Today, on the 29th of July, we
are celebrating a critically important day: International Tiger Day. Tigers, the
largest of the cat species, have mystique and charisma and are a symbol of
strength and power. Yet, the number of wild tiger is astonishingly low and, in
fact, is the lowest it has ever been. This day was founded at the Saint Petersburg
Tiger Summit in 2010 when it was realised that these magnificent creatures are on
the brink of extinction. Tigers are one of the most fascinatingly admired
animals with their distinct orange and black stripes, but, unfortunately, are
vulnerable to extinction. Sadly, the world has lost 97% of all wild tigers in just
over 100 years. Instead of an abundantly 100,000, there is only about 3200 left
in the wild today. What
is even more shocking is the fact that at this current rate, all tigers living
in the wild could be extinct in the next decade. There are only 100 tigers left
in Bangladesh's largest mangrove forest. In Indonesia, there remain as few as
400 Sumatran tigers, while both Bali and Javan Tigers are already extinct.
It is celebrated worldwide to successfully
convey the message of tiger conservation. This day is annually celebrated to place
particular attention on conserving tigers. It strives to raise public awareness
and support for tiger conservation issues. The goal is to effectively promote
the protection and expansion of the wild tigers’ habitats and to draw attention
to declining tiger populations and their ecosystems. It is about highlighting
the tigers that remain and halting their decline. Furthermore, it entails
promoting a global system for protecting the natural habitats of tigers. Many influential
and well-known international organisations are involved in this day, including
the WWF, the IFAW, and the Smithsonian Institute.
WHY
TIGERS MATTER
Tigers help maintain a healthy balance. As top predators, they help to keep their habitat healthy by preying on other animals – mainly herbivores, for example deer. Without them, there would be too many herbivores, causing overgrazing and degrading habitats. This would disrupt the balance of the ‘ecosystem’ – the living (animals and plants) and non-living (e.g. air and water) components of the environment. Thus tigers are important for the well-being of people (who depend on healthy ecosystems for food, water and many other resources) and for the survival of other wildlife (which relies on balanced ecosystems).
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| Source: Daily Express |
Tigers help maintain a healthy balance. As top predators, they help to keep their habitat healthy by preying on other animals – mainly herbivores, for example deer. Without them, there would be too many herbivores, causing overgrazing and degrading habitats. This would disrupt the balance of the ‘ecosystem’ – the living (animals and plants) and non-living (e.g. air and water) components of the environment. Thus tigers are important for the well-being of people (who depend on healthy ecosystems for food, water and many other resources) and for the survival of other wildlife (which relies on balanced ecosystems).
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| National Geographic Kids |
After many years
of poaching and environment loss, the number of tigers have decreased
considerably. The survival of these majestic creatures is threatened because
they constantly face unrelenting pressures, including:
Habitat
loss
Tigers’ habitat
has been destroyed, degraded, and fragmented by human activities. The clearing
of forests for agriculture and timber, expansion of cities as well as the
building of road networks and other development activities pose serious threats
to tiger habitats and have led to tigers losing 93% of their natural habitat
and historical range. Deforestation is decreasing not only habitats but prey. Because
the human populations continue to expand, there is a greater need for space to
farm and live. Furthermore, less can survive in small, scattered islands of
habitat leading to a greater risk of inbreeding. Not only that, but these small
islands of habitat make them more susceptible to poaching.
Human
wildlife conflict
Because there
are limited regions where tigers can live and hunt safety, they face more
encounters with humans. People and tigers are competing for space which,
inevitably, threatens the world’s remaining wild tigers. Because forests shrink
and prey get scarce, tigers are forced to hunt domestic livestock. But local
communities depend on it for their livelihood and, in retaliation, tigers are
killed.
Climate change
A large tiger
population is found in the Sundarbans, which is a mangrove forest area shared
by India and Bangladesh on the northern coast of the Indian Ocean. This area
protects coastal regions from storm surges and wind damage and Bengal tigers
occur here. But, rising sea levels, caused by climate change, threaten to wipe
out these forests as well as the last remaining habitat of this particular tiger
population.
In order to counteract these threats,
support from several international organisations is taking place, notably the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the International Union for Conservation (IUCN).
They are able to create global legislation, for example, CITES works to control
trade in plant and animal species between borders, ensuring trade doesn’t lead
to extinction.
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| Source: Youtube |
This important day can be a roaring success if all of us do our bit for tiger conservation!
REFERENCES
