World Tiger Day

International Tiger day 2024: Call For Action
Background:
International Tiger day is manifested so that people around the world can raise awareness for tiger conservation. Protecting tigers and their natural habitats is the primary objective for this day of global solidarity in protecting tigers. The announcement was made by the International Tiger Forum in 2010 in St. Petersburg, Russia. The forum was the world's first tiger conference. The tiger conservation program is a joint effort of then-Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and World Bank President Robert Zoellick.

Since then, International Tiger Day has been celebrated every year. This day is celebrated for the conservation of tigers' habitats, raising public awareness about the declining number of tigers, raising issues for their conservation as well as appreciating and encouraging efforts in tiger conservation.

After all, why is the tiger so important? We all know that tigers, once found everywhere, are now on the endangered species list. Statistics show that the tiger population, which was 100,000 in the first half of the 20th century, has dropped by 90% to 3,200.

The main reasons for the decline are deforestation, lack of habitat, climate change, and poaching. To curb this trend, 13 countries are working together with the ambitious goal of doubling the number of tigers by 2022 in collaboration with various livestock conservation organizations. It is the fourteenth year that India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Russia have jointly launched the Tiger Conservation Program.

Slogan 2024:
Call for Action
Every year on this International Day, the phrase "Their future is in our hands" is used. The day was also declared in light of the worrying decrease in the number of wild tigers.

Importance of Tiger
The tiger is considered a symbolic creature all over the world. As a natural resource, the tiger is also considered important from a cultural and historical point of view. While this is happening, it also contributes to keeping our biological systems in balance. As tigers are the main predators in the food chain, it makes a significant contribution to the ecological balance by controlling herbivores. Needless to say, environmental balance is important not only for wildlife but also for people from all over the world.

We must not forget that in our science books, the science teacher used to draw a picture of grass, goats, tigers, and a circle, to depict the ecosystem and food chain. Tigers are known by botanical and animal experts not only for maintaining the ecological balance but also for providing support to other animals. It is also called "Umbrella Species" in English. Conserving tigers requires a lot of space, so large forests need to be protected. In this way, tigers are analyzed as important species as other animals also find shelter during forest conservation. While conserving tigers, we are also conserving forests.

While celebrating Tiger Day, it not only protects the tiger but also gives a sense of well-being to the forest and other animals as well as human life. It paves the way for future generations to smile and live for Mother Earth.

-Suyog Dhakal