International Tiger Day 2021: Recognised by their signature orange fur and black stripes, tigers are known as symbols of strength, grace and beauty. But this iconic species needs to be conserved before they are lost forever.
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Observed on 29th July every year, International Tiger Day was first created in November 2010 during the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia. The day aims at creating awareness about the diminishing population of tigers and the ways of conserving them the world over. The thirteen tiger range countries resolved to help recover and double up the numbers of tigers by 2022, the next tiger lunar year.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, there are around just 3900 tigers in the wild. One of the major reasons behind the decline in the tiger population is poaching and hunting activities. WWF also highlighted that due to the pandemic and the consequent collapse of eco-tourism, a lot of communities that depend on tiger tourism have lost their livelihood. This economic setback led to an increase in poaching activities and a decline in conservation activities. Even the act of forest encroachment by humans has put the lives of these endangered species at risk.
Even though several steps have been taken to help protect and conserve the tigers, there is still a long way to go. Now more than ever is the need to prioritise tiger conservation activities before we lose them all.
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