July 29 is celebrated as International Tiger Day every year. The purpose of celebrating the day is to spread awareness among people about tiger conservation.
United Nations has tweeted on its official twitter handle, "Over the last century, the global tiger population has declined by 95% due to habitat loss & wildlife trafficking. Today, there are more tigers in captivity than in the wild. On Thursday's #InternationalTigerDay, see how @UNEP works to help protect tigers."
PM Modi tweeted, "On #InternationalTigerDay, greetings to wildlife lovers, especially those who are passionate about tiger conservation. Home to over 70% of the tiger population globally, we reiterate our commitment to ensuring safe habitats for our tigers and nurturing tiger-friendly eco-systems."
"Doubling tigers is about tigers, about the whole of nature - and it's also about us", said Marco Lambertini, Director General WWF.
History of the day
July 29, 2010 is a historical date because on this day several countries signed the agreement in the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit held in Russia. The agreement was about raising awareness about the decreasing tiger population globally and preserving the natural habitat of tigers. Moreover, the representatives from various countries declared that the tiger-populated countries would thrive to double the tiger population by the end of the year 2022.
Theme of the day for 2021
The theme of the day for this year is - “Their Survival is in our hands”. Due to Covid-19, last year the day was celebrated online. However, the event was observed with great enthusiasm worldwide. India has around 70% of the global tiger population, it plays a vital role in the annual celebration. With Tiger reserves in place and thriving efforts by the Environment department, India has successfully doubled the tiger population ahead of the 2022 target.
Importance of the day
According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), "there are only 3900 wild tigers present globally. There may have been 100,000 tigers at the beginning of the 20th century. The number was drastically reduced to 3,200 in the year 2010." Therefore, it is crucial to save the species of tigers for the environment.