Over 97% of all wild tigers have been lost in just over 100 years. As few as 3000 live in the wild today, instead of the possible 100,000. If this continues, all tigers living in the wild could be extinct in just five years.
There are three main reasons for the reduction in tiger numbers:
- Habitat loss – Tigers lost 93% of their natural habitat due to human expansion – both urban and agricultural growth. Smaller, scattered habitats allow fewer tigers to survive, and the risk of inbreeding is increased. The tigers are also more vulnerable to poaching.
- Human wildlife conflict – The competition between humans and tigers for space is creating a major problem for communities living close together. As space is reduced, tigers are increasingly forced to hunt domestic livestock, which is depended upon by local human populations. Tigers are often killed in response to such events.
- Climate change – The Sundarbans is a large mangrove forest on the northern coast of the Indian Ocean and is home to one of the world’s largest tiger populations. Rising sea levels threaten to destroy the mangrove forests, and the last remaining home of the Bengal tiger.
International Tiger Day is held annually on the 29th July to give worldwide attention to the preservation of tigers. It was founded by the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit in 2010 when many tigers were close to extinction. Many animal welfare organisations pledged to help and continue to raise funds, these include the WWF, National Geographic, and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Organisers of International Tiger Day ask that if you don’t have money to donate, you can donate your awareness. The goal of Tiger Day is to promote the protection and expansion of the wild tigers’ habitats and to gain support through awareness for tiger conservation.