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World Tiger Day: History, Importance and Celebrations

Learn about International Tiger Day and How to Celebrate this Event

International tiger day is also known as World Tiger Day. The day is dedicated to the beautiful big cat, i.e., the tiger. Tiger is an important species in the animal kingdom. It plays a vital role in the food chain and to maintain balance in the ecosystem.

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Unfortunately, this amazing animal has become threatened due to various reasons such as poaching & illegal trades, loss of habitat, climate change, increase in tourism activities, some kind of diseases, etc. These threats have increased the risk factor of the extinction of tigers across the world. Therefore, world tiger day was observed for the first time in 2010 to deal with the decline in the tiger population.

World Tiger Day History – Year Wise

World tiger day came into existence in 2010 in an international summit, i.e., Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit held in Russia to encourage the efforts of tiger conservation. At the summit, the declaration was issued by them, and governments of tiger-populated countries vowed to double the population by 2020.

World Tiger Day Importance: Since 2010, we celebrate the day on the 29th of July every year to raise awareness about the protection of tigers and their habitat as well. Every year many animal organizations like WWF, IFAW, and the Smithsonian Institute, organize various events to celebrate the day.

As you go along with history here, you will get to know the importance of world tiger day, including positive improvements each year.

World Tiger Day 2010

This day started in 2010, many motivated countries took the initiative for tiger conservation, especially 13 countries. These 13 countries are: Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, Vietnam, Bhutan, Russia, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, and Nepal.

These 13 countries came together to create Tx2, i.e., to achieve a global goal to double the number of tigers by 2022.

World Tiger Day 2011

This was just the beginning of the global tiger day that was declared in 2010. The day was an excellent opportunity to highlight the work done by WWF conservationists in 11 Asian countries to save tiger programs.

WWF’s efforts for tiger protection were showing positive results. The studies done since March 2011 showed the improvements in the number of tigers:

  • The number of tigers increased to 25 in Bhutan’s Manas National Park.
  • The overall population of this big cat was increased by almost 25% in comparison to the previous survey done in 2006 (including Manas National Park).

International Tiger Day 2012

Tigers were part of a country’s heritage; hence it was our responsibility to conserve these big cats for us and our future generations. The tiger-range countries took part in world tiger day, organizing various events and activities.

India, being the leader in the population of wild tigers, took the initiative to protect these species. The country took several measures to celebrate the day, such as guidelines for tiger safaris to minimize pressures of ecotourism, aerial surveillance, preserve their habitats, smart patrolling, conservation of its population, etc.

International Tiger Day 2013

It is quite surprising to know that there were more tigers in captivity than in the wildlife. The area of 13 tiger-populated countries of Asia is a vast area for wild tigers to live, but unfortunately, very few numbers (close to 3000) are roaming in the wilds. The fact is that we have lost almost 97% of a wild tiger in the last 100 years.

In 2013, in Kunming, China, the 13 tiger-range countries marked the 3rd international tiger day. They launched the new phase of implementation of their GTRP (Global Tiger Recovery Program) for tiger conservation.

International Tiger Day 2014

In 2014, IUCN started the Integrated Tiger Habitat Conservation program with the support of the German Govt. and in partnership with the German Development Bank KfW. The projects that will be run under this program will focus on monitoring the population of the tiger & its prey, securing habitat for them.

However, tiger-populated countries were improving their tiger conservation projects. These countries were dedicated to the Tx2 goal to double the number of tigers. For example – India (which is home to almost 60% of the world’s wild tiger population) was continually improving the number of this big cat. In 2006, the numbers of tigers in India were 1,411, and in 2010 it increased up to 1,706, and in 2014 the number of tigers was 2,226.

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World Tiger Day 2015

This was the 5th consecutive year the world was celebrating the annual event. The day was celebrated with various awareness activities in WWF-India’s priority landscapes in 2015.

WWF-India chose local communities and children as a platform to raise awareness about tiger conservation. Many drawing & quiz competitions, skits, and dance performances were organized to mark the day.

A big morning rally consisting of 600 students from 10 schools wearing tiger masks with posters & banners at Madanpur range, near Valmiki Tiger Reserve, also highlighted the celebrations on 29th July 2015.

International Tiger Day 2016

The year 2016 was marked the halfway of the ambitious Tx2 goal. This year was quite exciting and most united to celebrate the day. Many organizations, govt. Officials, WWF offices, celebrities, and individuals across the globe came forward to support the “ThumbsUpForTigers Campaign.” This campaign got worldwide support. It shows the unity of the world to support tiger-populated countries appreciating their tiger protection efforts and encouraging for Tx2 goal.

World Tiger Day 2017

On the 7th international tiger day celebration, celebrities Megan Fox and Zachary Quinto took part in raising awareness through social media. They removed their profile photo on social media and reappeared with a tiger selfie created on 3980 tigers.com to convey the plight of wild tigers due to illegal activities.

The campaign #3890tigers was established out of a partnership between WWF and Tiger Beer. WWF also has a partnership with Discovery for fundraising to conserve almost one million acres of protected habitat for wild tigers in India and Bhutan.

