Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my!

On Sunday July 29, 2018, the world will celebrate tigers all across the globe. This day is used to raise and spread awareness for the endangered animal.

International Tiger Day began in 2010 at the St. Petersburg Tiger Summit. Since tigers are an endangered species, and at the time the animal’s population was at an all time low, many people wanted to see their population increase. This eventually lead to the creation of the Global Tiger Recovery Program whose goal was to get the wild tiger population to double by 2020.

There are currently around 3,900 wild tigers left in the world. In 1990 there were about 100,000 wild tigers. That is a 96.8% decline in 20 years.

The decrease in tiger population is due to many things, one including habit loss. Tigers can have a wide range of habitats ranging from tropical rainforests to swamps and grasslands. These places are being taken and destroyed by humans which is leaving the tigers nowhere to go. Forests have been cleared for agriculture and timber. The development of road networks and buildings have also negatively affected tigers and their habitats.

Poaching is also a serious problem that tigers face. In China and Southeast Asia, traditional Chinese medicine uses tiger parts, especially the bones, which is a popular reason for tiger poaching. Tigers’ skin, claws, and teeth are worth a lot of money which also adds to why tigers are continually poached.

Since these animals are endangered, it is crucial that we help them. One way to help is by adopting a tiger. There are adoption packs ranging from 20 dollars to 75 dollars. The adoption will support work that ensures the safety of tigers under the Endangered Species Act.

Another way to help the tigers is by sharing your thoughts and opinions with government officials. They can be contacted through Wildlife Action Center on Defenders.org.

Donations can be made to the Save Tigers Now Fund.