TX2 Initiative.
The List of Countries who Participated in the International Tiger Day
- India
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Cambodia
- China
- Indonesia
- Laos
- Malaysia
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- Russia
- Thailand
- Vietnam
Significance of International Tiger Day
According to the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), there are 13000 tigers in the world including the ones living in the captivity and wild. As we shared earlier the goal of International Tiger Day 2022 is to double the number of tigers so, last year in 2021 the total population of tigers living in the wild was 3900. But this year with the continuous labor and hard work of the people and different organizations we have reached the goal of 5000 tigers living in the wild.
There was a time when tigers roamed across the African continent but now because of various threats, they are endangered. Days like International Tiger Day 2022 help us in realizing that we need to work even harder to give these beautiful creatures a safe place to reside. This will help them in playing an important part in the ecosystem.
Threats Faced by Tigers around the World
Wildlife-Human Conflict
As a result of the increasing population and to fulfill their demands for timber, fuelwood, and food the forests are being cut down. As a result of it sometimes these wild animals enter the human-dominated areas in search of food. They hunt the livestock of the locals and since their livelihood depends on them, they consider tigers as threats. This results in the wildlife-human conflict and it is one of the reasons why tigers are killed or captured.
Habitat Loss
The habitat of tigers has been degraded, fragmented, and destroyed because of human activities as a result of which they have approximately lost 95% of their historical range. Development activities, the building of road networks, and the clearing of forests for timber and agriculture are some of the human activities which contribute to their habitat loss.
Tigers need large areas as a habitat for their survival and because they have vast home ranges and are very particular about their territory yet they are being forced out of their natural habitat.
Effects of Climate change
Sundarban is the home of the world’s most uniquely-adapted largest population of tigers. If you do not know what Sundarban is?
Sundarban is a large mangrove forest that is shared by Bangladesh and India on the coast of the Indian Ocean. It is also well known for being the only coastal mangrove habitat for tigers in the world.
Characteristics of Tigers
- Tigers can weigh up to 300 kgs. in weight and grow up to 4 meters in height.
- The northern tiger species is larger than the southern tiger species because subspecies and the geographical location affects the characteristics of these majestic animals.
- Tigers are solitary and do not like intruders in their territories so, they are always ready to defend their area.
- Just like no two humans have the same fingerprints, similarly, no two tigers have the same stripes on their bodies.
- Shorter underfur and longer guard hair are the two types of hair tigers have.
- If both parents have mutated genes, they can give birth to white tigers.
- For communicating with others, tigers use their tails.
- Tigers have six times better vision than humans at night.
Importance of International Tiger Day 2022
International Tiger Day is around the corner on 29th July 2022. It is a wonderful time to review how far we have come in protecting these marvelous animals. WWF has been fighting hard for restoring the number of tigers since 2010. Their goal is to increase the number of tigers in the wild to 6000 in 2022. Let’s take a look at the steps taken this year to protect the tigers.
India and Nepal achieved the goal of the TX2 Initiative which calls for the biggest celebration of the year. As per the article published on the WWF website on January 26th, 2022 some locations in Nepal and India reached their goal of doubling the habitat population.
The TX2 awarded regions include Sathayamanglam Tiger Reserve in India and Bardia National Park in Nepal. The Khata forest reservation in Nepal got the award for Tiger Conservation excellence.
International Tiger Day 2022 highlights include the three times rise in the world’s largest tiger reserve in Russia and China. Bhutan’s Royal Manas National Park tracks the progress of doubling its population with the help of the Spatial Monitor and Report Tool.
Still, we have a long way to go as the progress is not the same in all 13 countries. With the conditions improving in countries like India, China, Nepal, Bhutan, and Russia, the number of tigers is still diminishing in some other countries like Malaysia.
Therefore we need to take action and imply rules for preserving the tigers. If we work hard now we will reach our future goals of saving them.
How to Celebrate International Tiger Day 2022?
Raise Awareness
Not everyone is familiar with the danger that tigers face. You can help people in knowing about these issues by sharing infographics, and videos because a picture speaks a thousand words.
Adopt!
Adopting a tiger gives a huge boost to the organizations that work towards making the life of tigers easy by protecting them and their habitats. It helps them in reaching the local communities and working with them to save the tigers.
Safari
Plan a safari with your family to see and experience the life of tigers and know more about them.
Trip to Zoo
If a safari is too much then you can also visit the nearest zoo. It’s a great way to make kids understand the importance of tigers and theed to conserve them.
Conclusion
Tigers have been a part of our lives since childhood. We have heard about them in stories and watched them on television in cartoons and documentaries also. Tiger symbolizes courage, it represents bravery but now this animal needs us to be brave so that we can protect it and its habitat.
If their number still keeps on declining, our future generations will only get to see them in pictures. So, we need to come together and do our part in conserving this precious animal.