Many celebrities like Heidi Klum, Freida Pinto, Leonardo DiCaprio, Adriana Lima, Ellen DeGeneres, and Mark Hamill also raised them to support Project CAT (Conserving Acres for Tiger) to celebrate the day.

World Tiger Day 2018

WWF shared the good news in 2016, stating that the wild tiger population has increased up to 3,900. India planned to conduct a census exercise in 2018 to estimate the tiger population every four years which was even completed in 2006, 2010, and 2014.

The result of the All-India Tiger Estimation that was conducted in 2018 to census the number of tigers was quite impressive. The number jumped from 2,226 in 2014 to 2,967 in 2018.

International Tiger Day 2019

The day is celebrated every year on 29th July under the slogan “Their Survival is in our hands.” There was a time when over 100,000 tigers were roaming on the planet and now the time has come we have to run conservation programs to save this incredible species for its existence.

On international tiger day 2019, the Wildcats Conservation Alliance addresses the world “to do the right thing” and donate their contributions to the organization. The donations were gone entirely to the tiger conservation projects to tackle wildlife crimes, training & supporting Anti-Poaching Units, etc.

International Tiger Day 2020

World Tiger Day is celebrated every year on 29th July as an awareness day about the conservation of tigers. World Tiger Day 2020 was celebrated with the slogan “Their Survival is in Our Hands”. However, the day was celebrated online last year due to the COVID-19 outbreak but still, the event was celebrated with great enthusiasm worldwide.

Since India has almost 70% of the global tiger population, so it plays an important role in the celebration of the day annually. India has doubled the tiger population ahead of the target of 2022 that was set in the Tiger Conference held in St. Petersburg, Russia in 2010.

The Indian Environment Minister (Prakash Javadekar) posted a short video on Twitter last year talking about this success achieved. He stated that “Project Tiger” was launched in 1973 with only 9 tiger reserves and today we have 50 reserves with 2967 tigers”.

The Forest Department of Bangladesh has come up with a project “Tiger Conservation” last year which was said to be effective from 2021 if approved by the Govt. of Bangladesh. Chief Forest Conservator Amir Hossain Chowdhury said that the initial cost of a 3-year project will be 48 crores.

WWF-Malaysia and Maybank had a one-month celebration to support Malayan tigers from World Tiger Day 2020 (29th July) to Merdeka Day 2020 (31st August).

On 30th August 2020, a live concert “Roar for Life Virtual Concert” was held by WWF-Malaysia & Maybank. Many more events and activities were organized in different parts of the 13 tiger range countries.

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World Tiger Day 2021

World Tiger Day is a day to celebrate annually to protect the tigers worldwide. 13 tiger-ranged countries doing their best to conserve the tiger species. Every year on the 29th of July, these countries organize various events and activities to celebrate the day.

Many popular animal organizations like WWF, the IFAW, and the Smithsonian Institute get behind this global event. You can also be a part of this event through Twitter using the #WorldTigerDay or #InternationalTigerDay.

World Tiger Day 2021 Events

According to a press release published by WWF, introducing the Big Cat Public Safety Act in the U.S. Senate is one step further toward conserving wild tigers. The motive behind this act is to encourage other countries to have strict regulations against the illegal trading of our big wild cats. This was published on 20th April 2021 and is a vital step for protecting our gem from extinction.

In Thailand, new tigers were sighted, proving that our conservation efforts are working. As the press release was published on 17th may, 2021, a new female tiger is captured in Mae Wong National Park, who moved from Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary. This indicates that the Mae Wong is dense in biodiversity and can be a place to conserve tigers shortly.

On 18th January 2021, two tigers are relocated from Corbett National Park to Rajaji National Park, Dehradun, India. This was done by WWF India, Uttarakhand Forest Department, and National Tiger Conservation Authority to populate the tiger reserve for restoration of the species. This translocation further creates new hope for the conservation of our big wild cat in Terai Arc Landscape.

Also, CBCGDF_China raised its voice on social media to protect the endangered species through the hashtag #endangeredtigers and asked the world to join the international tiger day with #ThumbsUpForTigers.

Besides these events, WWF in different countries is taking strict actions against the illegal trading and use of tigers for human requirements for raising awareness globally and fulfilling our goals of increasing their population.

World Tiger Day 2021 Celebration

The number of tigers is decreasing wide, and saving our wild big endangered cat, we need to take steps. Here are a few ways people celebrate the world tiger day 2021.

  • Vanarai Trust – an NGO in India – has celebrated the event by shouting for the protection of our big wild cat.
  • Further, we, the world, asked for help from the organization and WWF to protect the world’s most magnificent animals through taking lifestyle challenges or donating.
  • Shopee Malaysia is working to raise funds to help the tigers fulfill the TX2 goal.
  • The Delhi Public School, Gurgaon, India, has celebrated the day by enlightening children’s souls with awareness videos, fun art activities, and class talks.

Through a press release, WWF declared that snaring is the primary cause of tiger extinction in regions such as Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam. Further, illegal trading and logging of body parts are other reasons for habitat loss in China, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.

