International Tiger Day... chuff, chuff

• Habitat loss; deforestation for agriculture for instance, and for infrastructure development led to fragmentation of habitat and its destruction.  This also means there’s a lack of prey for tigers to eat.
• Poaching of tigers – for instance their body parts were in demand
• Conflict with people – some of whom took to retaliation attacks after tigers had killed people or livestock.  Tigers are solitary animals and need space which has been getting in short supply.
• Lack of patrols to protect the tigers and a lack of wildlife monitoring
• Climate change has led to more wildfires, destroying habitat and food sources, and causing more droughts.  Tigers4ever are providing solar-powered borehole pumps in Bandhavgarh to bring water from underground to the surface so that tigers and their prey have water to drink.  You can support this project and help tigers here.

Tigers are an umbrella species – protect a tiger and tiger habitat, and you’re protecting other species too.  And they are a sign of a healthy eco-system, so give tigers a future in which they can not just survive but thrive, and you’re ensuring clean water, wood, protecting fish nurseries, and helping tourism.   Their forests are important carbon stores, too. 

Tigers help to maintain the balance of nature:  if there aren’t enough of them, there will be too many herbivores such as deer and antelope, and they will gobble up the forests and its vegetation before starting on crops local communities have grown for themselves to eat.  So the tiger helps keep herbivore numbers in check and that ecosystems can survive and thrive.  A healthy ecosystem and tiger habitat can help reduce the impact of flooding. 

The number of tigers has gone up since 2010, with a 74% increase, according to the Global Tiger Forum, with 5,574 tigers now in the wild.   But some countries have been more successful than others, the one with the best results being Nepal, where numbers have gone up fourfold.  The Malaysian tiger has dipped to 150 in number - there were about 3,000 in the 1950s.   The Ranthambore National Park gives an idea of how the different countries have performed and you can see that here. 

There's no room for complacency!   Wildlife - and tigers - are depending on all of us.  And forested areas need protecting and managing.   The video shows the importance of monitoring, reporting, researching - and in short, an active ranger presence where rangers are well equipped, well trained, and well protected so that they can protect these stunning animals effectively.  

Such success is not without its challenges, one of them being conflict between humans and tigers.  The Nepal Tiger Trust has come up with a solution to identify and capture problem tigers and remove them.  

Tiger conservation shows how important it is to work with local communities who are, after all, living with these majestic big cats.  Tigers may look gorgeous on You Tube videos, but to come face to face with a huge tiger in the forest when you’re going about your daily business is quite another matter.  It shows how important it is to manage tiger conservation.

In 2024, International Tiger Day is aiming to:

• raise awareness about tiger conservation and the urgent threats tigers face, such as habitat loss, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict
• tackle the challenges tigers face:  to combat wildlife crime (poaching), expand the protected areas (so tiger territory), highlight sustainable livelihoods for locals (e.g. tourism so they can make a living) 
• inspire us all to act to help tigers  

• Support conservation organisations working on tiger conservation such as Tigers4ever (anti-poaching patrols and waterholes for tigers in Bandhavgarh), Panthera (tigers in Malaysia and Thailand), Wildlife Conservation Society (helping tigers in 8 tiger ranges), the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (funding ranger patrols and law enforcement, amongst other things) and Born Free (tackling poaching, safeguarding tiger habitat, finding ways for people and tigers to live in harmony) and the Nepal Tiger Trust are just some of them
• Raise awareness on social media #internationaltigerday #globaltigerday #tigerday2024
• Save tiger forest - for instance, the International Tiger Project has a 'Save Forest' programme 
• Boycott items which have been produced from endangered animals e.g. medicine.  If you know of any information on poaching or trade of illegal wildlife, inform local law enforcement agencies.  Contact TRAFFIC which fights poachers and pass on the information to them.
• Support tough laws which protect wildlife. You could also spread this message from ENV Nature in Vietnam, with their You Tube video called "Safer with Science"
• Support rangers who put their lives on the line protecting endangered species.  Rangers are incredibly brave people, and they need our support. Find out about World Ranger Day on the 31st July
• Sponsor a ranger!   Tigers4ever enable you to protect Bandhargarh's tigers from poachers
• Save tigers from snares in Indonesia with the International Tiger Project
• Support local communities in tiger territories, perhaps by visiting, volunteering or buying products they make.   Responsible Travel have a directory of tiger safaries, if you fancy a tiger related holiday. 
• Need to send someone a card?  Send them a personalised charity card and e-card supporting Tigers4ever!