International Tiger Day

International Tiger Day or is observed on 29 July every year since 2010 to raise awareness of the decline of wild tiger numbers and to encourage the celebration around the important work of Tiger conservation.

The purpose of celebrating this day is to promote awareness and protection of tigers, along with promoting the conservation and expansion of the habitat of wild tigers. It is very important to control their rapidly decreasing numbers, otherwise, they will end.

Currently, the tiger population is at its lowest level. In the last 100 years, about 97 percent of the tiger population has been lost. According to the 2016 data of ‘World Wildlife Fund‘ and ‘Global Tiger Forum‘, there are only about 6000 tigers left in the whole world, of which 3891 tigers are in India. The number of tigers in the year 1915 was one lakh.

Some species of tigers are already extinct. India is one of the countries which has the largest population of tigers. In India, Nepal, Russia, and Bhutan, there has been an increase in the number of tigers for some time.

The tiger is called the national animal of India and Bangladesh. The tiger is a symbol of strength, elegance, vigilance, intelligence, and endurance of the country. The tiger is a symbol of the Indian subcontinent and is found throughout the country except for the northwestern region.

History of International Tiger Day

In 2010, it was decided to celebrate the day at the Tiger Conference held in the city of St. Petersburg, Russia. 13 countries participated in this conference and aimed to double the number of tigers by the year 2022, since then World Tiger Day is celebrated on 29 July every year.

The Government of India started ‘Project Tiger‘ in the year 1973 for the conservation of tigers. Currently, there are a total of 50 tiger reserve cores and buffer areas in India. According to the WWF, in the year 2016, in 13 countries of the world with a tiger population, the total number of tigers was 3,948, while the total number of tigers in India was 1,706.

India has done a commendable job for tiger conservation, there were only 1411 tigers in the year 2006 which increased to 2226 in 2014. The tiger is counted every 4 years in India. Karnataka is the state of India which has the largest number of tigers.

Tiger Species

The tiger population is currently at its lowest. Some species of tigers are already extinct. Many types of tiger species are found all over the world. There are 6 main species among them. These include Siberian tiger, Bengal tiger, Indochinese tiger, Malayan tiger, Sumatra tiger, and South China tiger.

Bengal Tiger: Bengal Tiger or Panthera tigris, is one of the most beautiful species of nature. It is a subspecies of the tiger family and is found in areas of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, and South Tibet. Bengal Tiger has also been awarded the National Animal of India, due to its gallantry, beauty, and powerful form. Tigers have more power to see and hear than other animals.

Indochinese tiger: This species of Indochinese tiger is found only in Thailand, Cambodia, China, Burma, and Vietnam countries. The tigers of this species live only in the mountains.

Malayan tiger: The Malayan tiger is a species of tiger found in the Malay Peninsula.

Siberia tiger: A species of Siberia tiger is found in the Amar-Usar forests in the far eastern region of Siberia. They are found in numbers in the Hunchun National Siberian Tiger Nature Reserve in northeastern China near the border of North Korea and some of them are also found in Russia’s far East.

Sumatran tiger: These tigers are found only in Sumatra Iceland. In the year 1998, it was listed as a distinct subspecies. This species is also included in the endangered species of India.

South China tiger: South China tiger The male tigers of this species have a length of 230 to 260 centimeters and weigh about 130 to 180 kg. At the same time, the female tiger is 220 to 240 cm in length and weighs about 100 to 110 kg.

Interesting facts about tigers:

• The tiger is the largest cat and is a remarkable creature, with its unique black and orange stripes and strikingly marked face.

• The tiger captures its prey very easily with the help of its strong legs. But do you know that a tiger’s legs are so strong, that he can stand even after death.

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• The tiger’s canine teeth are the longest among meat-eating mammals. These teeth can grow up to 4 inches, which are bigger than the canine teeth of Babbar lion.

• Tigers do not normally view humans as prey. If you ever encounter a tiger and if you look directly into the eyes of a tiger, it will think before attacking you, or it may even change its intention to attack you.

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• When tigers are born they are blind, tigers cannot see for a week after their birth. At the same time, more than half of the tigers die in puberty. Tigers have more power to see and hear than other animals.

• The tiger can jump up to a height of about 5 meters and he can also fly a width of up to 6 meters. These powerful creatures also have outward-toed claws, which help them climb.

• The tiger weighs up to 300 kg. At the same time, his brain is 300 grams and can live for 25 years.

• The tiger is a great swimmer. He can swim for a distance of up to 6 kilometers.

• About 100 years ago, 9 tiger species were found. In the last 80 years, three sub-castes of tigers have been eradicated and today only 6 species are left.

• You must know that tigers roar very fast. But do you know that the roar of a Bengal tiger can be easily heard even at a distance of 2 km at night.

• A Bengal tiger can eat 46 pounds (21 kilograms) of meat in a night. Can you try and even imagine eating 21 kilograms of meat, that’s probably close to what a child weighs.

• Tigers feast on many animals, depending on their territory. These include antelope, boar, buffalo, camel, fish, and horse.