However, there are some success stories we must hear:

  • Through the tiger recovery action plan, some numbers can be recovered.
  • Some of the protective measures are already followed by countries like India, Nepal, Russia, Malaysia, Bhutan, China, and Bangladesh.

This report reviews our goals towards protecting and restoring the tiger population in various countries.

World Tiger Day 2022

International Tiger Day 2022 was celebrated on 29th July. And it was time to review how far we had been to protect the world’s most iconic organism.

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WWF had been working to restore the tiger counts since 2010 to increase the tiger numbers to 6,000 in 2022. When we were closer to the evaluation, there were so many other ways people made constant efforts.

One of the biggest celebrations that year was the achievement of TX2 in India and Nepal. As per a story published on 26th January 2022 on the WWF website, some sites in India and Nepal were awarded for doubling the habitat populations.

The TX2 awarded regions included Bardia National Park in Nepal and Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in India. Another award was given to the Khata forest reservation in Nepal for Tiger Conservation Excellence.

Bardia National Park increased the tiger numbers almost fivefold in 2018. On the other hand, the Sathyamangalam Tiger reserve in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot had risen from 25 in 2011 to 80 individuals.

Further, according to another press release published on 1st February, the lunar year for tiger conservation brought progress and urgency to restore our magnificent wildcat habitats.

Some of the highlights of the celebration of World Tiger Day 2022 included the tripled number increase in the world’s largest tiger reserves in China and Russia. Usage of Spatial Monitor and Report Tool in Bhutan’s Royal Manas National Park depicted progress towards population doubling since 2012.

However, the progress was not uniform throughout the 13 regions for the tiger population. While improvement was seen in countries like India, Nepal, China, Russia, Bhutan, and Bangladesh, the numbers were declining in Malaysia. Besides, the habitat was almost extinct in some other countries.

Urgent action and regular steps could only take us toward our future goals of tiger reservation.

World Tiger Day 2023

International Tiger Day is on 29 July 2023. This year’s event will not have a specific theme, but its main aim is to highlight the serious threat of tigers becoming extinct and the importance of protecting them as soon as possible. It’s a day to raise awareness about the dangers these wonderful, magnificent animals face, and why it’s crucial to protect them for future generations.

International-tiger-day

According to WWF, there were 1,411 wild tigers in India in 2010. This number has now more than doubled to 3,167 in 2022. It is due to strong public and government support for conserving India’s national animal, the tiger. Many NGOs, scientific institutions, and local communities have been working hard to safeguard these tigers.

This Friday, in India, ‘Kids for Tigers’ is celebrating a big tiger event at Jayamahal Palace. During the Nature in Focus Festival, lots of students will come and enjoy activities like tiger face painting, fun songs about nature, and dances. They’ll also learn why saving tigers is important and talk with others who care about wildlife. It’s a great way to learn about tiger conservation, fill the gap between theory and practice, and meet other tiger lovers.

Always remember, if there are no tigers, the whole environment will be affected and even the food chain will be adversely affected.

How Can We Celebrate International Tiger Day?

International tiger day is a global event that is celebrated every year for tiger conservation. People across the world organize different activities to show their support for the day. You can also be a part of the celebration. These are some ideas to celebrate the events.

  1. You can plan a jungle safari to experience the life of tigers in their habitat.
  2. You can even plan a trip to the zoo with your children so that they can understand the importance of conservation of tigers.
  3. If you are not able to spot the tiger personally! No worries. You can spend some quality moments watching tigers onscreen. Many movies have picked yellow stripes in an amazing character. Such as Life of Pi
  4. Some animated movies like Madagascar 3, Ice Age, the “Tigger” Movies, etc. are amazing enough to grab the attention of the kids.
  5. Do you like to host parties? Well, you can plan an adventurous party with a jungle theme to educate people about wildlife conservation, especially kids.
  6. You can involve your child in an art & craft activity (such as making a paper tiger or a soft toy of a tiger) to celebrate the day.
  7. You can encourage your kids to write essay on tiger on this world tiger day event. It will help them gain a better understanding of the event.
  8. Social media is an excellent platform to spread awareness about tiger protection.
  9. You can also share some knowledge with your friends or family about tiger protection and the success stories of the tiger-populated countries.
  10. Schools can also participate by organizing different activities like quizzes, play, dance performances, etc.
  11. Several projects and campaigns are going on for tiger conservation. You can volunteer for any of these and can also donate to welfare efforts.
  12. Tigers are wild cats. You can read about all kinds of wild cats around the world. It will help you and your children to gain a deeper understanding of wild cats.

World Tiger Day Conclusion

Tiger has always been a favorite character in our childhood stories. A tiger is a symbol of courage that motivates us to compete for the world with courage. If the tiger population continues to decline, our children will not be able to see the majestic creature of the animal kingdom.

The only medium for our children to see the tiger will be available through books, magazines, digital modes, etc. Hence, we should put our hands together to support world tiger day for the conservation of this wonderful species.

Source
tigers.panda.org

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