Today is International Tiger Day.

Tiger is a symbol of Beauty, Bravery, Strength, and Nationality, so save the Tiger. Save our Nation’s Pride.

The attached pictures are all of the Royal Bengal Tigers, and as the name indicates they have Indian origins.

Today is International Tiger Day, also known as Global Tiger Day. Every year, the 29th of July is celebrated as International Tiger Day to raise awareness for tiger conservation.

International Tiger Day was established back in 2010 at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia; the primary goal is to promote a global system for protecting the natural habitats of tigers and raise public awareness and support for tiger conservation issues.

Tigers are majestic species and are revered in various cultures. They are also an endangered species and the number of tigers is consistently declining due to poaching, hunting and illegal trading as well as loss of habitat. This International Day is celebrated annually with the slogan/theme, “Their Survival is in our hands”. The main aim is to make people aware of the declining tiger population and to conserve tigers globally.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), globally there are only 3900 tigers left. 95% of the tiger population went extinct in activities like poaching from the beginning of the 20th century. Tigers are one of the most majestic and royal species that we have seen globally. They are also called the “Umbrella Species” as their conservation also conserves many other species in the same habitat.

As per the latest tiger estimation report released by the Prime Minister, India’s tiger population is 2967 tigers. This is the highest number of tigers so far a country has globally. Project Tiger was launched in India in the year 1973. Because of the planned efforts under Project Tiger in the current situation, India has the maximum number of tigers in the world.

Tigers are icons of beauty and power. It is our National Animal and that of Bangladesh too. As Indians, we are proud of tigers which at one time existed in very large numbers in most parts of our country. During my childhood at Kothagudem, I used to hear of tigers and cheetahs in the nearby forests. Hunters came here not specifically for these wild animals, but mostly for sambar deer, spotted deer, wild boar, rabbits and waterfowl.  I remember a few personal incidents from my childhood involving tigers at Kothagudem. When attacked by a tiger a farmer fought it with his sickle and in the process, both the huge tiger and the fragile farmer died. Their bodies were brought on bullock carts to the house and office of the RDO (Revenue Divisional Officer), our neighbour, for financial assistance to the farmer‘s family and maybe some award. I witnessed this entire scene. Another incident was of tiger pug marks seen very close to our house at the spray pond of the thermal power station adjacent to our house, where the tiger came to drink water.  I was a part of the small crowd that went and witnessed these pug marks. Yet another incident is when our family was invited to visit a circus in the town during the daytime to see the caged birds and wild animals, that is lions, tigers and bears and other animals that is horses, chimpanzees and elephants, and the circus artists practising for their shows. I got to hold a tiger cub, the size of a fully grown cat, for some time. And now at Sriracha, I and my wife got to carry an almost fully grown tiger on our laps and feed milk! You can see this in the attached pictures and video.   

Let’s celebrate International Tiger Day by raising awareness and taking concrete steps to protect India‘s National Animals from extinction. 

Here is a video showing the majestic and beautiful Royal Bengal Tigers (though unfortunately in captivity):