Today, 29th July 2023, marks the celebration of International Tiger Day. Delve into its history and significance on this occasion.
The primary aim of observing International Tiger Day is to promote public awareness towards tiger conservation and the preservation of their natural habitat.
India currently holds the world's largest tiger population, with around 3000 tigers, while the global count is approximately 4500.
In 1973, Project Tiger was initiated with the aim of conserving tigers. However, by 2010, the tiger population in our country had dwindled to just 1700.
During a conference convened in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in 2010, it was decided that 29th July would be designated as International Tiger Day.
India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam took part in this conference.
Between 1910 and 2010, the tiger population declined from 1 lakh to 3,500 and their habitat experienced a 40 percent reduction from 2000 to 2010.
According to the latest tiger census, the number of tigers in India is 2,967, which is more than 70 percent of the number of tigers found in the whole world.