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. 
  

Tigers are an umbrella species – protect a tiger and tiger habitat, and you’re protecting other species too.  They help maintain the balance of nature - for if there aren't enough of them, herbivores will become too numerous and eat up all the vegetation. Tigers help keep herbivore numbers in check, and that helps ecosystems to survive and thrive - it helps the health of the planet and forests around us. Tigers help keep the planet in good health.

The number of tigers has gone up since 2010, according to the Global Tiger Forum, with 5,711 tigers now in the wild.   But some countries have been more successful than others. In Nepal, numbers have gone up to 355.  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. 

Wildlife - and tigers - are depending on all of us.  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.

There are a number of things being done to help tigers and also to tackle human-tiger conflict, which can lead to the death of tigers. Here are a few examples:

You could also other tiger conservation work:

• Support 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)

• Born Free (tackling poaching, safeguarding tiger habitat, finding ways for people and tigers to live in harmony)

• Nepal Tiger Trust are just some of them

• The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is working to protect Sumatran tigers

• Raise awareness on social media #internationaltigerday #globaltigerday #tigerday2025

• 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

• 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. 

• Be informed by researching other organisations and initiatives helping tigers such as the Global Tiger Forum. International co-operation is essential for conservation; animals have no borders. The Forum is an inter-governmental international body working for wild tiger conservation. It facilitates the research and expertise across the tiger range countries, and a good deal more, covering tiger conservation, its prey and habitat. You can find the Forum on Facebook here.